E/C.12/ROU/CO/3-5 Maximum available resources 7. The Committee is concerned that the resources allocated to social sectors, notably health, social protection and education, remain inadequate. In addition, the Committee regrets that the State party has not been able to fully absorb and utilize the funds allocated to it by the European Union owing to limited administrative capacity, excessive bureaucracy and instances of corruption (art. 2, para. 1). The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Ensure that resources are effectively allocated according to programme budgeting criteria, and increase political awareness of the need to allocate substantial additional resources to the social protection system, health and education; (b) Regularly assess whether the maximum available resources have been used to progressively achieve the full realization of the rights recognized in the Covenant, taking into account the Committee’s statement of September 2007 on the obligation to take steps to the “maximum of available resources” (E/C.12/2007/1); (c) Improve administrative capacity and increase transparency and consultations at all levels of decision-making concerning the distribution and use of structural funds and the ongoing evaluation of their impact on the realization of economic, social and cultural rights. Corruption 8. The Committee remains concerned about the high extent of corruption in the State party, and its impact on the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by the population, despite numerous measures taken to combat it. The Committee is concerned that the low salaries of civil servants, health and education personnel and the lenient penalties applied in cases of corruption may obstruct the effective implementation of those measures (art. 2, para. 1). The Committee recommends that the State party enhance the effectiveness of the legal, structural and policy measures to combat corruption in Government, public administration and the judiciary, and that it investigate and effectively sanction illegal conduct. The Committee also recommends that the State party take the necessary measures to prevent corruption, including payment of adequate salaries, and raise awareness about the detrimental impact of corruption on the allocation of adequate resources for the fulfilment of economic, social and cultural rights. Social exclusion and discrimination against the Roma 9. The Committee is concerned that the Roma continue to experience widespread discrimination and social exclusion, especially in the areas of housing, education, health and employment, despite the numerous plans and strategies implemented by the State party. It notes with concern that the fact that the Roma tend to lack personal documents, which are necessary for them to access social insurance, health care and other benefits, further exacerbates the discrimination. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the Strategy for the Inclusion of Romanian citizens belonging to the Roma Minority 2012–2020 and sectoral action plans. However, the Committee is concerned that no baseline study was conducted to ground the policy measures in accurate data, that there is a lack of indicators to assess progress in implementing the Strategy, and that the budget allocations are insufficient for its effective implementation. The Committee also regrets the lack of disaggregated data on the situation of Roma communities in the State party, which represents another significant obstacle in assessing the impact of measures undertaken. 3