The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker travelled to Bucharest on Thursday.
On his first visit to Romania as president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker had a very busy agenda. He addressed the Bucharest Parliament, met the head of state Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu and took part in a dialogue with citizens on the future of Europe, alongside the European Commissioner for Regional Development Corina Cretu.
Romania's joining the Schengen agreement, the termination of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, by means of which the Commission has been monitoring the Romanian justice system ever since the accession to the EU in 2007, the fight against corruption and the absorption of European funds were among the main topics tackled by the European official.
Romania must be part of the Schengen area, because it has met all the necessary criteria, Juncker said. Accession should take place by early 2019, when Romania takes over the 6-month presidency of the EU Council, said the EC President. He also added that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism must be terminated by that time, because Romania has made significant progress in the past ten years with regard to reforming its judiciary and fighting corruption. One cannot preside the EU while having the impression that one is being controlled and watched by the others, Juncker said. However, he warned that lifting the Mechanism would not mark the end of reforms, but would translate into enhanced cooperation. We count on the speed and effectiveness of the Romanian authorities, Parliament in particular, in guaranteeing the irreversibility of the programmes developed in the field of the judiciary, Juncker told Romania's Parliament. He also said citizens' trust can only be gained by observing the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers.
As regards corruption, the President of the European Commission stated that this scourge must be eradicated. In another move, Jean-Claude Juncker gave assurances that Romania can count on the Commission's unconditional support with regard to attracting EU funds. It's quite clear, Juncker said, that Bucharest must focus more on absorbing these funds. The idea of a multi-speed Europe, a concept firmly rejected by the Bucharest authorities, Brexit and the EU's relations with Russia were some of the other issues approached by the EC President during his visit to Romania.
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