WRITTEN QUESTION E-2240/01 by María Rodríguez Ramos (PSE), Rosa Díez González (PSE)and Raimon Obiols i Germà (PSE) to the Commission. Suspension of international adoptions in Romania.
Date: 2001-07-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Romania, Spain, adoption of a child, child protection, children's rights, international adoption, national law

C 134 E/18

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

In the case of the area referred to by the Honourable Member, the ‘Interreg IIIA (cid:26) PHARE CBC II
3a.
joint programming document (cid:26) Development of the German-Polish frontier region in Land Brandenburg
and the province of Lubuskie’ sets out priorities and development measures drawn up jointly by the
German and Polish authorities which mean that this area may be regarded as a single socio-economic
entity.

3b.
The first objective of the Interreg Community Initiative is to ensure that national borders do not
obstruct the balanced development and integration of the European territory. This also presupposes the
coherent management of ecosystems and encourages the promotion of environmental protection and
extension of the European Natura 2000 network by linking up regional, national, transnational and
Community protection areas.

The joint planning framework referred to above means that it is up to the authorities of Land
impact
include the points

in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999,

the province of Lubuskie to carry out

the cross-border environmental

3c.
Brandenburg and of
assessments, which must,
mentioned by the Honourable Member.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2002/C 134 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2204/01

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(23 July 2001)

Subject: International agreements on tuna

In its conclusions of 30 October 1997 the Council of Ministers of Fisheries noted that the Commission
would have to consider how far it was possible to develop the network of agreements on tuna.

Nearly four years after the Council meeting was held, has any action been taken to this end?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(6 September 2001)

The Commission continues to work towards developing networks of tuna fisheries agreements in the
Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Since October 1997 the Commission has concluded a new agreement on tuna
with Gabon and preliminary talks are under way with Ghana and Mozambique.

In June 2001 the Commission also received a new negotiating brief from the Council to conclude tuna
fisheries agreements with the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) States of the western central Pacific.

(2002/C 134 E/019)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2240/01

by María Rodríguez Ramos (PSE), Rosa Díez González (PSE)
and Raimon Obiols i Germà (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Suspension of international adoptions in Romania

(26 July 2001)

In 1999 almost 100 Spanish couples started proceedings to adopt a child in Romania through the
Asociación para la Adopción Internacional de Baleares-ADIB (Balearics Association for International
Adoption) and the international adoption organisation Interadop (cid:26) Alternativa Familiar de Castilla y León.

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/19

Both organisations are accredited by the corresponding ministries of
concerned and all their activities are therefore supervised by the regional administration.

the autonomous government

Each Spanish family made an advance payment of 4 450 dollars to cover procedural, translation and legal
costs relating to their adoption cases, which have been at administrative stage since 2000. The proceedings
have now been suspended by the Romanian government. According to our information, the Commission
itself asked the Romanian government to suspend the cases owing to a lack of legal guarantees on child
protection after it had detected a series of anomalies in international proceedings.

Can the Commission say whether this information is accurate?

If so, what guarantees has the Commission sought from the Romanian government so that adoption
proceedings which have already commenced can be resumed?

Once the safety and well-being of the Romanian children, which we consider to be the priority concern,
framework of rules with the
have been guaranteed, could the Commission establish a transitional
Romanian government
international adoptions does not affect
the suspension of
proceedings which have already been started (or are nearing conclusion) by families from EU Member
States?

to ensure that

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(4 October 2001)

In its annual report 2000 (1) on Romania’s progress towards accession to the Union, the Commission noted
that Romania’s adoption law and practice allowed considerations other than the best interest of the child
to play a role. This situation risked having negative consequences on the overall reform of the childcare
sector in Romania.

Evidence that has been made available to the Commission, the Parliament, international organisations such
as United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (Unicef), several non-governmental organisations
(NGO), and the Romanian authorities, not only points to an inadequate legislative framework, but also
indicates that there has been widespread abuse in the implementation of the existing law.

Faced with this situation, the Romanian government has decided to suspend international adoptions for
one year. Since 14 December 2000 the Romanian Adoption Committee has stopped referring children to
international adoption foundations. As of 21 June 2001, the Romanian Adoption Committee decided to
suspend the registration of new foreign families requesting international adoption for at least one year. In
practice this means that children referred to adoption foundations before 14 December 2000 can still be
adopted by foreign families, who were registered by the Romanian Adoption Committee before
21 June 2001.

The Commission has welcomed this decision which will provide an opportunity for Romania to put into
place the laws and the administrative arrangements needed to honour its commitments under the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These commitments are aimed first and foremost at
safeguarding the best interests of the child and stipulate, inter alia, that ‘… inter-country adoption may be
considered as an alternative means of child’s care, if the child cannot be placed in a foster or an adoptive
family or cannot in any suitable manner be cared for in the child’s country of origin’.

The Commission has therefore advised the Romanian government that it should approve a new law on
international adoptions and establish the proper administrative structures and transparent procedures to
implement it in conformity with Romania’s international obligations.

(1) COM(200) 710 final.