Prime Minister Calin Popescu–Tariceanu " Romania 's EU Accession on the 1st of January 2007 is fully achievable"

Press conference by Prime Minister Calin Popescu - Tariceanu and president of the European Commission, Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso - Victoria Palace

Mr. Calin Popescu - Tariceanu

On today's meeting, I have made together with the President of the European Commission, an evaluation of the stage of Romania 's accession preparation. Mr. Olli Rehn, Commissioner for enlargement has participated in this discussion, we have closely worked over all this period. The discussions we had, have confirmed me the fact that Romania 's EU Accession on the 1st of January 2007 is fully achievable. It is a realist evaluation.

I appreciate once more that the Commission's report is a fair and objective one, a report which clearly reaffirms Romania 's progress especially as of October 2005 Monitoring Report.

I point out that ten red flags of that time have been turned into yellow flags and there are four red flags.

We have evaluated together the measures which have to be achieved. We are prepared and we know what should be further achieved in order to have no surprises.

I want to mention that not only the technical issues, such as those of the sanitary veterinary field, agriculture or finance are preoccupying. I reaffirm that our efforts in the judiciary reform field or the fight against corruption will continue in the same pace and direction. It is a progress which we have achieved but this progress should necessarily be strengthened during the following period.

The report motivates and rallies us. I have assured both the president of the Commission and the Commissioner for enlargement of it.

We have a prepared action plan. Over the following days, EU and Romanian experts will meet to analyze these problems. The institutional architecture - the Permanent Secretariat for European Affairs, the Executive Committee for European Integration will coordinate these efforts, under my chairmanship. We will assure the measures necessary for the problems still signaled in the Report to be solved. This meeting gave us the confidence that our objective is feasible. The January 1st 2007 date is a date to which we have committed to and we are able to observe it.  


Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso

Thank you. I decided to come personally to Romania to inform the Prime Minister, the Government and people of Romania about the Commission's decision on the accession perspective of your country. I came to Bucharest with a message of congratulation for the progress achieved so far and a message of confidence. Romania has delivered clear results during the last six months. We have to give credit where it is due.

I congratulate you for this. You should be able to reach the finishing line on the 1st of January 2007 , provided the identified shortcomings are overcome, especially in the reform of judiciary and fight against corruption. The reform of judiciary is a priority of all priorities, since an independent and efficient judiciary underpins the whole life of the society. You should take our recommendation as an incentive to finalize your preparation.

My message and Commissioner Rehn's message to you today and to Romania is also a message of confidence. We believe it is doable. It is time now to roll up the short slips and deliver the last efforts.

I'm afraid that this may shorten the summer holidays for some in the public administration, but, believe me it is worth doing it.

We want to welcome Romania in the Union on the 1st January 2007 . This is our common aim and we have been working in a partnership spirit with the Romanian authorities all this time. However, it is the duty of the Commission to make sure that your country is well prepared. It can still achieve our common goal but for this , you have to further consolidate justice reform and demonstrate more results in the areas that were identified.

No latter than October 2006, the Commission will review the situation on the outstanding issues. On this basis, the Commission will consider whether the date of your accession in 2007 can be maintained. I am completely confident that you will make it. I wish you the best of success in reaching this goal and let me tell you that this meeting now with Prime Minister confirmed me the partnership spirit, the willingness, and the capability of Romania to deliver on these areas. We have set a very concrete program of work: work for the next weeks. Our experts will meet very soon so I believe it is doable and I wish you all the best in your efforts.

Question:
I have a question for Mr. Barroso. Is it possible that Romania and Bulgaria will not enter the European Union at the same date?

Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso
Each case will be analyzed by its own merits. Of course, we would like both countries. From here, we are going to Sofia . We like both countries to join on the 1st of January 2007 . That is really our goal but each case is a case and each country's progress will be analyzed by its own merits.

