Brussels, 29/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Romanian Minister for European Integration, Hildegard Puwak, briefed the Belgian Presidency of the EU and the European Parliament's rapporteur on Romania, Emma Nicholson, on efforts her government has made since the spring in anticipation of two fundamental dates for Romania: voting on the Nicholson report next week in plenary session, and the decision of the Justice Home Affairs Council on 27 and 28 September on granting visas to Romanian citizens.
"I am relatively optimistic regarding the outcome of the JHA Council", Ms. Puwak told EUROPE. The Council decided to include Romania on the list of countries whose citizens may enter the EU without a visa, but depending on the undertakings made by Bucharest being respected, regarding border controls, the non-falsification of travel documents and the repatriation from Germany of "stateless" Romanians who immigrated after the fall of Communism. In the framework of an action plan that Romania adopted last January, "progress has been made", the ministers states, stressing that Romanian legislation has been harmonised on European rules, an agreement concluded with Germany in the spring, and a passport comprising 17 security elements should gradually be introduced. Early July the European Commission sent a rather positive provisional report to Member States on ongoing efforts in Romania. The challenge will be to get Germany on board at the JHA Council, it still being against granting free access, and the Belgian Presidency which still has strong reservations (EUROPE will return to that).
Ms. Puwak, moreover, hopes that the "information handed to Ms. Nicholson, notably on the treatment of orphans and in a general way destitute children", will allow for an update of the relatively negative report on the abuse suffered by children housed in public institutions, report adopted by the EP's Foreign Affairs Committee in July (see EUROPE of 16 and 17 July, p.16). The Nicholson Report, adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee, simply considers envisaging asking the Commission to take steps should the measures announced by Romania not actually be implemented. The Romanian Minister also met the leader of the EU/Romania inter-parliamentary delegation, Astrid Thors, in anticipation of the joint committee, which is to meet in Bucharest on 17 and 18 September.
The Minister is also counting on an update of information taken into account in the assessment report on Romania which the Commission is to present on 24 September. "We hope that the assessment will take account of progress made by Romania over a year at political level, the situation of children, as well as from the point of view of economic criteria", the minister told EUROPE, stressing industrial growth of 17%, a fall in inflation (down to 16% these past few months) and an unemployment rate of 10%. "We have improved the investment climate by simplifying bureaucracy, adopted new legislation for SMEs and for the creation of industrial estates. The message to foreign investors is now positive", Ms. Puwak assured us.
So as to accelerate the speed of accession negotiations, when speaking to Belgian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annemie Neyts, the Minister also stressed that her government "wants to dispose of the negotiating positions on all the chapters by December and open negotiations on chapters currently being discussed in Council" Negotiations still have to begin on fifteen chapters with Romania. Adopted by all the political parties in Romania, the goal of accession in 2007 is not being placed into question, "but it is important to demonstrate that we must step up the rhythm of negotiations, which will enable us, when the time comes, to re-discuss this already established date, or (to set) an earlier one", Ms. Puwak told the Romanian press.