On January 27, 2001 the Romanian – American Committee for Private Property held his first meeting of the year.  We were honored by the presence of Mr. Stratos PARADIAS secretary general of the International Union of Property Owners and Mr. Valerian STAN Vice President of the Romanian Helsinki Committee. Letters of support were received from Honorable Christopher Smith, Chairman of CSCE and Honorable James Rosapepe, the Ambassador of the US to Romania.
    The speakers and participants have analyzed the effects of the Law just passed by the Romanian Parliament and branded as “Restitution Law to correct the abuses committed between March 6th, 1945 and December 22, 1989”.

    The Romanian – American Committee for Private Property has analyzed the so-called Property Restitution law just issued by the Romanian Parliament.
This law continues to promote the abuses perpetuated by the Romanian communist state against some of its citizens.  One of the most significant examples is in the area of buildings used for housing.  Most of the nationalized and confiscated houses and apartments were “sold” under the law 112/95 to the tenants occupying them, without any opportunity being given to the rightful owner to reclaim them. (About 90,000 units are already “sold” from a total of 115,000 units, admitted to fall under the incidence of law 112/95).
    The Romanian Parliament, Government and Judiciary branch have consistently ignored the protests and issues raised by the property owner.  Suggestions and requirements made by international organizations had no impact at all.
    At the beginning of 1997 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has adopted resolution 1123 on the honoring of obligations and commitments by Romania, calling for the modification of Law 112/95, so as to provide for the restitution of confiscated and expropriated property in integrum or fair compensation in lieu.
    The recently adopted law, four years after the Resolution 1123, totally ignores its requirements.  No reparations are made for any wrong done before or after the 1123 Resolution was adopted.
    This law also totally neglects the US House of Representatives Resolution 562/1998 concerning properties wrongfully expropriated by formerly totalitarian governments.
    The Romanian – American Committee for Private Property finds that this situation is a consequence of the disregard shown by the political institutions and the Romanian authorities for the basic human rights and liberties of its citizens.
    Resolution 1123 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was ignored not only in regard to the property rights but as well as to other basic human rights.
    We must report that it has been documented repeatedly that numerous politicians holding high offices, from all political parties in power since 1989, have perpetuated the most obvious abuses benefiting themselves, their families and the political clientele associated with them.
In Romania the right to property is guaranteed only in order to provide the most privileges to the political class, to the high ranking public official and their families.
    The Romanian – American Committee for Private Property and the Property Owners Associations in Romania have exhausted all the possible ways in their effort to determine the politicians to promote a fair and equitable policy in the area of the private property.  As a result, we must direct our appeals to the International Organizations of which Romania is a part of or is expecting to become a part of.
    The leaders of our organizations are directed by the rightful owners to address appeals to the:
· Council of Europe
    - Parliamentary Assembly
    - Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
    - Committee on Honoring of Obligations and Commitments by Member State of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee)
· The US Department of State
· Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Washington, DC
· Embassies of Countries belonging to the European union and NATO in Bucharest.

    The participants at this meeting are encouraged by the decision of the European Court of Strasbourg in the Dan Brumarescu case against Romania.  We consider that this cornerstone decision should motivate the Romanian Government to consider an equitable and just resolution to the private property issue, in accordance with the Council of Europe requirements and European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence.
    After more than 10 years of negotiation aimed at admission of Romania in the European Union and NATO, Romania must deliver more than political declarations and promises.
    The Romanian – American Committee for Private Property considers that respecting the right to property and the other fundamental human rights should be the compulsory criteria for the admissibility of Romania into the European Union and other western structures.

    In ziua de 27 ianurie 2001 la New York a avut loc reuniunea reprezentantilor Comitetului Roman-American pentru Proprietatea Privata. Au fost prezenti Stratos Paradias, secretar general al Uniunii Internationale a Proprietarilor si Valerian Stan, vicepresedinte al Comitetului Helsinki Roman. Au fost primite scrisori de sprijin din partea Congresmanului Christopher Smith, Chairman of CSCE si a domnului Ambasador al Statelor Unite, James Rosapepe.
Reuniunea a analizat situatia creata in urma adoptarii de catre noile autoritati romane a Legii privind regimul juridic al unor imobile preluate in mod abuziv in perioada 6 martie 1945 – 22 decembrie 1989. La incheierea reuniunii a fost adoptata

Comitetul Roman-American pentru Proprietatea Privata constata ca legea adoptata de Parlamentul Romaniei continua sa perpetueze gravele abuzuri comise de statul roman comunist impotriva unora dintre cetatenii sai.

