The presence of Laura Codruta Kövesi in Chisinau shows that the National Anticorruption Directorate really crossed the Prut, owing to the European Union, acting Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega said in a news conference held in concert with the EU Ambassador to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola, which centered on the peer review missions of rule of law institutions, IPN reports.
The first mission, which started work in Chisinau on November 30, consists of six European experts. These are the chief prosecutor of the Romanian National Anticorruption Department, the vice prosecutor general of Belgium, the vice prosecutor of Torino, two judges from Germany and France and a representative of the Chancellor’s Office of Austria.
Gheorghe Brega said he has great confidence in review missions, even if these are often gloomy radiographies of the realities. “The results of the comprehensive institutional and systemic assessments will be used as a basis for the future changes in the anticorruption sector,” he stated.
According to the EU Ambassador, when the current mission completes its duty, several other experts will be chosen in January 2016 to continue the assessment at the Supreme Court of Justice, Supreme Council of Magistrates, the Ministry of Justice and the whole anticorruption system.
Pirkka Tapiola noted that the review missions will not solve the problems existing in Moldova. “Your problems will be solved if any of those who govern this country will use these instruments, the technical assistance and different programs and will unite them and transform them into policy and will work to transform the law enforcement system into a really democratic one,” he stated.
A workshop will be staged next March-April to disseminate the key findings to the general public. “The conclusions will not be secret information. We hope these will help civil society and those who wait for the reforms to have that monitoring instrument that will enable them to find out what’s going on,” noted Pirkka Tapiola.
The current review mission ends next January. It will be followed by a second mission that will be completed at the end of next March.
Following a request of the Moldovan Parliament and Government, the European Union organized an assessment exercise of several Moldovan rule of law institutions. The goal of this exercise is for European experts from peer institutions to provide an assessment, followed by recommendations, of the Moldovan institutions they will visit. Among the institutions that will be assessed are the National Anticorruption Centre, National Integrity Commission, Constitutional Court, Prosecutor General’s Office, National Institute of Justice, Superior Council of Magistracy, Supreme Court of Justice, Ombudsman and Ministry of Justice.
