Romania's taking over the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2019 is a challenge and a first for this country, as well as an opportunity
Romania has started making preparations for its first EU Council presidency in the first six months of 2019. The government in Bucharest has established a national council for the preparation and exercise of Romania's EU Council presidency, an action plan has been adopted and the foreign ministry has set up a special unit to work on this project. At a debate held on Wednesday by the foreign ministry, the participants assessed the context in which Romania will carry out its term, which will see new European Parliament elections, the UK's leaving the European Union and negotiations on the next multi-annual financial framework. The Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall said the presidency of the European Union was a national project for Romania.
Ana Birchall: "We will have to ensure a professional management and demonstrate our ability to propose compromise solutions that are acceptable for the member states and the Union's institutions. We will have the opportunity to demonstrate our support for the European values and contribute directly to the consolidation process."
The Eastern Partnership and the organisation of a summit in Romania, the Danube strategy and migration to the European Union are some of the issues Romania must cover during its presidency, said foreign minister Teodor Melescanu. He also pointed out that there are logistical problems related to the taking over of the rotating presidency, which would require the support of a number of state institutions, given that Romania will have to host hundreds of meetings, which is also an opportunity to promote the country's political vision on the future of Europe.
Prime minister Sorin Grindeanu too believes Romania has the opportunity to come with a new, dynamic approach that could help relaunch the European project during its EU Council presidency. According to the senate speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Romania will benefit from more exposure during its 6-month presidency and must demonstrate that it is creative, energetic, modern and pro-European.
Calin Popescu Tariceanu: "Let us not forget that we are the seventh biggest country in the European Union so we must try to give our presidency a dimension that befits our country - we should neither try to be more than what we are and try to impress, nor see ourselves smaller than we are in reality."
The debate in Bucharest was also attended by the ambassadors of Finland and Croatia, which will take over the EU rotating presidency after Romania.
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