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Joint Committee on European Union Affairs díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 23 Jan 2019

Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union: Discussion

We are now in public session. I remind members to ensure that their mobile phones are switched off or placed in silent mode as they cause problems. I am delighted that we are having an engagement on the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Her Excellency, Mrs. Manuela Breazu, Ambassador of Romania to Ireland, is with us. On behalf of the committee, I welcome her and thank her and her officials for being here and for giving of their time. I also welcome those in the Public Gallery.

I congratulate Romania on assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the beginning of this month. This is Romania's first time to host the Presidency since it joined the EU in 2007. It is an exciting time and we wish it every success with that.

Before we begin, I must remind everyone of the rules on privilege. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I draw the attention of witnesses to the fact that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I ask the Ambassador to make her opening statement. The committee is really looking forward to the discussing matters with her. We know she is an excellent ambassador, very respectable and hard working, and we thank her for taking time out to be with us today.

H.E. Mrs. Manuela Breazu

I thank the Chairman for his opening remarks and for welcoming me. I thank the Members of the Dail and Seanad for taking time and for the good attendance for my presentation of the first ever priorities of Romania as holder of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. I thank my colleagues from the embassy who are present. Before starting my presentation I congratulate the Dáil on celebrating its recent anniversary of 100 years since its first sitting and I thank the Members of the Parliament for inviting us ambassadors as representatives of our Speakers to attend that very important event.

I would like to begin by thanking the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs for regularly organising meetings with the incoming holders of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well as for its constant engagement with European missions in Dublin. I am honoured to be here as part of this active dialogue on European affairs. I am particularly honoured that, for the first time in its history, Romania holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is a big honour for me to represent my country on this momentous occasion.

Our first EU Presidency will take place against the backdrop of large-scale developments that will determine the shape of the European Union, including the reflection on the future of Europe, the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, the transition towards a new legislative cycle as a result of the European elections in May 2019 and, implicitly, the end of the European Commission and European Parliament’s terms of office.

Common efforts by member states and the EU institutions are needed in order to identify workable solutions to major challenges currently facing the European unification project. Brexit takes the European Union into a new reality. It must be orderly and managed while maintaining the unity of the EU 27 and securing strong and close future relations with the UK. The EU will step into a new phase after Brexit. The Presidency, together with member states and the EU institutions, should act to shape a strategic frame for its future. In this context, the informal leaders summit in Sibiu on 9 May, two weeks before the European elections, will be a landmark of our Presidency. It will be a crucial moment to raise awareness among citizens about the added value generated by the EU and to send a message of unity within the European Union.

Furthermore, the end of the current EU institutional cycle translates into a high number of pending issues that reflect key priorities for the future of our Union and its citizens. We have set a high level of ambition in achieving tangible results while adopting a realistic approach. For this reason, in the first half of its term the Romanian Presidency will focus its efforts on advancing the legislative process in order to finalise as many issues as possible. Work will continue assiduously in the second half of our term on the equally important and complex non-legislative issues.

The European Union will need a solid and appropriate budgetary framework and resources in order to achieve the objectives of the following seven years. The European budget is a reflection of how we see the European Union in the future. That is why we must ensure that the results of the negotiations on the multi-annual budget are balanced and well calibrated to the daily reality as perceived by European citizens. In this vein, another topic on our agenda is to move forward with negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework, which is a flagship issue for our Presidency. We will make all possible efforts to prepare the ground for a timely agreement on the next multi-annual financial framework.

While holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Romania will act as a genuine and honest broker in order to find solutions that enable progress on the European agenda. We are convinced that cohesion is key in this regard, which is why we have chosen “Cohesion as a common European value” as our motto and the central theme of our Presidency. It records the principle of unity of member states and outlines the importance of cohesion policy and its key role in attaining the objective of reducing economic, social and regional disparities among member states and their citizens.

