EU accession impact
Romania joined the EU on 1 January 2007. The last monitoring report issued by the EU Commission in October 2006 mentioned that progress had been made in the areas of justice system reform, fight against corruption and in the capacity of the country to absorb impending structural funds. As concerns the social sectors, the Commission report stated that progress had been made in fighting human trafficking, in the conditions of detention, and in the implementation of the 2005 law on the promotion and protection of child rights, which harmonized the Romanian legislation with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). However, the report emphasized that more efforts are needed to ensure community-based services for people with disabilities, to ensure the protection and integration of minorities as well as to improve access to health care, especially at the regional level and among poorer groups and minorities. Significant gaps still exist in Health and Education reforms, which were not monitored during the EU accession process. Romania is strongly anchored to its EU commitments, with structural reforms continuing to advance, though reform fatigue is of major concern. Furthermore, unfinished reform agenda remain large, and weaknesses continue to surface.The EU Commission will issue its next report on Romania's reform progress in June 2007. Download the Situation Analysis of Children in Romania [PDF]
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