Brussels, 13/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - Sixteen months after its accession to the EU, Romania has found its place within the European Union where it has already been able to influence the wording of important policies such as the European neighbourhood policy, rapprochement of the Balkan countries and relations with the Black Sea region, explains Lazar Comanescu, the new Romanian foreign minister, in an interview with EUROPE. “I can assure you that, on all these matters, Romania has been very active. Even if we have only been members for just over a year, Romania has already been able to show that it really makes an important contribution to the Union. We have really brought added value to it”, said the minister who, because of his long service in Brussels (head of the Romanian mission with the EU from 1998 to 2007, then permanent representative for his country until his designation as minister on 14 April 2008), is considered as one of the best Romanian experts with regard to the Community institutions. During the few years that he took part in Coreper meetings, first of all as an observer and then as a full member, Mr Comanescu never had the feeling that the “new” member states were taken less seriously than the older members. “I am not at all under the impression that there are first and second category member states. All 27 are on an equal footing”, he said.
The Romanian minister also wishes to reassure those who fear that EU enlargement towards the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, most of which have privileged relations with the United States, could hamper or dilute European integration to the benefit of just a free trade zone. “The aim of Romania is to have an ever stronger EU, able to play a strong role in the world”, the minister said, explaining that his country is “not only a pro-Atlantic country, but is also pro-European”. However, he went on to say, “wanting to maintain strong transatlantic relations is not at all in contradiction with the wish to consolidate European construction. Romania has always taken a stance in favour of strengthening the European institutions. We have always favoured the Community method and we shall continue to do so. It is the Community method that has made the EU a true success. I want to assure you that we are in favour of consolidating European integration”. When asked whether this affirmation was also valid for European defence policy which directly affects NATO and the central role of the United States in the defence of Europe, he replied: “Absolutely. There is no contradiction between deepening of the EU - including foreign, security and defence policy - and the intensification of transatlantic relations. I am pleased that the United States has become more open towards European defence policy and that, in Europe - and here I think of France - there is re-evaluation of EU relations with NATO. I think we are moving towards closing the gap between the two”, Mr Comanescu said.
Romania, as an important beneficiary of structural funds and common agricultural policy (CAP), counts considerably on financial solidarity between the 27, including the “net contributors”. “Solidarity between all member states is one of the main pillars of the EU's success and I trust that this will continue. Questioning this principle seems to me to be a bad approach if one wants an increasingly strong Europe”, the minister states, pointing out that, for Romania, cohesion policy and the CAP have a “very important” role to play in increasing EU competitiveness. “Net contributors must not simply have an accounting approach. They must not only look at how much each member state pays and how much it receives. If the EU helps to develop agriculture or infrastructures in Romania, it also creates a new market and a place of investment for the so-called Union net contributors. That is also to their advantage. All that should be seen in a slightly broader perspective. One must absolutely preserve the principle of solidarity and cohesion that has been the secret of the EU's success”, he stressed.
In the past, Romania experienced irregularities in the management of certain EU pre-accession aid “but the measures taken by us (as part of the preparations for accession and since accession) allowed us to create a framework that ensures correct and adequate management of Community funds”, the minister stressed. As far as structural funds are concerned, Romania was even, in 2007, “one of the first member states to have finalised its operational programme” which was then approved by the Commission, he explained. “We have eliminated a maximum number of risks (misappropriation of funds). I can assure you that we are making enormous progress”, he said. Mr Comanescu also expressed “optimism” that the safeguard clauses contained in the accession treaty for Romania (and Bulgaria) will not be triggered for his country. “I am optimistic that the Commission's assessment report (due before the summer break) will be positive. I cannot deny that there are still some things to be improved, but we are working on it continuously. I think we are on the right track”, the minister said. (H.B.)