EUROPE AGAIN WANTS CHILDREN FROM ROMANIA

Article translated form Jurnalul National From Wed. April 16, 2006
Author: Irina Cristia

EUROPE AGAIN WANTS CHILDREN FROM ROMANIA

Europarliamentarians have changed their minds with regard to international adoptions. When Romania made the law more restrictive with regard to adoptions, and that under pressure from the European Parliament, the whole world seemed thankful. Now they are again requesting a revision of the procedures so that they are just a little bit more flexible. The Parliamentarians have said that they did not understand very well the moratorium imposed by Emma Nicholson. Now they are very sorry that they were not more attentive to the law and they want it modified.

European Parliamentarians are no longer thankful for Romania's legislation regarding adoptions. This comes from the same Parliamentarians who supported the law when it was written 5 years ago by Emma Nicholson when she requested the restriction of international adoptions to the point of forbidding them. Now many Parliamentarians are saying, "We made a mistake." They joined forces and will make waves about this subject even today (Wednesday) when European Commissioner for Expansion, Ollie Rehn, will respond to questions and concerns which EU law makers have concerning the stage of preparedness for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria.

Parliamentarians Claire Gibault, Jean Marie Cavada, Baron Crespo, Antoine Duquesne and Charles Tannock signed and submitted a written declaration calling attention to "the exceptional situation" in Romania with regards to adoptions. It concerns the moratorium which began in June of 2001 under pressure from Strasbourg and Brussels which makes it essentially impossible for a Romanian child to be adopted by foreigners. The scandal which this provoked attracted Emma Nicholson's applause for the legislation but which at the present has been declared "shameful" and "according to the old style". According to these Parliamentarians and others who support them, Romania is no longer a positive example of a country which enacted good measures for the protection of children as had been previously reported by Brussels. But rather Romania has been put next to Greece as a unique country which makes international adoptions impossible.

When questions came up about what made European Parliamentarians, and particularly Christian Democrat Charles Tannock, realize that the moratorium and the new law were not a good idea, Tannock made reference to lobbying groups which were known to be very active in recent years and who put pressure on the countries from which potential adoptive parents come as well as on Romania. This lobbying campaign was very active even at the press conference yesterday (Tuesday April 25). Journalists were able to get to know many potential adoptive families including some Spanish and French families which had adopted Romania children. None of these children that had been adopted could put together even a few words in the Romanian language.

Charles Tannock, member of the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, explained to Jurnalul National, "When Emma Nicholson presented her report, we supported the moratorium and the law, but we really didn't understand the situation because we did not have sufficient information. You have to understand that at the time few people knew very much about things in Romania. Now we realize that a mistake was made. We did not understand the situation and we did not see what is happening." Tannock is asking the Romanian authorities to open up international adoptions without delay and to resolve the cases that were submitted during the moratorium. Also, Tannock and his colleagues asked for the approval of adoptions "where the situation warrants".

According to Tannock, the government in Bucharest needs to offer a greater flexibility in this area.