Doc. 8040

16 March 1998

Honouring of obligations and commitments by Romania

Reply to Recommendation 1326 (1997)

from the Committee of Ministers

adopted on 11 March 1998 at the 622nd meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies

The Committee of Ministers has taken note of Recommendation 1326 (1997) in which the Parliamentary Assembly decided to close the monitoring procedure concerning the fulfilment of Romania’s obligations and commitments as provided by Order No. 508 (1995).

It notes with satisfaction that Romania, which has expressed appreciation for the assistance it has received and continues to receive through a number of items within the Council of Europe “Activities for the consolidation of democratic stability (ADACS)”, was able to fulfil the obligations and commitments undertaken.

Within the resources available for the 1998 Council of Europe co-operation programmes with Romania, the issues mentioned in Recommendation 1326 have received careful attention. The follow-up to a programme for child protection should be mentioned in particular (notably children infected with HIV and the assistance given by the Social Development Fund of the Council of Europe by the grant of a loan of 65 million FF to co-finance projects aimed at improving the conditions of abandoned children). As for the legal field, a priority has been given to the question of the enforcement of sanctions, thus contributing to the various measures taken by the Romanian Government to reform the prison and detention system.

The question of a joint programme between the European Community and the Council of Europe for Romania will be raised in the framework of future meetings with the European Commission.

Concerning the fight against racism, xenophobia and intolerance, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), under its country-by-country approach, is completing its report on Romania. The report will, in accordance with ECRI’s mandate, make specific proposals to the Romanian authorities on measures for combating racism and intolerance. It can also serve as a basis, together with the detailed general policy recommendations produced by ECRI to date, for action in conjunction with non-governmental organisations and other institutions of civil society to promote awareness of racism and intolerance among key sectors of Romanian society.

The Committee of Ministers further informs the Parliamentary Assembly that its own monitoring procedures, applied, and implemented in practice, in all member States without discrimination, are taking account of the procedures of the Assembly, in accordance with the wishes expressed by the Heads of State and Government in the Action Plan adopted at the Second Summit (Strasbourg, 10-11 October 1997).