E-6272/2010
Question for written answer 
to the Commission 
Rule 117
Roberta Angelilli (PPE)Subject: Alarming situation of orphans in Romania 

The alarming situation of abandoned children in Romania has become an increasingly serious and burning issue following the approval of Romanian Law No 273/2004 restricting intercountry adoptions to relatives up to the third degree. This restriction has led to an exponential rise in the number of Romanian children entrusted to orphanages. Moreover, under Romanian law, Romanian orphans lose their entitlement to child protection services on reaching the age of 18 and thus risk facing social exclusion and poverty. In some cases, they are also exploited by prostitution networks. Unfortunately, these minors include many young girls, some of them under the age of 14, who are deluded by promises of a better life in another country. (more…)

Ambassador Mark Gitenstein told AFP news in Romania that he “would like to see a change in the Romanian law on adoptions, so that children can be adopted more easily and quickly, whether adopted by Romanians or foreigners. Because I believe that it is not a healthy thing that these children are not among their families as soon as possible. My wife is working as a volunteer here at a center in a hospital where they stay during their first year of life. And that is when they should be adopted, as soon as possible. Because the longer they stay in institutions, the greater will be the impact on their emotional and intellectual development.” We completely endorse his words. More Information.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Thursday in Brussels that the country’s law on adoptions will not change, “at least” not during his term, regardless of the lobby in favor of change made “in Brussels and elsewhere.”

A petition for the reopening of international adoptions in Romania was dismissed on March 23 on the request of Romanian MEP Victor Bostinaru, unanimously backed by the European Parliament’s Petition Committee. (more…)

The Romanian Office for Adoptions suggested lifting some restrictions imposed on international adoptions and expects the Government and Parliament to approve this step, Bogdan Panait, Secretary of State of this institution, told Radio France International on Tuesday.
Bogdan Panait said on this occasion that he wanted fourth-degree relatives and the mixed families abroad to be allowed to adopt children from Romania. „At present adoption can be made by up to third-degree relatives. We made it in such a way that relatives up to the fourth degree and Romanian citizens married to foreign citizens can adopt children from Romania,” said Bogdan Panait. (more…)

Source: Council of Europe

CONFERENCE VIDEOS ONLINE:

by Anca Mihai

A petition with 40,000 signatures for the reopening of adoptions from Romania was sent to the European Parliament last week.  The initiative belongs to an Italian family in Palermo who in 2001 was just one step from finalizing the adoption procedure.  “We have met the children, we travel to Romania frequently to visit them, they also come to spend the holidays with us, but the law does not allow us to offer them a normal family”, said Vincenzo Macaluso.  The Italians were joined by American, French and Spanish families who have been in the same situation since 2005, the year when the law banning adoptions from Romania became effective. (more…)