By Bruno Waterfield - 25th January 2005
Potential scandal surrounding €4 billion of public contracts signed off by the old Bucharest administration will not damage Romania’s EU entry prospects, Calin Popescu Tariceanu has told EUpolitix.com.
Romania’s incoming prime minister has ordered his cabinet ministers to review all public contracts agreed by the country’s previous government led by Adrian Nastase.
Tariceanu is confident that, whatever his review should uncover, corruption scandals will not derail Romania’s EU entry – set for January 1 2007.
“I don’t think potential scandal could damage our chances. On the contrary, I would like to say, and I want to say, that Romania has to fulfil all EU regulations concerning bidding procedures and the contracting phase,” he told this website.
“We can not make any derogation from these rules, for any company either American or European.”
“I have started by asking members of my cabinet to check every contract of this kind concerning legal aspects and the financial aspects.”
Contracts under scrutiny include a 2003 €2.5bn road project – a deal criticised by Brussels under EU competition rules.
Also under scrutiny is a €1bn border security contract with EADS, controversial because no tendering took place.
And Tariceanu, then in opposition, has another €480 million road contract with BTP Vinci in his sights.
“If all is ok we can continue, if not of course we have the full responsibility to renegotiate contracts,” he said.
Romania closed EU membership negotiations in December last year amid European Commission concerns that the progress of reforms were flagging.
Failure to tackle corruption, implement judicial reforms and EU competition rules could yet hit Romania’s hope.
‘Safeguard’ clauses in the EU agreement with Bucharest could delay entry until 2008 if Romania fails to make good on promises.
Tariceanu acknowledges problems, particularly with Romania’s internal politics, but regards the future with optimism.
And he warns the EU not to disappoint Romanian voters who showed their commitment to reform by voting in a new government in December.
“I am very convinced there will be great disillusion in Romania if delay would occur.”
“I must underline that 2004 was not the best period for Romania because we had elections and we had to close the chapters of negotiations. This why the former government delayed and has slowed the rhythm of necessary reforms,” he said.
“Now we don’t have, in the future, any major obstacle for speeding up the necessary reforms. So I’m convinced the next period will be enough for enabling us to join the EU.”
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