President Basescu in Brussels: EU strategy should take into consideration development distinctions among member statesUpdated: 15-02-2010 | Politics

President Traian Basescu, present in Brussels on Thursday at the informal meeting of the European Council insisted on the fact that the EU 2020 strategy should take into consideration distinctions of economic and social development among members states, as well as conclusions which can be drawn in the crisis context.

"President Basescu showed that Romania considers the future European strategy as a coordination frame for economic policies of member states and the orientation of common funds in the respect of needs for increase of economic competitiveness within and without EU," the press release of the Presidential Administration informed.

The head of state also showed that for Romania the right financing of the cohesion policy and of the farming policy remains a priority, the head of state reiterating the priority the executive grants to the development of infrastructure for transport and energy, including projects of cross-border interconnection, the diversification of access to resources, the development of food industry and tourism.

In this context, the president of Romania pointed out the importance of the integrated development of the Danube area, with the capitalization of the transport potential of the Danube- Main- Rhine way, which connects the Black Sea to the North Sea. He pointed to the importance of putting in application the Nabucco project, as part of the process of setting up a European energy market.
President Basescu referred to the difficulties government authorities from Bucharest face within big infrastructure projects with obtaining properties over lands crossed by transport routes.

He greeted the results of settling the financial sector at European level, and showed that the process should continue to reduce the risk of future repeating a crisis of the proportions of the present one. He also pointed out the importance Romania grants to the European Research Space. As for the policies stimulating occupations, the head of state reiterated the need of coordinating member states for the elimination of national barriers in front of labour force circulation.

Referring to the second subject on the agenda, the problem of climate changes, Traian Basescu repeated Romania's engagement within the stand already agreed by EU, in the context of negotiations for the conclusion of a global post Kyoto accord. Romania backs the target of noxae reduction by 20% until 2020 and the mobilization of a joint contribution for immediate financing (2010-2012) and long term (post-2012) of the effort of developing countries.

The CE informal meeting was devoted to examining the economic situation in member states and approaching the topic of the future European strategy on the increase and occupation of labour force, the EU 2020 Strategy. The discussion agenda also included the EU action to fight effects of global warming and the support of member states to manage consequences of the recent Haiti earthquake.