Romania: membership application and partnership, 22 June 1995

PURPOSE: presentation of the second accession partnership for Romania. CONTENT : Like its previous version, this partnership for the accession of Romania resembles a work programme proposing priorities and objectives to be attained by the country in the short and the medium-term in order to become a member of the Union. These objectives take into account the regular report on Romania (1999). The short-term priorities (end of 2000) concern political criteria: responsibility for abandoned children and the complete reform of the regime for assistance to children. Other measures in favour of the Roma and disabled persons are awaited. In terms of economic criteria, the main reforms concern the re-establishment of macroeconomic stability, the restructuring of the public finances and the promotion of a private sector strong enough to resist market forces. Other measures concern the internal merket (basically continuing the harmonisation process, especially in the areas of public procurement and intellectual property protection) ; agriculture; transport (maritime safety); environment (introduction of a framework law and sectorial directives in several fields); social affairs and employment; justice and home affairs (surveillance of borders and demilitarisation of the Ministry of the Interior) and the strengthening of administrative and judiciary capacity (in particular the management and control of EU funds). In the medium term, the measures will concern further initiatives for deprived children and the Roma. In the economic sector, they will relate to the consolidation of the legal and political framework facilitating sustainable economic growth. In the area of the single market, the further alignment is necessary. Further measures are envisaged in the area of agriculture, fishing, energy (transposition of the Community Gas and Electricity Directives), transport, the environment, justice and home affairs (fight against drugs). With regard to the programming of financial resources, the partnership confirms aid granted in line with AGENDA 2000 and the various instruments provided therein (Phare, SAPARD and ISPA) in accordance with the rules already foreseen. It should be noted that assistance is only granted if the country respects the provisions of the EC-Romania Association Agreement, makes progress towards satisfying the Copenhagen criteria and assures in the year 2000 the achievement of the specific priorities of this accession partnership.