March 30, 2005

Assent on Accession Treaty and EP draft report on Romania's accession adopted

On Wednesday, 30 March, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament adopted with a large majority the assent to the Accession Treaty of Romania and the draft of the European Parliament Report on Romania’s accession to the European Union, documents drawn up by the rapporteur for Romania Pierre Moscovici. The Foreign Affairs Committee proposes to the plenary of the European Parliament the approval of Romania’s application to become a member of the European Union.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hails the adoption of the two documents as a step forward and a premise for a positive decision on granting the assent on the occasion of the plenary session of the European Parliament to take place in Strasbourg, on April 11-13. The vote today marks the completion of an important stage on the procedural road to be finalised with signing the Accession Treaty of Romania and Bulgaria on April 25 in Luxembourg.

The vote today confirms the support of the members of European Parliament in all political groups, in favour of Romania’s accession to the European Union, according to the calendar and is extremely encouraging in the perspective of the vote in the plenary of the European Parliament on April 13.

The draft report sent to the plenary of the European Parliament approves the signing of the Accession Treaty and highlights the reforms undertaken in Romania, as well as the catalyst role of the perspective of accession for the modernisation and democratisation of Romanian society. The draft report shows that, if progress goes on, Romania will be ready to assume its commitments as a EU member, according to the planned calendar, on January 1st, 2007. Moreover, the draft report hails the reception of the 35 Romanian members of parliament, as observers to the activities of the European Parliament, after signing the Accession Treaty .

The members of the European Parliament appreciate that Romania’s accession to the EU will bring, by its cultural and political dimension, a real added value to the European construction. Moreover, Romania’s accession is welcomed from the perspective of stability in the region of the Balkans and of the consolidation of EU neighbourghood policy.

The draft report shows, at the same time, that efforts in preparing the accession must go on, both before and after the moment of accession, with focus on justice and home affairs, fight against corruption, organised crime, border control, as well as in the fields of competition, state aids and environment.

Both the assent and the draft report on Romania, as well as the similar documents concerning Bulgaria included identical statements regarding the political involvement of the European Parliament in the accession process, in the period after the signing of the Accession Treaty, as well as on complying with the budgetary prerogatives of the European Parliament (the latter being similar to those formulated in the case of the first 10 states who acceded in 2004).

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