Within this paradigm of cohesion, we have defined our Presidency priorities and assigned them to four pillars of action. Pillar 1 regards a Europe of convergence. Our Presidency aims to contribute to ensuring convergence and cohesion in Europe to enable sustainable and equitable development for all citizens and member states by enhancing competitiveness, closing development gaps, facilitating social progress, promoting connectivity and digitalisation, stimulating entrepreneurship and strengthening industrial policy. Taking forward the negotiation process on the 2021-2027 multi-annual financial framework will be an overarching objective throughout our Presidency.

Pillar 2 relates to a safer Europe. Our Presidency aims to consolidate a safer Europe through increased cohesion among EU member states in dealing with the new security challenges that threaten the safety of citizens and through supporting co-operation initiatives in this field. Migration will continue to be the subject of intense debate in Europe and our action on the internal and external management aspects of migration must be comprehensive.

Pillar 3 deals with Europe as a stronger global actor. During our mandate, we will aim to further consolidate the global role of the EU through promoting the enlargement policy, a more active role for Europe in Africa and south Asia, promoting multilateralism, European action in neighbouring countries, further implementing the global strategy, offering the necessary resources for the EU and implementing all its global commitments. EU action in the eastern neighbourhood will benefit from a favourable context during the first semester of 2019, in which when we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the launch of the Eastern Partnership. The enlargement policy as an instrument capable of extending stability and prosperity across Europe will represent another important topic which contributes to a safer and a more prosperous future for the European Union.

Pillar 4 regards a Europe of common values. Our Presidency aims to stimulate the solidarity and cohesion of the EU by promoting policies to fight discrimination, encourage equal opportunities and equal treatment for men and women, and increase citizens' involvement in European debates. All EU policies and action should be underpinned by European values and principles as provided by the European treaties. The advancement of the European project should be progressed with a united, inclusive and open approach among all member states. There must not be divisions throughout the Union. This is a key message to reinforce citizens’ trust.

On the calendar of the Romanian Presidency there will be thousands of technical meetings and hundreds of other important meetings in Brussels, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Bucharest.

The coming six months offer a great opportunity to bring Romania closer to the citizens of the other member states and to present a European country deeply anchored in the cultural and spiritual tradition of the European Continent. We look forward to them.

I thank the ambassador and call the Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Leyden.

The ambassador is very welcome. I thank her for appearing before the committee to outline the Romanian plans for its Presidency of the European Union. As the Chairman stated, it is a great honour for Romania. I have no doubt it will do a very good job on its preparation because it has been a member of the EU for 11 years. A significant amount of preparatory work has already been done. This is the most historic period since the establishment of the European Union, formerly the European Economic Community, as a result of what is happening in the United Kingdom. It will be a sad occasion if the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. We should be honest that the EU will be a lesser organisation without it. However, the decision to leave is currently one for the United Kingdom and we will have to work with that when it becomes a reality.

The committee was invited to the meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for European Affairs, COSAC, last Monday in Romania. Members were not in a position to attend due to the 100th anniversary of Dáil Éireann. Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu was present at the commemoration. We were represented at the COSAC meeting by officials and the Irish ambassador to Romania and we hope to attend its June meeting in Romania. It was very significant for members to be present for the commemoration of the First Dáil in memory and recognition of the contribution made by the brave men and women who established it.

The ambassador was in attendance at the commemoration.

I acknowledged that. I welcomed and dined with her at the event.

H.E. Mrs. Manuela Breazu

I enjoyed it very much.

I also met her last weekend at the French Embassy. She is the longest serving ambassador to Ireland and a familiar face to many committee members. She must be doing an excellent job. I also welcome the Spanish ambassador who has taken up a position in Ireland and will be a regular attendee at this committee. I welcome the representatives of all embassies here who take a great interest in the work of the Committee on European Union Affairs.

I look forward to visiting Romania. It is a beautiful country on the Black Sea which has enormous tourism potential. I note that Ryanair does not fly there direct from Ireland, although I may be incorrect in that regard. Perhaps that can be checked. It may be that it flies indirectly to Romania.

