Ilie Bolojan: Romania’s membership in OECD will be an anchor to create conditions for development from Bucharest to the edge of the country

Membership in the OECD will be an anchor for the continued modernization of Romania, for strengthening its position among democracies, for an open economy that will allow us, from Bucharest to the edge of the country, to create conditions for development, interim President Ilie Bolojan stated on Wednesday. The head of state opened, with a speech at the Cotroceni Palace, the conference “Romania and the OECD – The Main National Project after NATO, the EU, and Schengen” , organized by Calea Europeană in partnership with key business organizations in Romania, under the High Patronage of the President of Romania. “This membership in this organization will be an anchor for the continued modernization of our country, for strengthening its position among democracies, for an open economy, all of which will be reflected in gains and benefits for all Romanians,” Bolojan declared. The President emphasized that the transformation of a country is not achieved solely by a president or a government, but by its citizens and the companies operating within the national economy. “My belief is that it is not a President or a Government that changes a country, but the people of that country, the companies that invest in that country, they are the ones who bring change. But it is true that governments and administrations create the conditions, create a context for the people in our country to showcase their talents, to express their creativity, and for companies and businesspeople to be able to conduct successful business and prosper,” he stated. At the same time, he highlighted that joining the OECD must generate economic development at the national level, without regional disparities. “Among the advantages of joining this organization is an increased attractiveness for investments in Romania, a strengthening of our country’s position in relation to international institutions, and access to extensive specialized expertise in adopting the best public policies, which will allow us, from Bucharest to the edge of the country, to create conditions for development,” Bolojan specified. In conclusion, he underlined the need to capitalize on the opportunities provided by Romania’s accession to the OECD, in order to attract investments, improve public administration, and consolidate Romania’s position on the global stage. “And I hope we will make better policies for better lives, as the Organization’s motto so aptly states—better lives for the citizens of Romania,” Ilie Bolojan concluded. See also The conference “Romania and the OECD – The Country’s Main Project After NATO, the EU, and Schengen,” under the High Patronage of the President of Romania. The event is organized by Calea Europeană and Romania’s business community Calea Europeană, Romania’s leading media platform in European affairs, in partnership with the Concordia Confederation, the Foreign Investors Council, Romanian Business Leaders, AmCham Romania, CCIFER, and AHK Romania – key organizations in Romania’s economic development – is organizing the conference “Romania and the OECD – The Country’s Main Project After NATO, the EU, and Schengen”. The event takes place under the High Patronage of the Interim President of Romania and is hosted by the Presidential Administration at Cotroceni Palace. Romania’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) represents the next major national strategic objective after joining NATO, the European Union, and gaining full access to the Schengen Area. The accession process could be finalized next year, as Romania has already met more than half of the necessary criteria to align with the highest international economic and institutional standards. Romania officially submitted its candidacy for OECD membership during previous expansion rounds, in April 2004 and November 2012, and has renewed its request annually since 2016. On January 25, 2022, the OECD Council decided to begin accession discussions with all six candidate countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Peru, and Romania. In June 2022, the OECD Council adopted Romania’s Accession Roadmap alongside those of the four other candidate states. Subsequently, in December 2022, Romania submitted its Initial Memorandum on accession to the organization. Currently, Romania is in the technical evaluation phase of the process, which involves providing additional information, organizing thematic missions, and presenting assessments in the 25 key OECD sectoral committees essential for accession. As of March this year, Romania has undergone preliminary or final evaluations by 24 of the 25 OECD sectoral committees. Of these, Romania has received 12 formal approvals from the following committees: Senior Budget Officials, Regional Development Policy, Steel Industry, Shipbuilding Industry, Competition Policies, Digital Policy, Consumer Protection, Education, Social Affairs, Employment and Labor, Regulatory Policy, Health, and Fisheries. Romania aims to complete its committee evaluations throughout 2025, with the goal of joining the OECD in 2026.

Ilie Bolojan: Romania’s membership in OECD will be an anchor to create conditions for development from Bucharest to the edge of the country

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