Question:
We are used to try to find out what the EU will mean for Romania and Bulgaria . If it were for you to describe in a very short sentence what Romania and Bulgaria can bring to EU, what would you be saying, sir?

Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso
Romania and Bulgaria will bring very active, hard working people, dynamic societies, societies that share today our basic values, countries with great traditions, very important also in the areas where they are for the projection they can make, of stability for all these areas. And first of all, this is the reunification of the family, this is a great political achievement from a political point of view for Europe , this is the reunification of Europe that was artificially divided by a line that should have never been dividing Europeans. First of all, this is - I would say a duty, this is a duty. We have to, all the Europeans to avoid the dividing lines of the past, but look at the past as well. The recent enlargements, all the enlargements have brought new blood to the European Union, since the European Community was made up of six members. Next year, we are going to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the European Community, the Treaty of Rome. Then we became 9, afterwards 10, afterwards 12, that's when my country joined. Afterwards 15, now, recently 25, this last enlargement has been a great success. Let me tell you now from my own experience and Mr. Olli Rehn can confirm that, I am presiding every week the meeting of the Commission where we have people from all the member states. All of them, on equal footing they bring their own experience, they bring their own perspective, it works. That's why I believe that Romania and Bulgaria will bring a lot of the dimension, by the way, Romania is a big country, it is a country with a great potential as well. That is important.

Thanks for putting that question; because very often in the discussions about enlargement, people think what the European Community or the European Union is going to give to the new member states and not the other way around. By the way, we are going to give as well. And one signal of good confidence is the fact that there is already the money for Romania in our budget. This is a clear signal that we trust that you will meet all the conditions. By the way, I would like to also make a statement here, once again, as I have made yesterday in the European Parliament, asking all countries, the member states in the European Union that still have process of ratification regarding your country to go ahead with them so that everything is ready for the 1st of January 2007 . But of course, in the meantime, Romania has to complete the homework that we have now jointly defined.

Question:/…/

Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso
We try to have the two countries and we do our best but first of all, it depends on the countries themselves. And we are not going to make speculations about it. Regarding Romania , you should do your work and not be worried about others. You should do your work. Bulgaria should do its work as you have to do your work. That's what we are going to say in Sofia .

Question:
Mr. Prime Minister, do you believe that the delay of the decision on the integration date guarantees political stability in Romania ? Will there be made amendments at the Government level further to this report, given its conclusions?

Mr. Calin Popescu - Tariceanu
I feel this question which is frequently asked, derives from some people's wish to play politics in Romania . I believe that the political maturity should be the dominant keynote of the Romanian political class and not the desire to play. We have responsibility towards Romania and our European partners. In order to be considered a genuine European country, Romania has to behave accordingly. Consequently, the political and social stability and the performances are very important, being appreciated by the Romanian citizens on the one hand and the foreign partners on the other hand, who regard us with interest, with a legitimate curiosity, in order to see how their tomorrow's partners really are. Referring to this question, I believe we should appeal to common sense.

Question
Mr. Barroso, two technical questions. Could the date of our accession be postponed, even though there is not longer a safeguard clause on justice and home affairs and second, if a flag is now yellow, could it be back red if something happens?

Mr. Jose Manuel Barroso
Let's not make speculations. Romania has made a lot of progress, now there is the final step. If Romania fulfills all these last efforts, there is no reason to think that things come back. So, I am not going now to make any speculations that could be not well understood. As I have said, a lot of progress has been achieved, some supplementary effort is needed. Let's concentrate on it and deliver these results. If those weeks and months are really well used, I am sure that this progress can perfectly be assessed.

Mrs. Oana Marinescu , the Government Spokesperson .
The press conference has finished. There follows a symbolic moment, the handover of the initials of the EU Information Center. You all know this centre which is functioning as of 1997 and has had over 1 millions visitors so far. Further to accession, the European Commission Delegation will not finance and support this centre anymore. The Government of Romania is to take it over.

Government of Romania - Press office - 17.05.2006