Overview:

• State privilege is provided to the Romanian Orthodox Church.

• A vertical recognition system is in place in Romania which perpetuates imbalance between different religious entities and groups; the restrictive policies form this vertical recognition are what make it a restriction tool.

• Recognition and registration are differentiated; provisions are given for existential recognition in the form of the category “religious groups” which are not mandated to register with the government and provisions are also given for legal registration through the category of religious associations.

• Politicisation of the registration and recognition processes is fairly widespread with Parliament and various different ministries and government departments involved to varying degrees in the different kinds of processes.

• Procedures of civil association registration occupy a process that secular as well as religious entities may utilise which is not ideal as distinction between secular and religious procedures for registration is always advised.

• There exists inconsistencies and issues of imbalance widespread in the legislation between recognised religious entities (namely denominations and associations) from religious groups and civil associations.

Positive elements:

• Nil.

Recommendations:

• Establish a reorganised recognition system that is based on horizontal recognition rather than vertical.

• Establish a recognition agency that would manage the reorganised recognition system in a way that is independent of the government.

• Ongoing discrimination and harassment against religious minorities should be resolve through more sophisticated means of religious education, mutual recognition of religion and belief, and government campaigns supporting diversity and religious pluralism.

• Revoke restrictive policies in the current recognition system.