H.E. Mrs. Manuela Breazu

Direct flights from Dublin to Romania are available from Blue Air, a Romanian company, and Ryanair, an Irish company.

That may be so. I ask Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu to elaborate on that. When I searched for a direct flight to Romania, I could not find one. Perhaps my information in that regard is lacking. Of course, through Bram Stoker, there is a link to the cliff-top Bran Castle in Romania, which is a very popular visiting place for tourism.

The work of Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu in Ireland is very much appreciated. She has established excellent working relationships with all Departments as well as the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy McEntee.

Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu is very familiar with the work of the European Union and with Ireland. She is the conduit between Ireland and Romania. I thank her for her work. Romania is a large country with a population of 19.64 million people. It has a very strong economy now. Being a member of the European Union has been a great boost to Romania. It has a very troubled history. It has embraced democracy with great enthusiasm and membership of the European Union with great enthusiasm. I appreciate that and thank Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu for it. We look forward to working with Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu as representative of Romania, with ministerial contacts who will be coming over during the Presidency and with the European affairs committee of the Romanian Parliament. Our Chairman will be in touch with that committee and its secretariat at some stage over the next six months. Hopefully, we will have a delegation from Romania visit here. I look forward to our participation in the COSAC meeting in June.

I am delighted to meet the Romanian ambassador for the third or fourth time. I think she enjoyed the commemorative event on Monday and the one the night before that with the Ceann Comhairle. I congratulate her, her people and her country on assuming the Presidency of the European Union. I congratulate her on the ambitious goals set for Romania's Presidency which include various pillars. I hope it will be successful. I have no doubt Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu will make a brave attempt. It will be a very difficult period, as has been said, particularly with the UK withdrawing from the EU, which might add to her woes. We hope things will work out reasonably well but it all depends on what happens in Westminster in the next week or two. We have to be positive. We have to prepare for not being as positive as we would like to be. I wish Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu well. She will always have the support of this committee in her term in Ireland and during the Presidency of Romania.

I welcome the ambassador to our meeting. Romania is taking over the Presidency at a very challenging time. Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu outlined some of the challenges in her reflection on the future of Europe, the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, the European Parliament elections and the end of the legislative cycle. It is a busy time. I have no doubt the ambassador is more than fully aware of the concerns of Ireland with regard to the Brexit situation. It is evolving as we speak. Romania's support for the Irish position is greatly appreciated.

There was an article in The Irish Times on 1 January about the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, voicing fears that Romania's fiery domestic disputes and populist politics would be unwanted distractions at a time when the bloc aims to show strength and unity over Brexit. Presumably, Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu would reject those sentiments allegedly attributed to Jean-Claude Juncker. I welcome Mrs. Breazu's views on the domestic political situation in Romania, the street protests and so forth. I do not want to strike a discordant note. Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu has our full support in her endeavours. As I say, it is a very challenging time.

Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu mentioned migration. I am interested to know the domestic views on migration in Romania. It is one of the biggest challenges facing the European Union. Different nation states have come to it with different perspectives. I am interested to know the Romanian perspective on migration and how it might be solved at European Council level in the coming months and the general view of Romania on the proposals to solve the issue.

I welcome the ambassador to our meeting and wish her well during the Romanian Presidency. I have no doubt she will do a good job. Notwithstanding the fact, her country comes into the Presidency at a very trying time. Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu was at our centenary celebrations over the past number of days. It is amazing to ponder how things have changed over the past 100 years. In some ways they have not changed at all. Some of the same issues were as topical 100 years ago as they are today, which is sad and unfortunate.

