Emil Boc: We want Romania to join euro area in 2014

The elections for the European Parliament on June 7 are special since for the first time they give the Romanians the chance to elect the 33 Romanian MEPs for five years, i.e. to elect those who are going to represent the Romanians' interests in the European Union, Prime Minister Emil Boc said in Timisoara (western Romania).

Boc said his Democrat Liberal Party (PD-L) is the only Romanian party that has a coherent political programme for the Euro-parliamentary elections that starts from Romania's needs.

"Basically, our political programme is centred on the Romanians' needs, among which the free movement in Europe and in the Schengen area included, without restrictions and enjoying the freedom of movement of any European citizen, also with respect to employment across Europe', he pointed out.

Another goal pursued by the PD-L, Boc said, is Romania's joining the single currency euro in 2014, given that 'the European states that have the euro are more easily weathering the economic crisis that Romania and the rest of the world is seeing'.

The third goal cited by Boc is for Romania to get rid of the cooperation and verification procedure on justice - which was imposed Romania by the EU Accession Treaty - and he said the Democratic Liberal MEPs will also get involved in achieving this goal. 'Thus, there will not be the danger that a ruling passed by a Romanian court may not be recognized in the European Union', he stressed.

The fourth goal the prime minister cited refers to Romania's weathering the economic crisis together with the big European family.

'The EU has already showed its solidarity by its readiness to give Romania financial assistance of five billion euros, with the money to be used for investments and for rescuing the Romanians' jobs. At the same time, we have the duty that the attraction of the European funds be a priority for our Euro-parliamentarians and for the national Government', he added.

Boc said the five billion euros will totally change Romania, adding that his Cabinet managed in its first four months in office to exceed the performances of the old Government and it is also on the right track on drawing the European funds.

Agerpres