Romania caught between opposing demands of EU and NATO

The US Congress could hamper Romania’s bid to join NATO unless the country lifts its moratorium on child adoptions. Romania banned international adoptions of children in June 2001 under pressure from the EU that condemned the practice as human trafficking.

The US Mission in Brussels has sent a letter to the Commission, arguing that many families in the US want to adopt Romanian children. The note warns that a continued moratorium on adoptions would “create potential problems in our Congress at the time of congressional debates on Romania’s candidacy for Nato accession”.

International adoptions of Romanian children were banned in June 2001 after the European Parliament adopted a rapport, condemning the practice as a “profitable trade in child trafficking”. Domestic adoptions have increased by 50 percent since the introduction of the moratorium. Whilst international adoptions cost 50,000 US dollars, domestic adoptions are free.

POSITIONS

The special rapporteur of the European Parliament for Romania, Baroness Emma Nicholson,stated recently that Romania has made important progress in addressing the problems attached to "institutionalised children". Mrs Nicholson stated that a recent report on the issue of institutionalised children, drawn up by an independent group charged with reviewing international adoptions, was "probably the most serious and profound" report on this issue.

Romania's Prime Minister, Adrian Nastase,and Baroness Nicholson agreed on the creation of a team of Romanian and foreign experts to ensure the implementation of this report. Mr Nastase stated that the Government's strategy on child protection was unfolding without major problems. He added that the strategy for international adoptions would be finalised in consultations between the EU, Rapporteur Emma Nicholson (involving the European Parliament) and the Romanian Government. "Of course, there are different interests, but our major interest is to ensure the conditions to allow children in Romania to have the necessary support and protection and the international adoptions represent only the last solution," underlined Nastase.

Baroness Nicholson stated that Romania's future lies within the EU. She added that she was delighted with Romania's progress on the path to European integration, especially with the Government's measures to speed up privatisation and its decision to collect taxes electronically. Baroness Nicholson stressed that cutting corruption would be of decisive importance for the country's admission to the Union.

TIMELINE

The final version of the report on institutionalised children in Romania will be presented in Brussels on 16 April 2002.

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