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The Politics of Adoption

Part of the book series: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice ((IUSGENT,volume 86))

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Abstract

In the three decades since the fall of Ceauşescu, this landlocked country with a population in 2019 of 19.41 million, has slowly left behind the sterility of its communist past and is gradually if patchily growing out of the mediaeval conditions of poverty that then prevailed, particularly in the agricultural hinterland.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See, further, at: http://tdh-europe.org/news/children-in-romania-face-seven-serious-and-urgent-problems-according-to-child-rights-now-report/7452.

  2. 2.

    Criminal Code 1969.

  3. 3.

    There is no legislative provision for gay marriage but the ECJ decision in Coman and Others v. Romania, Case C-673/16, (June 2018) established that same-sex married couples have residence rights if one of the spouses is a Romanian citizen.

  4. 4.

    See, further, at: https://business-review.eu/news/romania-among-eu-countries-with-the-fewest-children-raised-by-a-single-parent-eurostat-171746.

  5. 5.

    See, further, at: https://www.ten-law.net/knowledge/divorcing-in-romania/.

  6. 6.

    See, further, at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/612207/divorce-rates-in-european-countries-per-100-marriages/.

  7. 7.

    See, for example, Turcescu, L. and Stan, L., ‘Religion, Politics and Sexuality in Romania’, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 57, No. 2, (2005), pp. 291–310.

  8. 8.

    The 2019 Terre des hommes report Child Rights Now! Romania, found that teenage pregnancies continued to be one of the most serious social problems in Romania.

  9. 9.

    UNICEF report, at: https://www.unicef.org/about/history/files/unicef_annual_report_1991.pdf.

  10. 10.

    Annual statistics: 2014, of 1213 children abandoned in hospital units 738 were newborn babies; 2015, 624 abandoned children were infants; 2016, 714 were infants; in 2017, of 804 abandoned children, 573 were infants; and in 2018, of the 751 abandoned children about 70% were infants.

  11. 11.

    See, further, at: https://balkaninsight.com/2019/07/24/home-alone-romanian-children-left-by-migrant-parents/.

  12. 12.

    See, for example, ‘Trafficking in Persons for Begging: Romania Study’, at: https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/sites/antitrafficking/files/trafficking_in_persons_for_begging_-_romania_study_0.pdf.

  13. 13.

    The 2019 Terre des hommes report Child Rights Now! Romania, op cit, found that the mortality rate of babies at childbirth was still an alarming 7 out of every 1000.

  14. 14.

    See, Remez, L., ‘Romanian Maternal Death Rate Fell by Two-Thirds after the 1989 Revolution’, Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 27, (1995), at p. 263.

  15. 15.

    The new Penal Code 2014, now regulates abortion procedures.

  16. 16.

    See, further, at: https://theblacksea.eu/stories/quarter-hospitals-romania-are-refusing-legal-abortions/.

  17. 17.

    See, further, ESHRE, ‘A Policy Audit on Fertility: analysis of 9 EU Countries’, (March 2017), at: PolicyAuditonFertilityAnalysis9EUCountriesFINAL16032017.pdf.

  18. 18.

    Others being Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ireland and Ukraine. See, further, at: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-02/esoh-emt020320.php.

  19. 19.

    Application No. 70,035/10, (2018).

  20. 20.

    SOS Infertilitatea patient association, Romania, July 2016.

  21. 21.

    See, further, at: https://www.nomaternitytraffic.eu/surrogacy-hearing-at-the-romanian-parliament/?lang=en.

  22. 22.

    Demény E., ‘Networks of reproduction: politics and practices surrounding surrogacy in Romania’, in Davies, M, (ed), Babies for sale: transnational surrogacy, human rights and the politics of reproduction, London, Zed Books, (2017), pp. 123–141.

  23. 23.

    Civil Code, Articles 441 and 408 respectively.

  24. 24.

    See, Hostiuc, S. et al., ‘Maternal filiation in surrogacy: legal consequences in Romanian context and the role of the genetic report for establishing kinship’, Romanian Journal of Legal Medicine, Vol. 24, (2016), pp. 47–51.

  25. 25.

    See, further, Popescu, R., Muntean, A . & Juffer, F , ‘Adoption in Romania: Historical Perspectives and Recent Statistics’, Adoption Quarterly, Vol 23(1), 2020, pp. 1–26.

  26. 26.

