Romanian Parliament Enacts Integrity Agency Bill

Senators adopted the bill 92 to one votes and one abstention.

The main change the Senate brought to the bill was to eliminate investigation committees with appeals courts, which were the bodies notifying courts in view of prosecution if cases put forth by the integrity agency were grounded.

Senators in the committees for legal matters and human rights, whose endorsement report was adopted in plenary Wednesday, proposed the president and vice-president of the National Integrity Agency should be appointed by the Senate, at the proposition of the National Integrity Council, which oversees the agency’s activity.

The bill also sets that people reporting public officials to the agency out of ill will may be held legally liable.

The Senate also adopted an amendment, previously rejected by the committees, stating people running for public office are obliged to submit wealth statements only after they obtain a public position, and not as candidates as before.

Senators rejected an amendment that would have forced journalists to submit an annual wealth statements that was to be published on the agency’s website.