European Commissioners in Bucharest
The commissioners for regional development and for budget attended top-level conference in Bucharest
Corina Cristea, 31.10.2018, 12:27
The cohesion policies, designed to bridge the development gaps between European regions, must remain the main investment policies in the European Union, and must take into account the social and demographic characteristics of each EU member state. This is the view expressed by the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila, at an international conference that has brought to Bucharest these days two European commissioners, namely the European Commissioner for regional development Corina Cretu and the European Commissioner for budget and human resources Gunther Oettinger. Bucharest pleads for clearer eligibility criteria, contributing to a more accurate assessment of the applications for EU funding, Viorica Dancila also added.
In the forthcoming EU budget, for 2021-2027, Bucharest will benefit from a 7 billion euro increase in allocations under the cohesion policies, the European Commissioner Corina Cretu said. The cohesion policy is actually the guarantee of improved living standards for European citizens, and its results are noticeable in Romania as well, the European official added, mentioning that since 2007 when it joined the bloc Romania has had more than 45 billion euros earmarked by Brussels for its domestic development.
The talks held by the Romanian PM with Commissioner Gunther Oettinger focused on the multiannual financial framework. Viorica Dancila emphasised the importance of the timely endorsement of the EU budget, which would enable the Union objectives to be reached and would ensure continuity in the implementation of the programmes financed under the post-2020 cohesion policy. This is why, during its term as holder of the EU Council rotating presidency in the first half of 2019, Romania will make all efforts to facilitate consensus among the member states and to ensure that substantial progress is made in this respect, which has an outstanding impact on the overall activity of the European bloc, Dancila promised.
The Commission has drafted a balanced multiannual financial framework for 2021-2027, Commissioner Oettinger also said, and admitted that some cuts have been necessary in order to ensure adequate financial resources for solving urgent problems like migration, security and defence. However, Oettinger added, the Unions cohesion policy, which enables the countries and regions lingering below the European average to strengthen their economies, has been reformed and remains one of the key pillars of the European project.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
