THE 28 VISIONS OF EUROPE: VIEW FROM ROMANIA

"The current crisis challenges quite a number of established perceptions about Europe. Social and even political costs of the crisis are already testing the strength of some ideas that for a long time seemed self-evident. Europe risks losing part of its aura as a symbol of solidarity, modernity and prosperity by staying immersed in a lengthy self-examining exercise that exposes to the world a false image of weakness and division. Europe is thus called to perform a challenging balancing act between dealing with a current (maybe already a past) crisis and finding long-term answers to an evolving international environment.

Precisely because European integration it is a well-known story, we may sometimes risk overlooking essential aspects. The reluctance to consider new facts that challenge false, but well established, perceptions and stereotypes is a continuous danger. Few and apart are speaking on behalf of Europe; the balance tips on the side of the blame-game, forgetting that this is a game no one can possibly win.

It is time again to make the case for Europe. Europe in not the source of our problems, nor is it a soulless bureaucratic behemoth more concerned by the fate of banks than the wellbeing of its citizens. Despite all the problems that we may face and all the difficulties we may encounter, we have to keep in mind the force of our commitment to human rights, to democracy and to solidarity. Europe has to keep proving that it is better to be together than to be apart. Undoubtedly, protecting and enhancing our inner cohesion remains a first priority task.

Romania has brought added value in areas such as the Single Market, energy security or foreign policy of the Union. Romania plays today a key role in advancing the EU Strategy for the Danube region, in stimulating the potential for cooperation in the Black Sea area, supporting the European integration of the Western Balkans, as well as the European path of the Eastern Partnership countries.

Romania’s vision of Europe is  to enlarge it to the Western Balkans, Turkey and the Republic of Moldova, to make the EU more competitive in the global economy, more open to trade and innovation, more supportive of new businesses and economic growth, based on the free movement of goods, services, people and capital.  

In order  to promote economic growth in the EU, Romania calls for

• The completion of the Single Market on services, the digital economy, energy and other fields through eliminating barriers which restrict growth;
• The promotion of free, fair and open trade between the EU and the major trading partners, with a focus on completing a Doha deal and working towards conclusion of other Free Trade Agreements;
• The reduction of the overall burden of EU regulation on businesses;
• The promotion of innovation, including an EU-wide patent;
• Ensuring that EU spending is simplified and more transparent;
• Promoting economic relations and investments.

Romania is opposed to having only Eurozone members take part on the future of the EU and believes it has the support on this matter from other non-eurozone members such as Poland, Czech Republic or Bulgaria.

Romani supports the creation of an Economic and Financial Union in order to complete the Monetary Union because a single monetary union cannot be contemplated when there are 28 budgetary policies and 28 fiscal policies. Therefore Romania proposes the designation of a ‘Euro-Commissioner’ a kind of Minister of Finance of the Eurozone charged with the execution of the economic governance and mandated as the only representative of the Eurozone outside.

Another idea calls for the recapitalization of European banks  although it is coming late and its effective application remains unclear.

Finally Romania supports a European Plan for Growth and Convergence under which the European Commission would set certain objectives in areas such as research, would have the power to oversee its implementation and sanction those who don’t comply. This task would be among the competences of the new European Finance Minister. For Romania the Monetary Union must be complemented by an Economic Union but such measures although going in the right direction will not be sufficient. Europe won’t have a credible economic policy until it benefits from its own resources. Such resources cannot come from a tax on financial transactions if imposed only on Eurozone members and not adopted by other international actors. Resources could come from other sources such as a “modulated” VAT, a European tax on corporate revenues or a tax on CO2 emissions.  This is viewed as necessary for future integration projects.