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Romania: The Spokesman Statement regarding MFA"s position regarding the measures adopted by the Italian Government in the security field

The MFA constantly acted so that the measures adopted or had in view by the Italian authorities regarding the citizens' security - including the ones related to the census of persons from the nomadic settlements - to fully observe the rights and the guarantees provided by the European legislation for the citizens in the EU Member States.

The MFA's approach is part of the specific diplomatic activity, which requires a direct and concrete dialogue with our partners meant to persuade them of our standpoints.

Long before the adoption of the Italian regulation that form the so-called „Security" package, the MFA developed a constant dialogue with the authorities in Rome in order to assure the compliance of the regulations with the acquis communautaire. At the same time, the Minister of Foreign Affairs brought to the attention of the European Commission the Italian regulations that raise issues of compatibility with the European Law, presenting the position of the Romanian side on the non-compliant aspects and maintaining a permanent dialogue with the Commission's bodies.

Our approaches with respect to the Italian side and the European Commission were made in close cooperation with other Romanian authorities having responsibilities in this field, respectively the Minister of Interior and Administrative Reform and the Ministry of Justice.

Regarding the most recent measures adopted by the Italian executive - namely the ordinance on the situation of nomadic communities in certain regions from Italy (including the census by sampling personal descriptions), the minister of foreign affairs submitted on July 2nd a letter to his Italian counterpart stating all the possible non-compliant aspects of these measures with the European Law and human rights and requested their full compliance with the above mentioned rights.

The Romanian Embassy in Italy sent letters to all the prefects that must apply the respective ordinances, showing tthe preoccupation for potential discriminations and requesting guarantees regarding the observance of the Romanian citizens rights, including by allowing the access of representatives from Romanian Consulates to the census. The Embassy also has in view other measures regarding this aspect in order to assure the observance of the rights of Romanian citizens subject to the census.

Similar approaches were carried out with the European Commission through the Permanent Representation of Romania to Brussels. As well, the MFA made available for Romanian members of the European Parliament the legal arguments needed for the promotion of a resolution of the European Parliament on this matter.

On the other hand, the MFA reminds that it initiated, on a larger perspective, a series of measures and actions aiming to assure the protection and promotion of the Romanian citizens living outside Romanian borders. For instance, at the initiative of the MFA, the Romanian Government adopted at the beginning of June a reform program for the consular system. The implementation of such program will also consider the improvement of the consular assistance offered to Romanian citizens in Italy. New consulates and consular agencies will be opened in the following period of time at Bologna, Cosenza, Bari, Cagliari, Genoa, Padua, Rimini, Trento and Venice.

In order to promote the interests of the Romanian citizens in Italy, the MFA will launch a public diplomacy campaign meant to improve the image of the Romanian community in Italy.

Ministerial teams work together to organize a range of events to present Romania, with its values and points of interest, in order to counter the effects of the intense media scrutiny of certain isolated cases of criminality committed by Romanian citizens.

The situation of the Romanian citizens in Italy is under the permanent attention of the Romanian Foreign Minister and other ministers with responsibilities in this field and is discussed with the Italian counterparts and European Commission members within all the councils of the European Union".

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