Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BUCHAREST8
2005-01-03 15:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bucharest
Cable title:  

ADOPTIONS

Tags:  CASC CVIS PINR RO EU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS BUCHAREST 00008 

SIPDIS
Lasers:
ACTION: CON
INFO: PD POL AMB RAO RSO DCM
CXBCH:
ACTION: CON
INFO: PD POL AMB RAO RSO DCM
lpnet01:
INFO: AMB

DISSEMINATION: CONS
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:JDCROUCH
DRAFTED: CONS:BWDALTON
CLEARED: DCM:TDELARE, POL:RGILCHRIST

VZCZCBMI714
PP RUEHC RUEHFR RUEHBS RUEHMD RUEHRO
DE RUEHBM #0008/01 0031546
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031546Z JAN 05
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9987
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0144
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1580
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0672

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BUCHAREST 000008

SIPDIS

FOR CA/OCS/CI-MICHELLE BERNIER-TOTH, EUR/NCE-BILL SILKWORTH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC CVIS PINR RO EU
SUBJECT: ADOPTIONS


SUMMARY
-------
UNCLAS BUCHAREST 00008

SIPDIS
Lasers:
ACTION: CON
INFO: PD POL AMB RAO RSO DCM
CXBCH:
ACTION: CON
INFO: PD POL AMB RAO RSO DCM
lpnet01:
INFO: AMB

DISSEMINATION: CONS
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:JDCROUCH
DRAFTED: CONS:BWDALTON
CLEARED: DCM:TDELARE, POL:RGILCHRIST

VZCZCBMI714
PP RUEHC RUEHFR RUEHBS RUEHMD RUEHRO
DE RUEHBM #0008/01 0031546
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031546Z JAN 05
FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9987
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0144
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1580
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0672

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BUCHAREST 000008

SIPDIS

FOR CA/OCS/CI-MICHELLE BERNIER-TOTH, EUR/NCE-BILL SILKWORTH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC CVIS PINR RO EU
SUBJECT: ADOPTIONS


SUMMARY
--------------

1. On December 30, Consul General paid a final call on
Gabriela Coman, outgoing Secretary of State at the National
Authority for Child Protection and Adoptions (NACPA). Coman
reported her discussions with the European Commission
regarding a proposed commission on Romanian-origin
international adoptions. There has been little movement on
the issue and it will depend on the new Romanian government
whether the concept moves forward.


2. Coman explained the reorganization of Romania's adoption
and child welfare agencies under the new adoption law that
takes effect on January 1. As of that date, all domestic
and international adoptions will be handled by the new
Romanian Office for Adoptions (Oficiu Roman pentru Adoptii)
in the General Secretariat of the Government. The new law
will not/not increase the likelihood that children formerly
identified for inter-country adoption would be reassigned
for domestic adoption, Coman said.
END SUMMARY.

COMAN LEAVES OFFICE
--------------

3. On December 30, Consul General paid a final call on
Gabriela Coman, Secretary of State for the National
Authority for Child Protection and Adoptions (NACPA). Coman
was a political appointee under the previous government, and
will depart office the week of January 3. As an outgoing
official she could not speak with authority regarding the
plans and intentions of the new government, but she provided
useful details on discussions regarding a proposed
commission to review international adoptions pending here,
and on the reorganization of Romania's adoption and child

welfare agencies.

IMPACT OF NEW LAW ON MATCHES WITH U.S. FAMILIES
-------------- --

4. CG conveyed to Coman concerns, expressed by U.S. families
with pending adoption cases, that after January 1 the new
law virtually banning inter-country adoptions will prompt
the GOR to revoke the matches it had made between those
families and specific Romanian orphans and abandoned
children, directing them instead towards domestic adoption.
CG cited a recent report from the Greek Embassy here that
this had happened in the case of a Greek couple seeking to
adopt a Romanian child. Coman said that there would be no
change due to the new law. She explained that it has always
been explicit that a Romanian court could, up to the last
minute, direct domestic adoption for a child who previously
had been matched for international adoption. Of the
approximately one thousand cases of inter-country adoption
out of Romania processed in the last four years, she said,
this had happened in fifteen cases, of which one was
American.

PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ADOPTIONS FROM ROMANIA
-------------- --------------

5. Coman reported there had been little progress towards
establishment of an international commission to consider the
disposition of pending applications by foreigners to adopt
Romanian children, since former Prime Minister Nastase and
French PM Raffarin proposed the commission October 18.
Coman said she discussed the concept with European
Commission officials in Brussels November 28-29, at the time
the European Union (EU) voted to accept the EU Rapporteur's
report on Romanian accession to the EU. Those discussions
were in accordance with PM Nastase's statement on October 18
that any commission would have to be established in
consultation with the EU. Coman highlighted the fact that
the EU approved the Rapporteur's report including an
amendment by Spain that endorsed the establishment of such a
commission.


6. In her EC discussions, Coman reported, nothing was set in
place but various options were considered, including
possible involvement in the commission of EU experts who had
advised Romania on the drafting of the June law virtually
banning international adoptions. It was left open whether
the commission would be limited to setting parameters for
which types of cases could be considered for processing to
conclusion, or would be authorized to have access to and
make decisions on individual cases. Coman favored the former
model, but said the new Secretary of State of the ROA would
have to pick which approach to recommend.

REORGANIZATION
--------------

7. Coman explained that, in compliance with the new law on
adoptions passed in June 2004, as of January 1, 2005 NACPA
will be divided into two entities. This organizational
change will not, in itself, change policy on the processing
of adoptions. The Romanian Office of Adoptions (ROA) will
be created within the General Secretariat of the Government
and be responsible for all domestic and international
adoption issues. The National Authority for Protection of
Children's Rights (NAPCR) will be within the Ministry of
Labor, Social Solidarity and Family, as was the NACPA, and
be responsible for general child welfare.


8. The Romanian Committee for Adoption will cease operation
on January 1. At the local level, the Child Protection
Departments are being combined with the Social Assistance
Service into General Directorates for Child Protection and
Social Assistance.

THE NEW ROMANIAN OFFICE FOR ADOPTIONS
--------------

9. Establishing and launching the work of the ROA should
take several weeks, Coman predicted. Between January 1-10,
the new Secretary General of the Government, Mihai VOIBU, is
expected to name a Secretary of State to run the ROA. So
far, no location has been identified for the ROA. Selection
of staff will await the selection of the Secretary of State,
who may choose some staff from among those at NACPA, or not.
Physical files for adoptions will move from NACPA to the
ROA's eventual facility. ROA may work out of NACPA for an
initial period. Its budget will come from the General
Secretariat of the Government. Coman predicted the ROA would

SIPDIS
enjoy greater autonomy than had the NACPA, by virtue of
being out from under a Ministry and by being
bureaucratically closer to the Prime Minister's office.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
--------------

10. Coman said she does not yet know what her next job will
be. She expressed hope and concern that any interruptions in
government services due to the long process of electing and
changing the government would not have a negative impact on
social service clients.


11. Coman said the new General Secretary of the Government,
Mihai VOIBU, was a young man not known to have a background
on adoptions or social welfare issues, but rather was an
official of the National Liberal Party (PNL).

CROUCH