UPDATE/PM Dancila: We are glad EC is convinced that Romania can successfully hold rotating EU Council Presidency

Romania's Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said at a joint meeting of the Romanian government and the European Commission in Brussels on Wednesday that the members of the European Commission are convinced that Romania can successfully hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

"We are very glad that the European Commission is convinced that we are well prepared, that we can successfully take over and successfully hold the rotating Presidency of the European Union Council as from January 1, 2019," she said at a joint news conference with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu.

She added that Romania wants an ambitious Presidency, mentioning that the meeting of the Romanian government and the College of Commissioners is part of the meetings prior to Romania assuming the six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2019.

"We talked about co-operation between the Romanian Government, between the future Presidency and the European Commission, but we also presented the priorities of the rotating Presidency that is held by Romania starting January 1, 2019. The discussions were constructive, we addressed items that will be on the European agenda in the next period, I could even say challenges that the European institutions have to meet together. I listened very carefully to the views of the European commissioners; there were opinions expressed by the members of the Romanian government and I saw that many of the subjects addressed, many of these challenges have common elements and, above all, a desire to find a solution under the Romanian Presidency. We reiterated that Romania wants an ambitious yet realistic tenure in the sense of successfully closing as many files on the working table of the Romanian Presidency as possible, of getting at least a political consensus over the multi-annual financial framework, of being able to solve as many of the 257 files mentioned by President Juncker. And I think that is important, because under the rotating Presidency of Romania, the 2014-2019 Strategic Agenda is completed and the results obtained will be the results of all the European institutions and especially of all the EU member states," said Dancila.

The prime minister mentioned a realistic term of office, given that Romania will act as an impartial mediator, a facilitator of balance and consensus, an honest broker.

"And, I think, we need to reach a consensus among the member states on important files. Europe is divided from this point of view and it will not be easy to get that. We look forward to the College of Commissioners convening in Bucharest on January 10-11, 2019 in order to be able to discuss much more to the point on each of the files," said Dancila.

She added that these days, Romanian ministers had talks in Brussels with European commissioners, and committee chairs of the European Parliament. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Rodica State)