PM Dancila: European project needs new thrust, future vision and long-term solutions

The European project needs a new thrust, future vision and long-term solutions, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Thursday in her speech delivered in the "E!Sharp Live 2019 - What does Europe mean to Europe?" event opening in Brussels. "At the moment, we are all convinced that the European project needs a new thrust, future vision and, based on this common vision, long-term solutions. Romania, as holder of the EU Council Presidency, has the responsibility, as well as the chance to actively participate in drawing up this future vision for the European Union. The debate on Europe's future is an opportunity regarding the enhancement of European inclusion and cohesion, so that all member states may find themselves in this construction. A solid construction for a future Europe should, besides the cohesion principle, provide the possibility of expressing individual diversity and specificity, which, brought together, should create a harmonious, homogenous and coherent project," Dancila said. The PM added that the accepted meaning of the cohesion concept was transposed of a transversal manner within the thematic priorities of Romania's Presidency at the EU Council. "It also reflects in our perception on the global role of the European Union. Continuing the enlargement policy, observing the European Union commitments in its southern and eastern neighborhoods, promoting the multilateral system, based on rules, maintaining a solid transatlantic partnership are in Romania's view central elements for designing a better future for Europe," Dancila also said. The PM pointed out that the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council, taking into account the end of the legislative cycle, planned to focus on promoting the current European agenda, mainly on the legislative drafts that are almost completed or in an advanced negotiation stage on the Council or the European Parliament level. "Since the beginning of the tenure we have managed together with the other member states and in cooperation with the other European institutions to conclude the negotiations on a number of 81 legislative files, many of them with a major impact on a European level, with an impact on the life of citizens. I would only mention some of them, namely in the energy area - the natural gas directive, in the single market area - the directive on intellectual property on the single market, in the labour area - the regulations on establishing the European Labour Authority. At the same time, significant results were obtained in the banking area, namely the banking package, the legislative package on the capital markets union, in the information area - the regulation package on the interoperability of EU's information systems, in the political area - the amendments to the legislation on the status and funding of political parties and foundations, the Council's conclusions on ensuring free and fair elections with a focus on combating disinformation, as well as in the research and innovation area - the Council's conclusions on artificial intelligence," Dancila showed. The PM highlighted that through the results achieved, Romania's Presidency at the EU Council can prove it is "a Presidency of efficiency and quality, which in close cooperation with the other member states and with all European institutions delivers, of a consensual manner, the expected, desired results and useful for the member states, the citizens and the business environment." "The confidence in such concrete results achieved of a manner meant to unite us on a European level represents a solid ground on which to build the road to the Sibiu [Summit] agenda, which should lead us to a better Europe in the future, closer to the citizens. I hope the debate today, your opinions, recommendations are found in the project of the European future," Dancila underscored. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Florin Marin; EN - auhtor: Adina Panaitescu, editor: Rodica State)