SIXTH ENLARGEMENT TRADE MINISTERIAL MEETING

BUCHAREST, 10 MAY 2003

OPENING REMARKS OF H.E. ADRIAN NASTASE,

PRIME MINISTER OF ROMANIA

On behalf of the Romanian Government, I wish to welcome you in Bucharest for the Sixth Enlargement Trade Ministerial Meeting. Your meeting takes place one day after the celebration, throughout the continent, of Europe’s Day, another occasion to mark the solidarity and the union of Europe. I am pleased that by your presence here you could enjoy along many Romanians the happiness of this Day.

However, your presence to Bucharest is linked to a different issue, which I know is of major importance for us all, as well as for countries and business outside Europe. The European Union is the World’s largest trading bloc and its Enlargement adds new value to this important position. Today’s meeting looks to be the last in this format, before ten new members will join effectively the EU next spring. Hence, your debates are also important for countries which are still in process of negotiation for accession, noting that multilateral negotiation under WTO will continue and a coherent position of the EU and its future members is needed for several reasons: the unity of the trade policy of an Enlarged Europe; the compliance and readiness of the trade policy of the candidates with that of the Union; costs and benefits of the results of Doha Round for members and to become members of the Union.

Unfortunately, we are all deceived, but also bearers of responsibility for the slow advance in the negotiation of the Doha Development Agenda. One and a half year after the WTO ministerial meeting of November 2001, we only see that one by one, deadlines set by the Doha Mandate to be carried out in the WTO failed to be met. The credibility of the World Trade Organization itself is jeopardized and, together with it the credibility of the multilateral trading system to respond to the needs of both wealthy and poor nations. High expectations are put forward for the next Cancun Ministerial Meeting. We, in Romania, believe that Cancun can not be a new start unless lot of work is done before. Therefore, I think that process of consultation between the Union and its future members should be enhanced and continued at a faster speed before Cancun as well as during Cancun. By stating that, I wish to confirm that Romania is fully committed to take part in the WTO negotiations from the position of a future member of the EU and, hence, have a strong interest to defend its trading policy to the point of making it fully compliant with the engagements assumed by the EU in the negotiation process.

I do not have the intention to go through every item of your agenda, nor through the generous agenda for negotiation under the WTO. However, I wish to stress the importance that my country attaches to major issues like Modalities for agriculture, industrial products, services, TRIPS and Public Health, trade and investment and geographical indication. I quote those for the dual reason of negotiation itself, but also because they are very important issues in Romania’s preparation for EU accession also. In all those areas the competitive force of Romanian companies is weaker than those of the major groups of the Union and we share the concern for enhancing the competitiveness of our companies through appropriate policies and financial support. As already stated in our position papers submitted to the EU Commission for the remaining negotiation chapters, differences in the availability of resources should not be penalized by too early market liberalization.

Distinguished participants,

Alongside Agriculture, work on Implementation, special and differential treatment as well as on Dispute Settlement are, as far as we see, blocking the entire negotiation process. It is very difficult to believe that during the next 3 to 4 month major progress might be accomplished in Geneva. The trade off has not started yet and a decision for the most important files is still awaited.

Romania participates in the WTO negotiations requesting total inclusiveness and transparency for the entire process. Here I think about all formal and informal meetings, as well as timely and complete exchange of information with the EU delegation, both in Geneva, Brussels, Bucharest and then, in Cancun. I think the same is valid for all other countries here represented. And this is valid not only for the Doha Mandate, but as well for the on-going negotiation for admission to the WTO of other important states.

One of the important issues of today’s meeting is the smooth adoption of the EU’s Common Commercial Policy by the countries participating to the Enlargement process. Both acceding and candidate countries made a firm commitment of implementing that policy at the time of their accession during negotiations of Chapter 26. However, I think that in the wake of coming events, such as the termination of the Agreement of Textile and Clothing at 1^st of January 2005, the integration of the Western Balkans into the European trade networks, as well as the tariff negotiation under WTO and the need for enhanced transparency in Government procurement, it makes sense to achieve a common position of the acceding and the candidate countries with respect to the European Commercial Policy. This is important both for shaping our trade policy versus those countries having Partnership and Co-operation Agreements with the EU, but also for the harmonization of the accession negotiations with those on concluding new FTAs.

Romania, as it is well known, set its time horizon for accession on 1^st of January 2007. Based on the road map of the Copenhagen EU summit, we are firmly acting towards meeting that deadline, including the completion of the negotiation for the remaining chapters by the end of next year. I seize this opportunity to make it clear that the whole agenda of the Romanian Government is focused on the accession to the EU and all public institutions are acting towards that goal. Moreover, all other international programs that we are benefiting from, like the IMF or the World Bank, are designed in close concert with the same aims.

Ministers, deputies, Commissioner,

In concluding my remarks, I wish you a fruitful meeting and I assure you of the open and strong partnership of Romania in achieving the goals of this important meeting.

Thank you for your attention.