Romania Suspends International AdoptionsRomania suspended international adoptions Thursday, following criticism by a European Union official that it is "selling" its children.The decision, which does not affect about 5,000 cases in progress, was made by the National Committee for Adoptions, which regulates national and international adoptions. Emma Nicholson, the European Parliament's special envoy for Romania, criticized the country in a draft report published earlier this month, for "persistent abandonment of children, child abuse and neglect, international adoption and child trafficking." Charities and the government harshly criticized the report for overlooking the progress achieved in caring for Romania's 60,000 abandoned children. In recent years, the government started local foster care programs, placing thousands of children with families to reduce the number in state-run institutions. But a government press officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the adoptions will be suspended until a new law can be enacted that satisfies European Union criteria, including making the process and fees more transparent. After 1989 fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who banned contraception and abortion, the world was flooded with images of abandoned Romanian children, many living in abysmal conditions in state orphanages. Thousands of would-be parents flocked to the country, where private adoption agencies have been free to set their own fees, usually ranging between $9,000 and $30,000. Organizations involved in international adoptions have to donate some of the money they charge to improving the conditions in orphanages. No figures were available on how much money the institutions have received and critics say the international adoptions have been plagued with corruption. Local child-care officials are reported to have taken bribes of up to $10,000 to make children available for adoptions, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The European Union has insisted that Romania improve its treatment of orphans before it can join the bloc, something Bucharest hopes to do by 2007. |
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