    Author acknowledges advice from Ana Muntean on this matter (note to author: 08.08.2020).

  27. 27.

    See, further, at: https://www.romaniafaraorfani.ro/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Raport_ARFO_2017.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0C3M0kGBtZxojjGSDLI8dYxEEnHpo0fgoJGtaFR1S42bIsOE6SW5sNIQY.

  28. 28.

    As regulated by Law 272/2004.

  29. 29.

    See, further, at: https://www.romania-insider.com/general-prosecutor-girl-adoption-us.

  30. 30.

    See, Hines, J. R., Kessler, S., & Landers, C., Children in institutions in central and eastern Europe and a first look at alternative approaches, Florence, UNICEF, International Child Development Center, (1991), [Google Scholar].

  31. 31.

    Placements of children within institutions run by NGOs diminished as follows: 4087 in 2014; 3895 in 2015; 3907 in 2016; 3705 in 2017 and 3496 in 2018. The percentage of children institutionalized within private units stayed around 20%, slightly increasing from 18.97% in 2014 to 20.44% in 2018.

  32. 32.

    CRC/c/ROU/CO/5, (July 2017).

  33. 33.

    See, NAPCRA , n.d.

  34. 34.

    Law 273/2004, Article 23.

  35. 35.

    Law 273/2004, Article 26.

  36. 36.

    See, further, at: https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/24/magazine/the-romanian-baby-bazaar.html.

  37. 37.

    Popescu, R., Muntean, A . and Juffer, F ., ‘Adoption in Romania: Historical Perspectives and Recent Statistics’, Adoption Quarterly, Vol. 23, Issue 1, (2020) at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10926755.2019.1665602.

  38. 38.

    See, ARFO Annual Report for 2018.

  39. 39.

    Stanculescu, M. S., Grigoras, V., Tesliuc, E., & Pop, V.,’ Romania : Children in public care 2014’, the World Bank and UNICEF, Bucharest, Alpha MDN Printing House, (2017). See, further, at: https://www.unicef.org/romania/reports/romania-children-public-care-2014.

  40. 40.

    Selman, P. , ‘From Bucharest to Beijing: Changes in countries sending children for international adoption 1990–2006’, in Wrobel, G.M. & Neil, E. (eds.), International Advances in Adoption Research for Practice, (2009), pp. 41–69, New York, NY, Wiley.

  41. 41.

    Johnson, A. K., Edwards, R. L., & Puwak, H., ‘Foster care and adoption policy in Romania: Suggestions for international intervention’, Child Welfare, Vol 72(5), (1993), pp. 489–506.

  42. 42.

    See, further, Iusmen, I., ‘The EU and International Adoption from Romania’, International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, Vol 27, Issue 1, (2013), pp. 1–27.

  43. 43.

    Selman, P. , (2009), op cit. See, also, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, ‘In the Best Interests of the Children? Romania’s Ban on Intercountry Adoption ’, CSCE 109–1–3, (Sept 2005), at: https://www.csce.gov/sites/helsinkicommission.house.gov/files/Official%20Transcript%20-%20In%20The%20Best%20Interest%20of%20Children%20Romania%27s%20Ban%20on%20Inter-Country%20Adoption.pdf.

  44. 44.

    NARPDCA , (note to author 04.09.2020).

  45. 45.

    See, for example, Human Rights Watch , ‘Roma in the Czech Republic: Foreigners in Their Own Land’, Vol. 8, No. 11(D), June 1996.

  46. 46.

    See, Chai, J., ‘Forced removal of Romani children from the care of their families’, European Roma Rights Centre, 21 July 2005, at: http://www.errc.org/roma-rights-journal/forced-removal-of-romani-children-from-the-care-of-their-families.

  47. 47.

    See, further, Jaffe, E.D., (ed.), Intercountry Adoptions: Laws and Perspectives of “Sending” Countries, Martinus Nijhoff, 1995, at p. 39.

  48. 48.

    According to Law 272/2004, Article 4 letter e, the extended family includes the parents, children and their relatives up to the fourth degree.

  49. 49.

    Law 273/2004, Article 26 para. 1 letter c, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.21.

  50. 50.

    See, the Civil Code, Book II: ABOUT FAMILY, TITLE III: Kinship, Chapter III: Adoption, Articles 451–482.

  51. 51.

    Law 273/2004, Article 27 para. 1, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.22.