Unul din exemplele cele mai semnificative este acela al imobilelor cu destinatia de locuinte, care, in cea mai mare parte a lor, au fost “vandute” altor persoane, mai ales pe baza Legii nr 112/1995, impotriva vointei si intereselor legitime ale adevaratilor proprietari (din cele circa 115.000 de asemenea imobile au fost deja “vandute” altor persoane mai mult de 90.000). Autoritatile romane au ignorat constant protestele si opozitia proprietarilor si organizatiilor lor. Fara nici un ecou au ramas si solicitarile organizatiilor internationale. La inceputul anului 1997, Adunarea Parlamentara a Consiliului Europei a cerut statului roman, prin Rezolutia nr 1123, sa modifice Legea nr 112/1995 pentru a se asigura restituirea in integrum a bunurilor sau, acolo unde imobilele nu mai exista, o despagubire echitabila proprietarilor. Legea adoptata recent de Parlamentul Romaniei, la patru ani de la Rezolutia forului european, nu raspunde sub nici o forma acestor cerinte. Ea nu repara nimic din ceea ce s-a facut rau inainte si dupa Rezolutia Consiliului Europei. Totodata, legea este in dezacord si cu Rezolutia nr 562/1998 a Camerei Reprezentantilor a Statelor Unite cu privire la proprietatile expropriate pe nedrept de catre fostele guverne totalitare.

Comitetul Roman-American Pentru Proprietatea Privata constata ca situatia in care s-a ajuns este o consecinta a dispretului institutiilor politice si autoritatilor romane fata de valorile drepturilor si libertatilor fundamentale ale omului. Rezolutia nr 1123 a Adunarii Parlamentare a Consiliului Europei a fost ignorata cu desavarsire atat sub aspectul dreptului la proprietate cat si al celorlalte drepturi si libertati fundamentale la care ea se referea cu privire la Romania. Totodata, trebuie mentionate serioasele abuzuri locative pe care le-au facut in interesul lor si al familiilor lor numerosi oameni politici si demnitari dintre cei mai inalti ai statului roman, apartinand aproape deopotriva actualei si precedentei administratii. Toate acestea au aratat si arata ca in Romania dreptul de proprietate a fost si este sacrosanct numai atunci si in masura in care prezerva interesele, privilegiile si confortul material al politicienilor, demnitarilor si inaltilor functionari publici.

Comitetul Roman-American pentru Proprietatea Privata  si organizatiile din tara ale proprietarilor au epuizat toate caile susceptibile a determina oamenii politici si autoritatile publice sa rezolve adecvat problema proprietatilor confiscate. In consecinta, demersurile viitoare ale Comitetului vor avea in vedere apelul la organismele internationale din care Romania face parte sau din care isi propune sa faca parte. Conducerii operative a Comitetului i s-a cerut ca in termen de trei luni sa se adreseze Consiliului Europei (Adunarii Parlamentare, Comisiei Juridice si de Drepturile Omului si Comisiei de Monitorizare), Uniunii Europene (Parlamentului European si Comisiei Europene), Departamentului de Stat si Comisiei “Helsinki” a Congresului Statelor Unite, precum si ambasadelor la Bucuresti ale statelor membre ale Uniunii Europene si NATO. Participantii la reuniune considera drept incurajatoare recenta hotarare a Curtii Europene de la Strasbourg in cazul Dan Brumarescu si apreciaza ca statul roman are in aceasta decizie un motiv in plus pentru a trata chestiunea proprietatii in acord cu normele Consiliului Europei si jurisprudenta Curtii acesteia.

Dupa aproape un deceniu de parteneriat si negocieri cu Uniunea Europeana si NATO, optiunea pentru integrarea in comunitatea democratiilor prospere nu mai poate fi verificata numai prin declaratii politice. Comitetul Roman-American pentru Proprietatea Privata considera ca respectarea dreptului de proprietate, a celorlalte drepturi si libertati fundamentale cetatenesti si indeplinirea cu buna credinta a obligatiilor si angajamentelor internationale trebuie sa devina si pentru autoritatile romane criterii obligatorii, cu care nu se poate tranzactiona.