Romania anticipates joining the European Union in 2007. As a candidate country, Romania is expected to adopt and implement the existing body of the EU law, the acquis communautaire. On 11 March 2004, the European Assembly voted in favor of a European Parliament report criticizing Romanias progress toward accession. According to EU Observer, Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase believes that Romania must lobby harder in Brussels and seeks to hire professional lobbying help, as well as send progress reports to every MEP.

According to the 2003 Regular Report on Romania's Progress Toward Accession (PDF, 133 pages), Romania has made some progress in terms of equal treatment between women and men in employment. The report noted a trainings on gender regulations for the staff of the Ministry of Labour. In addition, the Labour Code, which prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, has incorporated the EU Directive on the burden of proof, as well as provisions addressing night work by pregnant women. Romanian laws provide for equal access to employment between women and men, but progress has been restricted and further implementation is necessary. The report also noted that more detailed measures on maternity protection were needed and called for the National Plan for Equal Opportunities to be more fully implemented. The report observed that the National Agency for Equal Opportunities should be fully established in 2005. The report also expressed concern over the problem of trafficking in persons and noted that the 2001 law on trafficking had not visibly improved the problem. However, Romania had taken other steps to fight trafficking, including increasing the punishments for rape and sexual crimes against juveniles and ratifying the Optional Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. Other government initiatives include the establishment of a body to gather, share and analyze information on illegal migration and trafficking; the creation of an Inter-ministerial Working Group for the Coordination and Evaluation of the Prevention and Combat of Trafficking in Human Beings; the approval of a protocol to repatriate Romanian victims of trafficking; and, aid to trafficking victims by the refugee office. The report noted that domestic violence legislation was passed in 2003 and recommended that the National Agency for Family Protection begin functioning as soon as possible. Finally, the report noted that while the Constitution ensures equal opportunities for women and men in public positions, womens participation in the political sphere was low.

For more information, visit the Open Society Institute's report Monitoring the EU Accession Process: Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in Romania (PDF, 65 pages).