EU urges Romania to 'urgently' answer judicial concerns
Ponta - Barroso - Photo EC
(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission urged Romania on Monday to quickly respond in writing to concerns about the state of rule of law in the country, saying "there is no time to lose."
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Friday he had provided answers to 11 concerns listed by the European Union's executive arm, which has demanded his government restore the powers of the constitutional court.
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the commission had received a draft letter that did not satisfy its concerns and had asked the centre-left government to provide a more complete answer.
A commission spokesman earlier said Brussels was awaiting a formal letter promised by Ponta, whose bid to impeach President Traian Basescu has sparked international concerns over the state of democracy in the young EU state.
"There is no time to lose and this letter must arrive urgently," commission spokesman Olivier Bailly told a news conference, adding that he expected the missive to arrive "very rapidly."
EU officials were in contact with Romanian authorities all weekend, he said.
During talks in Brussels on Thursday, commission president Jose Manuel Barroso gave Ponta a list of steps he must take to restore confidence in his government's commitment to EU rules.
The parliament, dominated by Ponta's centre-left coalition, has suspended Basescu and a referendum will be held on July 29 asking Romanians whether the conservative leader should be impeached.