Romania’s accession process into the European Union: Discourses at policy-, program-, and project- levels in the justice sector

Special arrangements were made by the European Union for decision-making
on the possible accession of Romania and Bulgaria. A regime of extra
procedures was added to the arrangements used for the Eastern European
countries which joined the Union in 2004. This paper examines how the
process worked out in the Romanian justice sector, which had been identified
as a key area for reform to meet minimum EU requirements. We examine the
discourses at policy and program levels and in three selected projects, including
at design stage, interim report stage, and final report stage. Our discourse
analysis of project documents pays special attention to the key structuring
device used in the EU’s project and program planning: the ‘logical framework’
or ‘project matrix’. Intended as a key discipline on project design,
implementation and evaluation, its inherent limitations and typical biases in
usage can lead to major divergences between project and design. A
technocratic language of planning can then in various ways serve as a cover
that justifies whatever happened. We examine the language use and associated
behaviour, as a contribution to the understanding both of Romanian accession
in the face of sceptical European public opinion and of a methodology in
worldwide use.