I thank Romania and the other European member states for their support in the negotiations that have been taking place and which are still unfinished. These are, as we all know, very important negotiations. It is a very trying time for this country and for the European Union. It is not just a test of Ireland's mettle or the UK's mettle; it is a test of the mettle of the European Union and what it stands for in the future. Whatever comes out of this will have a long and lasting impact on the European Union, its composition, its attitude to the world and the world's attitude to it. It is important we recognise that whatever is eventually decided must be with the agreement of all concerned. There should be no coercion and nobody should be kicked into a position of having to do something. That applies right across Europe. We have discussed many times in our meetings that every member of the European community has a role to play. That role changes from time to time but cohesion, which Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu mentioned in her speech, is hugely important because 100 years ago was a troubled time across Europe. People were deciding which way they should go. They went in different directions and, ultimately, it was a huge calamity. It was known to many people at the time the route they were taking was the wrong one. We have had 100 years to ponder. We have learned much in the meantime. We have had advances of technology and science. We hope we can put it to good use in the time that lies ahead.

We hope when the Brexit issue is finally resolved, it is resolved satisfactorily from the point of view of Ireland, which has to be that also of the European Union, and from the point of view of our overseas neighbours in the UK. The presumption that we have to take what we get, which has emerged in some quarters in recent times, is not well placed. It is a dangerous presumption, a dangerous way for Europe to go and a dangerous way for Europe to be propelled in the future. My hope is the remaining time available in the Brexit negotiations will be put to very good use to mend any fences that have broken or fallen down. Populism has been referred to already. Many countries across the globe have an upsurge of populism at present. It is not a great idea. It has not worked in the past. It led to mass destruction in the past. A short time out for everybody to read a little bit of our most recent history should be sufficient to tell us all we should not take that route.

I thank members and the ambassador. I have a number of questions. I was very interested to hear about Romania's plans to consider the future of Europe, the significant meeting in Sibiu, the other plans Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu has in the lead-up to that meeting and what exactly she would like to see come out of that engagement. It is very important. The timing could not be more important considering what is happening with Brexit. How far does Her Excellency Mrs. Breazu think the Presidency will be able to progress enlargement plans with regard to the countries of the western Balkans? What are her views on that?

Obviously as ambassador she has other views. but I am very interested in hearing her personal opinion. A number of countries and the European Commission have raised concerns about the state of the rule of law in some member states. Does the ambassador share these concerns? How does she think Romania's Presidency will be able to deal with and, I hope, make progress on these issues? What are her own sentiments in that regard? I thank her for taking the time to address these matters.

H.E. Mrs. Manuela Breazu

Before coming I had a vague hope it would be easy, but has not been. The Chairman has put difficult questions to me and I will try to respond to all of them. First, I thank him for the comments he has made about my country and the relationship between Romania and Ireland. I have worked hard in the five years I have been here to advance bilateral dialogue. One of the most important aspects of bilateral relations is the strengthening of parliamentary relationships. There have been many visits at a higher level between the Speakers of the Houses and various committees and delegations. There has as a result been a much better understanding between Romania and Ireland in the past five years.

On Brexit, the Chairman mentioned how much Ireland had progressed in 100 years. Romania also celebrated its centenary as a modern state last year. Since I came here I have witnessed many important events, including 100 years since the Easter Rising and 100 years of the Dáil. It is also very important that this year we celebrate the fact that it is 30 years since the fall of communism. We should not forget this. My colleagues from the European Union will recognise because I share this with them that waking up in January and preparing to travel as the ambassador of a country that holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union was very emotional for me. Romania and Europe have changed a lot in the past 30 years.

In January 1989 I was getting ready to take up my role as an engineer in a big petrochemical complex on the Black Sea after my maternity leave, with no hope things would be better. On the contrary, there was the very gloomy prospect that the dictator Nicolae Ceauescu would tighten his grip on Romania. His ideas had led us to a highly controlled totalitarian regime. In 2019 we are are not only in the European Union, we also hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and I am an ambassador for Romania which is a big honour and responsibility. We should never forget how Europe has changed, mainly for us, the citizens of a country who lived for 45 years under a dictatorial regime. That is why holding the Presidency has even more important connotations for us. Ireland has been in the European Union for more than 40 years and held the Presidency six times. Sometimes for Ireland it is a case of "Been there, done that" and continuing, but for us, we are holding the Presidency for the first time in our history. It has to be good and prove that Romania has changed irreversibly. I do not think we need to prove this because we have already been a member of the European Union for 12 years.

