Romania obtains 21st approval for OECD accession out of 25 necessary
Romania obtained the 21st favorable opinion from the OECD bodies on Thursday, February 26. The government aims to be part of the group of the most developed countries in the world by the end of 2026, but requires 25 formal approvals.
The latest approval was announced by foreign minister Oana Țoiu, who noted that the 21st opinion concerned financial markets and was among the most difficult because it signals trust for major global investors.
“Romania received the 21st OECD opinion out of the 25 required, from the Committee for Financial Markets, which means we have only four more steps left for accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the ‘club of developed countries,’ the objective of the Romanian government in 2026,” she said.
To receive the approval, Romania’s Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Authority for Financial Supervision, the National Bank, and the prime minister’s office held negotiations with several OECD sectoral committees.
“Perhaps for many, these opinions seem like mere bureaucratic statistics, but behind the figures stands one of Romania’s most ambitious objectives regarding membership in international organizations, after the effort to join NATO and that of accession to the European Union. Romania submitted its official candidacy as early as April 2004, but it needed 18 years of diplomatic effort and internal reforms to receive the invitation to begin negotiations,” Țoiu said.
Now, OECD accession is within reach, according to the official.
“We have received the green light in essential areas such as Education, Health, the Environment, Digital Policies, Agriculture, Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions, Statistics, and now Financial Markets,” she added.
The remaining 4 opinions are a “test of the administration’s willingness to modernize," according to the official.
Established in 1961 to advise governments on the best policies, the OECD now has 38 members across the globe. Most EU states are also part of the group. Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia are currently candidates, along with countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Thailand.
(Photo source: Atkishkin|Dreamstime.com)
