Mrs. Ioana Muntean
Prime Minister will address you on the most important decisions made on today’s Executive meeting, on the European Commission’s Report on Progress in Romania under the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism, and on other issues as well.

PM Emil Boc
I would first refer to the EC Report on Justice. It is balanced and realistic, bringing two pieces of positive news for Romania. The first is that the safeguard clause will not be triggered; meaning that the court rulings issued by Romanian authorities will be recognized across EU. In case the safeguard clause was triggered, the major risk would have been that the court rulings, from the civil to the commercial ones, were not recognized outside the Romanian space. The fact that a court ruling from Romania is valid everywhere across EU is a good piece of news for Romanian citizens.
The second piece of good news is that the report provides no financial sanctions against Romania, either loss of some European funds or of some other nature. This means that, in essence, the European Commission noted the progress made by Romania starting February, since the latest report was released, when it noticed stagnation in the field of justice reform.
The report on justice is keeping on the Mechanism of cooperation and verification (MCV) and this means that Romania has still to attain some objectives, within our reach, to be truly a European Union full fledged member state from all points of view. To this end I have asked the Government members competent in the field Minister of Justice, Minister of Administration and Interior, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of Department for European Affairs to draw up till August 14 an action plan focused on the implementation of measures recommended by EC Report.
These measures that need to be punctually enacted refer to:
- preparation of the enactment of the two Codes passed by Parliament and of the two procedure codes in ongoing parliamentary debates;
- training and strengthening of the human resource sin the justice field;
- further implementation of adequate measures with respect to jurisprudence unification;
- stability and functionality of the legal framework for combating corruption;
- Further enactment of local strategies to combat corruption.

In other words, we very seriously deal with the next steps and we consider that what we have achieved so far, has been appreciated by the EC.
Last but not least, we launch an appeal to all parties from Romania to forge the necessary political consensus to continue reforms and the fight against corruption.
I believe that the political factor must further prove very firmly and clearly that in this country nobody is above the law. And from this standpoint, the Executive will endorse and prepare the legislative acts for such a step to be backed, expecting that other political actors, parties and the Parliament – to set ,as a priority, in their activity the observance of this principle according to which nobody is above law”.
Secondly, we discussed about the “Spiru Haret” University case. The Government and implicitly PM’s view on the “Spiru Haret” University case is the following: with respect to diplomas issued to date, I asked the Education Minister to submit to Executive a detailed and precise report of the past and current situation at “Spiru Haret” University, on specialities and diplomas, in relation with the current legal framework, and on the basis of this investigation to put forward legal solutions.
Regarding the future, and all the eventual situations similar to the one from Spiru Haret, the Executive’ solution is the adoption of the education law package whereby assumption of responsibility before Parliament. To this end, we set that till August 14th, the law package drawn up by Miclea Commission, along with the documents elaborated by the Education Minister, all legal documents entering in this education package to be finalized.
Within this step, following the example of the National Pact for Education, we will require all political parties –signatories of the National Pact for Education to nominate their experts to work along the Education Minister and those who elaborated the Miclea Commission’s report, in order to put forward to Government and Parliament the best possible legislative package on education meant to prevent such situations from happening in the future.
As it was presented in April, this legislative package comprises solutions to prevent such situations as those from “Spiru Haret” University. These solutions are very clear and simple.
1. Hierarchy of universities and curricula so that any citizen of Romania who wants to enroll at a university knows from the very beginning whether or not the respective university is accredited, if the diploma is recognized, if it is worthwhile to invest money in studies there, or to enroll at a state university and benefit of the advantages of free education.
Secondly, this law package comprises explicit sanctions for the infringement of university autonomy’s limits. The academic autonomy is guaranteed by Constitution but its abusive use should be sanctioned. For this reason, our law package about to be further debated comprises very clear sanctions: legal dismantling of the university or curricula which does not observe the accreditation conditions, and does not present to public opinion whereby accreditation institutions acknowledged by law, the necessary data to inform those who opt for the respective university.
There are also administrative sanctions for universities not observing the curricula, so that in Romania, after the adoption of this education law package, every citizen who wants to enroll at an university, knows that his/her diploma would never be questioned and will not encounter problems in using it in Romania or abroad.
We believe these measures should be firmly taken, and despite facing the crisis’ difficulties, this should not be an excuse for not implementing the reforms necessary to Romanian society, among which the education reform.
‘Spiru Haret” University case shows us once again that if we do not take appropriate measures in time, the problems can multiply with extremely damageable consequences for Romanian citizens and the confidence in the Romanian educational system.
We need performance. Therefore, we need clear rules to be observed by all, irrespective of the professor teaching to one or other university.
The third subject I would like to mention refers to the fact that we adopted today a draft law to be further debated in Parliament, on the cut by 20 percent in the number of dignitary cabinet’s personnel. We announced this measure ever since last week. Today, it materialized in draft law to be sent to Parliament for approval. I want to recall that with respect to structures under the Executive’s authority, Prime Minister, Ministers, Secretaries of State, heads of agencies, the deadline for the 20 percent cut in dignitary’s cabinet personnel is August 1st. There will be a 16 to 13 percent cut –at Minister’s Cabinet, from 6 to 5 – at Secretary of State’s Cabinet, from 5 to 4 in the other structures of governmental agencies.
I repeat, the draft law will be debated in emergency procedure for it to be enacted at the level of local structures too, on which we do not have political authority, but recommendation norm. The draft law after its passing shall be compulsory for local authorities too. My colleague will provide you details about the rest of subjects approached on the Executive’s meeting.

Reporter
Since we speak about agencies’ restructuring, how many agencies are there at present?

