European Commissioner Cretu: Cohesion policy guarantees raising quality of life for European citizens

Cohesion policy is the guarantee of raising the quality of life for European citizens, with the results being visible also in Romania, which in the period since its EU accession has received European funds of over 45 billion euros for its own development, European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu said Friday, ahead of a visit she will pay on Monday and Tuesday to Romania.

Featuring on the agenda of this visit are meetings with high-ranking representatives of Romanian bodies and debates on the future of the European cohesion policy in two large conferences.

Cretu and European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Gunther Oettinger will attend a high-level conference called "An Inclusive Cohesion Policy for a Union Closer to Our Citizens," along Prime Minister of Romania Viorica Dancila, President of the European Committee of the Regions Karl-Heinz Lambertz, and Vice-President of the European Investment Bank Vazil Hudak. The event is organised by the Government of Romania.

"My speech to this conference will focus on the benefits of the Cohesion Policy, which are neither abstract nor bureaucratic. The EU Cohesion Policy creates jobs, generates opportunities for economic and social development, secures access to better education and healthcare, contributes to promoting social inclusion and supporting marginalised communities and, last but not least, supports the development of railways and roads. The cohesion policy is, in fact, the guarantee of increasing the quality of life for European citizens. And its results are visible in Romania as well. Since its accession to the EU, 10 years ago, Romania has been allocated over 45 billion euros of EU funds for its own development, " according to Cretu.

On the first day of the visit, Cretu will meet Prime Minister Dancila and representatives of the National Coalition for Modernisation of Romania, an organisation whose main goal is to accelerate the absorption of European funds.

Cretu will also attend a EuroIMPACT conference "Information and Improvement of Communication on European Union's Cohesion Policy in Romania," together with Minister of European Funds Rovana Plumb, Minister-delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu, and Gabriela Cretu, chair of the Romanian Senate's European Affairs Committee, an event organised by the European Institute of Romania. At the end of the day, Cretu will discuss investment on European funds at a bilateral meeting with Vazil Hudak, vice-president of the European Investment Bank.

On the second day, Cretu will meet Minister-delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu to discuss Romania's upcoming presidency of the EU Council Presidency, as well as Polish Minister for Investment and Development Jerzy Kwiecinski. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Sorin Popescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)