The Romanian government’s appeal against a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which ordered Bucharest to provide legal protection and recognition for same-sex families in a case involving 21 same-sex couples, is shameful, the Accept Association said on Monday.
Asked by Gandul.ro, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that Romania had appealed to the Strasbourg court’s Grand Chamber against the 23 May ruling, which obliges Romania to create a legal framework for recognising same-sex families.
“By taking this action, the government is postponing the adoption of legislation to recognise and protect same-sex families, keeping Romania on the shameful list of European countries that struggle with combating discrimination”, the Accept Association reacted on Monday.
Romania’s grounds for appeal were not given by the Foreign Ministry, although the government had put forward several arguments that were rejected in the 23 May ruling – including that recognition of same-sex families would negatively affect the heterosexual majority and that private contractual arrangements would have the same effect as legal recognition of same-sex families.
However, according to Accept, the government’s response is “comparable to Russia’s attitude in the case of Fedotova, where the final decision favoured families seeking protection and legal recognition”.
In the past, other European countries found guilty of violating Article 8 of the European Human Rights Convention promptly implemented legislation aligned with citizens’ needs, the Accept Association said.
Romania must “urgently demonstrate its commitment to citizens”, says Accept, reminding Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of “the social democratic values he professes at European level”.
The Grand Chamber’s prior ruling on a similar challenge by Russia established a legal obligation for states to legislate protection for same-sex families.
Iustina Ionescu, the lawyer representing the 21 same-sex couples who took Romania to the Strasbourg court, said there are ”no solid grounds” for the Grand Chamber to take a different decision.
(Cătălina Mihai | EURACTIV.ro)
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