Romanian leader Nicușor Dan held a phone conversation with European Council president António Costa ahead of the European leaders’ meeting scheduled for March 19-20 in Brussels. The discussion focused on Romania’s priorities within the EU, including competitiveness, energy policy, and the future European budget.

In a message posted on Facebook, Dan said the talks addressed several major topics on the European agenda, including strengthening the Single Market, reducing bureaucracy, the green energy transition, and the relaunch of European industry.

“I told president Costa that we want a fully integrated Single Market, as well as a significant simplification of bureaucracy and administrative burdens,” Dan announced.

He mentioned the energy policy as a key priority for Romania, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. According to the Romanian leader, the situation demonstrates the importance of reducing the EU’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.

“As I have said before, we want the transition to green energy to take place at a pace and within a framework that does not irreparably affect the competitiveness of European and Romanian companies,” Nicușor Dan said.

The future framework of the EU budget was another topic raised during the discussion. Dan said EU funding should ensure sufficient resources to support competitiveness in Eastern member states, including Romania, which still face historical development gaps compared with other parts of the bloc.

The Romanian leader welcomed what he described as the EU’s growing focus on boosting competitiveness and encouraging investments aimed at building a more resilient energy system capable of withstanding external shocks.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Nicusor Dan)