September 15, 2005

On September 14, 2005 the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe – the “Helsinki Commission” – held hearings on the status of inter-country adoptions from Romania. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Maura Harty, Romania’s Ambassador to the United States, child welfare experts and members of the public provided testimony. The European Union declined the Commission’s invitation to provide a witness for the hearings.

Assistant Secretary Harty highlighted the fact that while large numbers of Romanian orphans and abandoned children remain without permanent homes and American and other families stand ready to adopt them, the Department of State has continuing concerns about Romania’s child welfare and adoption systems. The U.S. Government has long urged the Government of Romania to establish a legal, transparent and expeditious system to process to conclusion hundreds of inter-country adoption petitions legally registered with the Romanian authorities before Law 273/2004 came into effect on January 1, 2005 and banned inter-country adoptions by anyone other than grandparents. As Assistant Secretary Harty emphasized, “this legislation is so restrictive that it has ended up harming the very children and families it ostensibly was designed to protect. Children continue to face long term institutional care – the least desirable outcome.”

As Assistant Secretary Harty underlined, Romania is a party to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, and has therefore agreed to certain international standards and principles, one of which is that intercountry adoption is a legitimate option for children who cannot find permanent placement in their country of origin. However, the Romanian Government’s current adoption law, by effectively closing off this option, runs directly counter to this principle, UNICEF guidelines and the legal framework of many European Union member states.

The Romanian Government has asserted that its adoption law and its failure to proceed with pending cases are being driven by concerns over Romanian accession to the European Union. Yet as Assistant Secretary Harty stated in her testimony, it is the understanding of the U.S. Government that there is no European Union law or regulation restricting intercountry adoptions to biological grandparents or requiring that restrictive laws be passed as a prerequisite for accession. All current EU member states, with the exception of Ireland, have ratified the Hague Convention. The Department has sought clarification from the European Union on its stance with regard to Romania and its adoption legislation.

“After rounds of discussions and years of consultations,” Harty concluded, “the fact remains that there has been no real progress….This is a humanitarian issue, a child welfare issue.” The United States will continue to press Romania, she added, “to resolve the pending cases with concrete, transparent criteria so that Romanian orphans and abandoned children can have the future they deserve.”

Transcripts of the hearing testimony can be found at http://www.csce.gov .

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15 Septembrie 2005

In data de 14 septembrie 2005, Comisia pentru Securitate si Cooperare in Europa – “Comisia Helsinki” – a tinut audieri privind statutul adoptiilor internationale din Romania. Secretarul de Stat Adjunct al S.U.A. pentru Afaceri Consulare, Maura Harty, Ambasadorul Romaniei in Statele Unite, Sorin Ducaru, specialisti in domeniul protectiei copilului si simpli cetateni au depus marturie. Uniunea Europeana a refuzat invitatia Comisiei de a pune la dispozitie un martor pentru aceste audieri.

Secretarul Adjunct Harty a subliniat ca in timp ce un numar considerabil de copii orfani sau abandonati din Romania nu au camine permanente si ca atat familii americane, cat si din alte state sunt dispuse sa ii adopte, Departamentul de Stat continua sa fie ingrijorat de sistemul de adoptii si de protectie a copilului din Romania. Guvernul Statelor Unite insista de multa vreme pe langa Guvernul Romaniei pentru ca acesta sa stabileasca un sistem legal, transparent si rapid pentru procesarea sutelor de cereri de adoptie inaintate, in mod legal, autoritatilor romane, inainte de intrarea in vigoare a legii 273/2004, la data de 1 ianuarie 2005, prin care se interzic adoptiile internationale, cu exceptia celor in favoarea bunicilor. Dupa cum a subliniat si Secretarul Adjunct Harty, “aceasta lege este atat de restrictiva, incat nu a reusit decat sa faca rau chiar copiilor si familiilor pe care se presupune ca ii protejeaza. Copiii continua sa traiasca in centre de plasament, pe termen lung – un rezultat care se afla pe ultimul loc pe lista solutiilor acceptabile.”

Conform spuselor Secretarului Adjunct Harty, Romania este membra a Conventiei de la Haga privind Adoptiile Internationale si, ca atare, s-a obligat sa respecte anumite standarde si principii internationale. Unul dintre acestea se refera la faptul ca adoptiile internationale reprezinta o optiune legala pentru copiii care nu isi pot gasi un plasament permanent in tara lor de origine. Cu toate acestea, prin blocarea acestei optiuni, legislatia actuala a Guvernului Romaniei referitoare la adoptii actioneaza contrar acestui principiu. De asemenea aceasta legislatie contravine regulamentelor UNICEF si cadrului legal al multor state membre ale Uniunii Europene.

Guvernul Romaniei a afirmat ca legea adoptiilor si imposibilitatea de a procesa cazurile care asteapta sa fie solutionate sunt generate de preocuparile Romaniei referitoare la integrarea in Uniunea Europeana. Cu toate acestea, dupa cum a declarat Secretarul Adjunct, Guvernul Statelor Unite intelege ca nici o lege sau regulament european nu limiteaza adoptiile internationale la bunicii biologici, si nici nu impune legile restrictive ca fiind o cerinta pentru aderare. Toate statele membre ale Uniunii Europene, cu exceptia Irlandei, au ratificat Conventia de la Haga. Departamentul de Stat a solicitat clarificari din partea Uniunii Europene referitor la pozitia acesteia cu privire la Romania si la legea adoptiilor din Romania.

“Dupa runde de discutii si ani intregi de consultari,” a conchis Harty, “adevarul este ca nu s-a inregistrat nici un progres real …. Vorbim aici despre o problema umanitara, despre protectia copiilor.” Statele Unite vor continua sa faca presiuni asupra Romaniei, a continuat Harty, “se rezolve cazurile in baza unor criterii concrete si transparete, astfel incat copiii orfani sau abandonati din Romania sa aiba viitorul pe care il merita.”

Transcrierea marturiei poate fi gasita pe site-ul http://www.csce.gov.

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