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President Klaus Iohannis requested on Tuesday, in videoconference with the members of the European Council, the activation of the Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union.
"The President of Romania emphasized the difficult situation of some Romanian citizens whose work contracts ceased following the COVID-19 epidemic and who cannot return to Romania due to the quarantine in the respective states or blockages at borders of some member states. In this sense, President Klaus Iohannis pleaded for the creation of humanitarian transit corridors at the level of the European Union, which would allow the repatriation of citizens from member-states. Furthermore, the President of Romania requested the activation of the Civil Protection Mechanism of the Union to support the demarches of member-states for the return of EU citizens from other member-states, as well as from third-party states, using consular assistance," the Presidential Administration showed in a press release.
In his intervention, the head of the Romanian state referred to the important interdependencies that exist between the member-states of the Union and, in consequence, the need to approach this crisis through common action at the European level, with proportional and adequate measures.
President Klaus Iohannis emphasized the importance of maintaining the free movement of persons inside the European Union. In this context, the head of state expressed support for the European Commission's orientation towards coordinated action at the external borders of the Union. Furthermore, Klaus Iohannis supported the decision to apply temporary restrictions of non-essential travel of third-party citizens within the European Union.
The head of state emphasized the importance of continuing to ensure the integrity of the Single Market. In this sense, he hailed the initiative of the European Commission to launch procedures to top up the stocks of medical devices and to initiate collective public acquisitions of medical equipment and devices.
Regarding economic measures, President Klaus Iohannis requested more flexibility in ensuring the financing of a large spectrum of objectives from European funds to combat the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. He spoke in favor of identifying a special financial support granted to member-states of the Union in order to face the reduction of economic activity, investments and demand.
During the meeting, the members of the European Council agreed with the orientations of the European Commission for a coordinated action at the external borders of the Union, as well as with the European Commission Communication regarding the temporary restriction of non-essential travel in the EU.
The guiding lines of the Commission contain the principles necessary for an integrated approach at the level of all member-states of the European Union for the efficient management of borders and are meant to ensure the protection of health, in parallel with maintaining the integrity and functionality of the Internal Market of the Union. The Commission's Communication target the making of coordinated decisions regarding the application of temporary restrictions on non-essential travel of third-party citizens in the EU.
The videoconference of the European Council members regarded measures related to combating the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic and the formulation of a coordinated response of the European Union to this crisis.
