WRITTEN QUESTION E-0817/01

by Gian Gobbo (TDI) to the Commission

(19 March 2001)

Subject: Situation of children in Romania

The situation of children in Romania is a matter of serious concern. A large number of reports show that many Romanian children and adolescents are the victims of daily violence and abuse. Of particular concern is the situation of orphans, who live abandoned in the streets of Bucharest and Timisoara, or in prison-like conditions in orphanages.

Many of these children also suffer from AIDS and the Romanian public services are generally incapable of covering the costs of complex medical treatment.

An equally unacceptable problem is the systematic exploitation of children by the local Rom population, which is in some cases tantamount to slavery.

The Commission:

- What action does it intend to take to improve the situation of Romanian children during the enlargement process?

- Has it received any pieces of convincing evidence relating to press revelations about alleged trafficking in Romanian children for the benefit of child abuse networks operating in the European Union, a traffic which is believed to include illegal exports of organs and in which certain international NGOs operating in Romania are alleged to be implicated?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2001)

The Community has provided assistance to Romania since 1990, mainly through the PHARE Programme, to address the delicate situation of children in institutions. In the early years humanitarian assistance (food aid, supply of heating oil, medicines, repairs and maintenance of institutions) was predominant, in order to remediate an emergency situation. However, current programmes are designed to address the structural situation and to promote reform of Romania's childcare system.

The Commission and the Romanian authorities are in the process of implementing a 25 million PHARE programme to support the ongoing reform, which has the following components:

- The creation and development of community integrated child welfare projects at local level, with special emphasis on preventing child abandonment and institutionalisation.

- Restructuring or closure of the old-style residential care institutions by providing alternative facilities/services.

- Technical assistance (using Member States' expertise through twinning, i.e. the secondment of national experts to the government of Romania) to facilitate co-operation between the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection services

(at central and local level) with childcare departments (at central and local level), in order to ensure that Romania's overall social protection policies are effective in providing support to families with children at risk, and preventing abandonment and institutionalisation of children.

- A national public awareness campaign aimed at preventing abandonment of children and their re-integration into (natural or foster) families.

As for alleged trafficking in children from Romania, the Commission is aware of allegations that have appeared in the press but has no evidence as to the existence of networks carrying out such trafficking.

As far as adoptions are concerned, the 2000 Regular Report on Romania's Progress Towards Accession(1) notes that current legislation related to inter-country adoption means that considerations, other than the best interest of the child, may prevail. It also notes that Romania should align its legislation with the The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Inter-country Adoption and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

(1) COM(2000) 710 final.