Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Tuesday voiced his support for the Mercosur agreement, saying that it will generate an expansion of markets for the European Union, which will bring more opportunities for Romania as well.
"Now there will be the decisions that the European Commission takes, the Court of Justice will rule, there will be discussions in the parliaments of each country for a political agreement. It is a path that this treaty will take, but personally I believe that if the European Union is not stronger, does not become stronger, does not expand its markets, does not become more competitive, it is difficult to assume that Romania, which is a country that economically depends on the European Union, will be more competitive, we will have more opportunities for our children in the coming years. This is the truth," the prime minister told RFI Romania.
He added that the negotiations over Mercosur have been held in the European Union for many years, but that, at a certain point, the subject had become "marginal" on the public agenda.
"Due to the international context in which we find ourselves, it has been concluded that it is time for the European Union to forge this strategic alliance, if I may say so, with the countries of Latin America, in order to create a much larger market. It is not, therefore, an agreement on agriculture or industry. It is a global economic agreement that means that large markets come together, which will come into force gradually, gradually and which should have a synergy effect, therefore of development," he said.
Bolojan said that Romania's economy is integrated "to a good extent" into the European one, and the European economy works "as a locomotive" for the country's economy.
"If the economy of the European Union as a whole is doing well, our exports and our companies, which, in one form or another, are integrated with these European economic value chains, will do better. If things go wrong or are in a stationary area, as it is, unfortunately, today, they no longer have a knock-on effect on the Romanian economy. So, Romania, in all these years, has been a country that has supported the Mercosur agreement," the prime minister said.
He admitted that the agreement presents both opportunities, related to markets and economic development, as well as risks, especially in the area of agriculture.
Bolojan also said that, following the European Council in December, Romania announced that it supports the agreement, based on a joint Government-Presidency decision. At the same time, amid discussions in the European Parliament and in the public space, a package of precautionary measures for agriculture was renegotiated.
"Any kind of price decreases, any kind of increases in quantities that exceed 5% - so think that there are very small implications - are likely to allow countries to eliminate this favourable taxation, to take measures to block these imports, which has already happened. And all the parties in Romania that are at thew rule through their MPs, voted for these improvements," the prime minister said.
Comentează