Romania's Presidency of the Council of EU, good opportunity to build elite body specialized in European affairs

Romania's Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be "a good opportunity to build an elite body specialized in European affairs," Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu said on Monday at the fifth meeting of the Interministerial Council for Preparing and Exercising Romania's Presidency at the Council of the European Union, convened at Victoria Palace, informs a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) for AGERPRES. 

The meeting underscored the progress made in recent months and finalized the guidelines needed to continue the organization of Romania's Presidency at the Council of the European Union. 

At the meeting, the minister delegate mentioned the successful completion of the first training programme for civil servants in the central public administration in view of exercising the Romanian Presidency at the Council of the European Union, under the coordination of the European Institute of Romania. The programme will continue also next year, with the involvement of several actors. 

The Interministerial Council for Preparing and Exercising Romania's Presidency at the Council of the European Union also decided to initiate a volunteering programme at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the entire central public administration, according to the needs identified at the level of each institution, in the context of Romania's taking over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2019. At the Victoria Palace meeting it was also decided that, when the legislative framework on the internship takes effect, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Unit for Preparing Romania's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, to launch an internship programme designed to support the process of preparing and exercising the mandate of Romania. 

Also, a first version of the calendar of informal meetings hosted by Romania during its mandate of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union was approved. Technical meetings at the level of head of agencies, director and expert will be organized in Bucharest and other cities, with the objective of organizing the events in the official calendar throughout the country. 

Other topics addressed referred presenting some proposals for evaluation and modification of the legislative framework in force in the field of protocol and ceremony, namely the involvement of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture and National Identity in capitalizing on the opportunities of promoting Romania in the context of preparing and exercising the Presidency.