  52. 52.

    Information on adoption legislation available at: http://www.copii.ro/categorii_legislatie/nationale/.

  53. 53.

    Note to author: 08.08.2020.

  54. 54.

    See, Kang, T., ‘Breaking the myths on intercountry adoption in Romania ’, Regent Journal of International Law, Vol.10, (2014), pp. 131–150.

  55. 55.

    Law 273/2004, Article 19.

  56. 56.

    Law 273/2004, Article 20(b).

  57. 57.

    Law 273/2004, Article 26 para. 1 letter c, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.21.

  58. 58.

    Stanculescu, M. S., Grigoras, V., Tesliuc, E., & Pop, V. Romania : Children in Public Care 2014, World Bank and UNICEF, Bucharest, Alpha MDN Printing House, (2017). See, further, at: https://www.unicef.org/romania/reports/romania-children-public-care-2014.

  59. 59.

    Law 273/2004, Article 12(2).

  60. 60.

    Law 273/2004, Article 20(b).

  61. 61.

    Rebeca Popescu points out that there is some specification in Laws 272 and 273 from 2004 and in NAPCRA ORDER no 45/2004.

  62. 62.

    Law 273/2004, Article 9(1).

  63. 63.

    Law 273/2004, Article 9(2).

  64. 64.

    Law 273/2004, Articles 39 and 52(2), as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.37.

  65. 65.

    See, Court of Appeal of Bucharest, Decision 903/2005.

  66. 66.

    See, further, at: http://www.mmuncii.ro/j33/images/Documente/MMJS/Transparenta-decizionala/31052018_Lege_modificare_Lege_273_23_mai_2018.pdf.

  67. 67.

    Law 273/2004, Article 36, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.26.

  68. 68.

    Law 273/2004, Articles: 37, para 2; 50, paras 2 and 3; and 52.

  69. 69.

    Law 273/2004, Article 28.

  70. 70.

    Law 273/2004, Article 40.

  71. 71.

    Law 273/2004, Article 31(1).

  72. 72.

    Law 273/2004, Article 17.

  73. 73.

    Law 273/2004, Article 8 para. 2, as amended by Article I.4 of Law 57/2016.

  74. 74.

    Law 273/2004, Article 23(3).

  75. 75.

    Law 273/2004, Article 29 para. 6, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.26.

  76. 76.

    See, also, the Child Welfare Act, s 33-6-2, 33-6-3.

  77. 77.

    See, further, Law 273/2004, Article 63.

  78. 78.

    See, further, Law 273/2004, Article 35(2).

  79. 79.

    Law 273/2004, Article 64(2).

  80. 80.

    Halved from 60 days (Law 273/2004, Article 26 para. 1 letter d, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article 121).

  81. 81.

    Law 273/2004, Article 26, para. 3, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.21.

  82. 82.

    Law 273/2004, Article 70.

  83. 83.

    Law 273/2004, Article 17(2).

  84. 84.

    [2004] EHRR 275.

  85. 85.

    Ibid., at para. 164.

  86. 86.

    Law 273/2004, Article 52(1).

  87. 87.

    Law 273/2004, Article 68(1), as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.51.

  88. 88.

    Law 273/2004, Articles 38 and 49.

  89. 89.

    Groza, V., & Ryan, S. D., ‘Pre-adoption stress and its association with child behavior in domestic special needs and international adoptions’, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Vol 27(1–2), (2002), pp. 181–197.

  90. 90.

    Law 273/2004, Article 461, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article 1.35.

  91. 91.

    Article 52(2). The adopters and the adoptee have the right to obtain from the competent authorities public records excerpts, which certify the occurrence, date and place of birth, but do not specifically reveal the adoption, nor the identity of the biological parents.

  92. 92.

    Law 273/2004, Article 52 paras (3) and (4).

  93. 93.

    Law 57/2016, Article 48.

  94. 94.

    Information regarding the documents that must accompany this application is provided in Law 273/2004, Art. 673 paras 1–4, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.50.

  95. 95.

    The true figure is believed to be nearer to 30,000 children. See, further, at: http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/41930.

  96. 96.

    Law 273/2004, Article 674 para. 1, as amended by Law 57/2016, Article I.50.

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    Kerry O’Halloran

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O’Halloran, K. (2021). Romania. In: The Politics of Adoption. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice, vol 86. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65588-4_15

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