100 days into the presidency of the Council of the European Union

Prime minister Viorica Dancila presented a report on the first 100 days of Romanias presidency of the Council of the EU.

România Internațional, 18.04.2019, 13:39

Prime minister Viorica Dancila presented a report on the first 100 days of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU. She says her ministers have coordinated difficult and complex dossiers, some of which were inherited from previous presidencies, negotiating and finalising them. The prime minister says Romania has coordinated over 1,100 events and meetings in the last three months, with 90 dossiers with a major impact in the EU being finalised in this period.

Viorica Dancila: “We have demonstrated together with the Permanent Representation and the experts in the ministries that we have a strong, responsible team. I am convinced that after this six-month term Romania will be talked about as a country with a strong voice and which is respected in Europe.”

Referring to some of the dossiers finalised recently, Dancila welcomed the Council’s formal adoption, as a final stage of the legislative procedure, of the common norms for the natural gas market, copyright and the contracts for the sale of goods and the provision of online digital content. The prime minister also spoke about the importance of the elections for the European Parliament held in Romania on the 26th of May.

As holder of the presidency of the Council of the EU, Romania has worked towards creating an environment in which free and fair elections can be held. Clearer rules were established for the protection of personal data, including penalties for the use thereof to manipulate the running and the outcome of the elections.

The Romanian government was actively involved in the Brexit negotiations. “During our presidency, 15 legislative proposals aimed at limiting the effects of a no-deal Brexit were finalised and formally adopted within the Council”, said the head of the Romanian cabinet. She added that the goal is to protect the citizens and the business community. This is why Bucharest obtained decisions in key areas, such as road and air transport, the coordination of social security systems, the Erasmus + scholarship programme and visas. Prime minister Dancila says the debates on the future of the EU will continue in the coming months, and Romania will promote the consolidation of the European project.

Viorica Dancila: “Romania has constantly promoted the importance of maintaining the unity of the EU, without divisions based on criteria related to geographical, economic and social aspects, older and newer members, or different speeds of European integration.”

Viorica Dancila said that in the area of migration, the Romanian presidency has managed to revise the legal framework regulating the European network of liaison officers for migration and has finalised negotiations on the expansion of the mandate of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. In the area of social protection for European citizens, the Romanian prime minister has mentioned the finalisation of negotiations and the adoption of a number of European regulations aimed at improving working conditions for citizens.