Negrescu: 'Romania is a net beneficiary of EU membership; possible exit idea, false topic'

"The European context shows us that one of the main challenges refers to Brexit, the UK leaving the European Union. A moment that Romania will have to manage, a moment that will happen during our mandate and that seems to stir very many emotions and very many ideas. Unfortunately, some of these ideas seem to be extremely negative and we should obviously from the start give them a proper response to stop them, because the resent debate emerged in the public space referring to a possible exit of other states, Romania included, from the European Union is a false topic. A topic that should be responded to in a concrete manner, not to say that we aren't entitled to a debate, but to explain why such a solution isn't to Romania's benefit," Victor Negrescu said in the debate occasioned by the launch of the programme "Youth Delegate to the European Union." 

The minister added that the EU membership has brought Romania a set of benefits - certain liberties, the right to mobility, additional rights for consumers, accessing some facilities, European funds included. 

"All those years of EU membership, Romania has been a net beneficiary of what means European funding solutions. If we are to look at figures and calculate the amounts that entered and our contribution to the EU, we see that Romania has a net benefit worth almost 28 billion euro, an amount that is not to be neglected, comparable to what means investments that usually take place on a national level, an amount, a figure absolutely necessary for what Romania's development means. Our response must be an extremely coherent one, underscoring these elements, as well as the real impact of what the EU membership means," Negrescu also said. 

Referring to the "Youth Delegate to the European Union" programme, the Minister-delegate said that it will allow young people to participate of a proactive, concrete, direct manner in events organised during the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council. 

"This project, "Youth Delegate to the European Union," is an essential project we are carrying out together with the Youth and Sports Ministry. On our website, romania2019.ro, as well as on the Youth and Sports Ministry's (MTS) website you have links to this platform. Practically, we wish to select two youths, one young man and one young lady, to participate in events during the period of our mandate, both abroad and in the country, to present a vision, to discuss with European leaders, with relevant ministers. It is a necessary project, devoted to the 18-25 age gap, we have a series of criteria in this respect for those who want to participate. (...) It is a first message, a message that we hope to be coherently built, and we don't want those youths to speak in their own name, we have several steps thought so that the young people interact with the youth associations to come up with a common message of the young people in Romania in this context [the EU Council Presidency]," Negrescu said. 

The Minister-delegate pointed out that there is no such programme in other European states and that it can become a model on a European level. 

Secretary of State with the Youth and Sports Ministry Cosmin Butuza pointed out that it is a pilot project, and MAE and MTS want through its implementing to grant a special attention to the young citizens of Romania in the context of the Presidency of the EU Council. 

Attending the event were also National School of Political and Administrative Studies Senate Chairman, professor Iordan Gh. Barbulescu, TV producer Dragos Patraru, representatives of several youth organisations - the Youth Council of Romania, the National Alliance of Student Organisations of Romania, the National Student Union of Romania, the Student Union of Romania.

AGERPRES