PM Emil Boc
Today, we conducted a very detailed analysis of governmental agencies. I want you to know that we work on three levels: their dismantling, their passing under the Ministries’ authority, and their amalgamation, as well as the cut in the number of personnel. It is a very tough analysis; nobody had the courage to take such a measure in these years, after the Revolution. I assure you that in August, you will have on your table the restructuring project of governmental agencies, whereby a drastic cut of employees who do not achieve performance. Allow me, taking into account that there is an ongoing analysis in this respect, not to come with petty things before you, for instance: one dismantled agency today, one amalgamated tomorrow, and other passed under the Ministry’ s authority, dismantling its base, and preserving what it is functional, etc. I want to give you an example: very many agencies will be dismantled, some responsibilities being taken over by Ministries, and the administrative activity may go on in Romania. I repeat, allow us to put forward a global analysis before public opinion.

Reporter
Mr. Prime Minister, how many governmental agencies are in Romania? You said you made an inventory of them.

PM Emil Boc
All these things are under analysis, you will see. You can realize it from the analyses made so far, from the very moment we will make them available to you.

Reporter
Regarding the “First home”, have you made a decision today? Have the norms been amended, in accordance with what you discussed yesterday with bankers?

PM Emil Boc
Yes, the legal framework has been prepared, so that the real estate constructors, who built homes on mortgage credits, can join the “First home” programme, on the basis of requests on our discussions. I can tell you that there is no barrier, of any kind for you to build your home from ground, benefiting from a governmental guarantee of 60.000 EUR, or equally for you to buy a not finished house, or a house mortgaged, or not-mortgaged by the constructor. All these nuances and details emerging during procedures, invoked by banks, are practically resolved, henceforth, there is no impediment.

Reporter
Have you discussed Ordinance 75 that generated row between mayors and heads of county councils?

PM Emil Boc
I have mandated the Finance Ministry to come up with the legal solution to our request. It will be put forward next Wednesday. Thank you.

Mrs. Ioana Muntean
The Executive has continued consultations with local authorities today. The representatives of Brasov and Bacau local administration have attended today’s Executive meeting. They have put forward to Cabinet members the difficulties encountered in the implementation of projects with national and European financing. Therefore, we proved once again that through open dialogue, we can resolve many problems. Further to discussions with local authorities, we have realized that there are common problems signaled by authorities from more counties, brought to the Executive’s attention as a result of their participation to the beginning of Executive meetings and discussions during PM‘s visits in the respective counties.
One of the problems encountered by the majority of local administrations is the debts accumulated in time by CETs, this problem was tackled at Executive level and a decision to resolve this situation will be made today.
Other problem of both authorities from Brasov and Bacau refers to the concomitant opening of more than 4.000 yards for the repair and construction of some educational units. The works started during the former government that pledged to finance them but the necessary sums were not earmarked. In this field, PM Emil Boc has asked the Education Minister to make an inventory of these works, with their construction stage. After a ranking in the priority order, the objectives in an advanced construction stage will be first financially aided. The Executive aims at a finalization of an increased number of school units by the beginning of school year.
Today, the Executive has approved a set of 7 Executive Decisions with a view to contributing to the development and modernization of transport and water supply infrastructure. A part of these legislative acts envisage ensuring the necessary land for the infrastructure projects’ building, and others aim at the adoption of technical – economic indicators, technical solutions for construction works. The Executive has approved the opening of ten objectives for achieving some projects of water supply and sewerage systems.
I will discuss them one by one. Whereby an Executive Decision, it has been decided on the earmarking of a land plot of 10.841 square meters into the administration of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry, land passed into the state public ownership with a view to finalizing the Deva and Orastie detour road to motorway standards. The achievement of this work is conditioned by the administration by the Ministry of the necessary land plot.
Through other legislative act, the Executive assigned a land of 10.602 square meters to be administered by the same Ministry, for the finalization of the Arad City detour road. The two projects are vital to streamline traffic in Deva, Orastie, Arad as well as in the respective area.
I would like to outline the fact that the land plots to be assigned to administration are not subject to concession contracts, retrocession requests or other ongoing litigations.
With respect to the water supply and sewerage projects, the Executive has endorsed the achievement of 10 investment objectives within the Project entitled “Integrate system for the repair of water supply and sewerage systems, drinking water treatment and waste water purification stations in localities with a population of up to 50.000 inhabitants”.
The 10 objectives aim at improving, rehabilitating or achieving the projects of water supply or sewerage systems in ten localities from Bihor, Bistrita- Nasaud, Constanta, Dambovita, Gorj, Mures and Tulcea counties. The investments are carried out by the Regional Development and Housing Ministry, as coordinator, via the National Investment Company as project implementation agency.
The objectives are financed from external loans from the Council of Europe’s Development Bank, from state budget, whereby the Development Ministry’s budget, in the limit of sums yearly approved to this end, from local budget, as well as from other legally set sources, in compliance with public investment programmes.
In addition to it, the Executive has approved the technical – economic indicators for four important objectives. Thus, there have been approved the re-updated indicators of the objective “Development and modernization of Bucharest – Otopeni International Airport”. The legislative act adopted today aim at regulating the conditions for the continuation and financing of investment objectives, correlated with the updating of technical – economic indicators. The financing sources will be ensured from the company’s own revenues, and external and internal banking loans. The airport’s development will have an important social impact too. 5.850 new jobs will be created during both the investment programme unfolding and afterwards. The other three Executive Decisions aim at the following investment objectives: road bridge of Danube – Black Sea Channel, Dam from Constanta Harbour and rehabilitation of Deva- Oradea county road. Thank you.