President of the European Council in Bucharest
The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, met with President Nicuşor Dan in Bucharest.
Mihai Pelin, 04.09.2026, 14:00
While on a tour of European capitals, the European Council President António Costa visited Bucharest on Thursday, where he was received by President Nicuşor Dan. The main topic of discussion was the EU’s future budget for the 2028–2034 period. The European official sought to ascertain the positions of all member states on this issue, as well as to discuss defense, EU enlargement, and support for Ukraine. The European Commission is proposing a future budget of approximately 2,000 billion euros. The draft also calls for a reduction of approximately 10% in funding for the EU’s agricultural policy and cohesion policy, a measure opposed by Romania along with 16 other member states. Romania wants an ambitious future EU budget, with substantial allocations for cohesion and agriculture, the Romanian head of state stated. He noted that Bucharest has broadly defined its position within the “Friends of Cohesion” group, coordinated by Romania, which includes 17 European countries.
Nicuşor Dan: “We want substantial funding for the cohesion and agriculture chapters, precisely so that we can bridge the gaps between citizens of different European countries. We are very interested in the pillar on competitiveness. Again, we’re talking about reducing, or aiming to reduce, the gap between European countries, and we want companies in less developed European countries, such as Romania, to have access to competitiveness funds.”
The EU’s next multiannual budget will enable Europe to strengthen its defense and security and boost its competitiveness, said the President of the European Council. He emphasized that negotiations for the future budget are taking place in a different geopolitical context than when the current multiannual financial framework was approved. The European official expressed his appreciation to Romania for its firm commitment to defending European security. Antonio Costa also said that the recent violations of Romanian airspace, as well as incidents involving naval drones, are “deeply concerning” and that Brussels will continue to stand with Romania, as it understands that Romania’s security is the security of Europe as a whole. We must stand united in our efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the European official emphasized.
During the discussions, Nicuşor Dan also addressed the EU enlargement process, in the context of preparations for the October European Council. The president stated that Romania is interested in seeing the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession process continue “at a steady pace.” António Costa thanked Bucharest for its support of Chişinău and noted that every round of enlargement has made Europe stronger, both politically and economically. “It is one of Europe’s most important geopolitical investments. It is an investment in our security, stability, and prosperity,” said António Costa. (LS)
