DEMARCHE CONCERNING PENDING ADOPTION CASES IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000915

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR CA/P - STAEBEN, AGGELER; CA/OCS/CI - LAMORA;
EUR/NCE; EUR/ERA - JROBINSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2016
TAGS: KOCI CASC CVIS PREL SOCI RO IT EUN UN
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE CONCERNING PENDING ADOPTION CASES IN
ROMANIA

REF: A. A) STATE 43700

B. B) STATE 8097

C. C) BUCHAREST 116

Classified By: Consul General Barbara C. Cummings, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: In response to ref A, Conoff contacted the
GOI Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 22 to raise the
issue of pending Romanian adoption cases. According to
Minister Giuseppe Panocchia, the GOI agrees with the U.S.
that the rigid position of the Romanian government on the
outstanding adoption cases is neither in the best interests
of the children nor relevant to Romania's primary goal of
accession to the European Union. Frustrated by bilateral
attempts to influence the Romanian government, the GOI is now
looking towards Brussels, where it hopes that recent
criticism of Romania by several members of the European
Parliament might rouse the European Commission to stop
supporting the current Romanian position on the adoption
issue. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On March 22, Conoff spoke with Giuseppe Panocchia, the
MFA official responsible for international adoption cases and
children's issues. Panocchia described a series of efforts
by Italian diplomats in Bucharest, Rome and Brussels over the
past three months to persuade the Romanian government to
reconsider its position that the roughly 1100 pending cases
from 2001-2004 should be refused under a retroactive
interpretation of a January 2005 law. According to
Panocchia, Italian diplomats encountered a "firmly closed
door" both through their Embassy in Bucharest and through the
European Commission in Brussels, despite GOI efforts to point
out the extent to which Italian law favors and protects the
rights of children. Panocchia shares the U.S. view that
Romania's position is primarily based on the fear of
jeopardizing its accession plans by not complying with
perceived EU norms.


3. (C) Panocchia believes some hope now lies with the
European Parliament, as several of its deputies recently
spoke out on the issue and criticized Romania for taking a
stance they felt ran counter to the children's interests.
During the week of March 13, the Italian MFA asked Brussels
to clarify the position of the European Parliament, in an
effort to see if pressure could bring the Commissioners to
change their view. Panocchia voiced GOI frustration with the
Commission on the adoption issue, saying that the
Commission's stance has not budged at all and continues to be
one of "absolute deafness." Barring any breakthroughs in the
near future, Panocchia speculated that the pending cases
would all likely be refused or else considered only after
Romania joins the EU in 2007.


4. (U) Panocchia said the GOI is now waiting for a response
to its inquiry in Brussels and will inform Embassy Rome of
any new developments.
SPOGLI