A question was asked about Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's declaration on 2 January. I do not remember the exact date. When he came to Romania for the formal launch of the Presidency, I think he changed his opinion. He realised Romania was ready to assume all of its obligations. As the committee will know, in any country there are political parties in opposition to the government parties, as they should be. They have to have some conflict, as otherwise they would not be in opposition. This is an overarching objective of foreign policy of Romania. I am confident, as are the Government and the President of Romania, that the Presidency will show Romania at its best, as I am here to prove. Of course, I am only one ambassador for one country of the European Union, but even in this modest role in the whole equation of the EU Presidency I will prove that Romania is very committed to showing that it has the capacity to manage difficult dossiers.

Another question was on migration. I will tell the committee about Romania's outline migration policy. It is a controversial issue within the European Union. In its capacity as President of the Council of the European Union, Romania would like to smoothen the disparities and reconcile the positions of all of the countries that want quotas and those that do not. As part of the intra-EU relocation programme, Romania has already relocated 728 persons. It also advanced an offer to relocate 2,100 persons to Italy and Greece. Among member states, it has made one of the most consistent contributions. On resettlement, we have transferred 43 Syrian refugees and in 2019 we are going to take another 109 Syrian refugees from Turkey. Romania was also one of the main contributors to Frontex, sending 180 experts to the agency. We have made other technical contributions, including the provision of equipment, vessels, helicopters, thermal vision equipment and 32 other vehicles.

On migration, when it is my own opinion, it is easy to express, but when it is the opinion of the EU Presidency, it is more difficult to do so. Of course, it is a very important component of the European agenda. In its Presidency Romania would like to adopt a comprehensive approach, paying special attention to the external dimension and strengthening co-operation with countries of origin and transit, while also looking to the internal security aspect of migration. It hopes some progress will be made at the EU-Arab League summit which will take place during its Presidency. Of course, the right approach should involve tackling problems in the countries of origin, including through development aid. In that respect, we share the Irish position. We will make all efforts to advance the negotiations in this difficult and sensitive chapter of the European Union debate. Romania and the European Union have invested considerable energy and Romania will try to coagulate all opinions to forward the dossier during its Presidency. This is the overarching principle under which Romania will act.

On Brexit, it is a personal issue for me as I am married to a British citizen. My husband is British and we felt conflicted in the initial days after the referendum. However, the situation has not become simpler for Britain, Ireland or the European Union. As mentioned, Romania was a supporter of the Irish position, circumscribing its position to the solitary EU position on the issue. We reiterate our support for the Irish position. Romania would not like to see a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. I was impressed by the declaration the German Minister of Foreign Affairs recently made in Dublin, saying the Border was a matter of European identity.

Needless to say, members know better than I do that the ball is in the hands of Britain. Once the United Kingdom produces its position, it will be easier for everybody, including Romania, as holder of the Presidency of the Council, to take steps forward.

I could make a lot of how I felt. Reference was made to the impact Brexit would have on Ireland. My view at the time of the referendum result, paradoxically, was that countries in the eastern part of Europe would be affected even more. I will not enter into the details, but suffice it to say, I refer not only to cohesion funds and the way they will be directed or limited but also to the fact that the European Union is not the same as it was when we dreamed of joining it. The European Union has changed. I want it to become what we dreamed of joining years ago. It should become a place of peace and prosperity, which it largely is.

The enlargement process is important. If I was living in a candidate member state, I would think as I thought many years ago, namely, that the European Union was an ideal and that we wanted to join because we wanted to be part of the democratic and prosperous countries, countries governed by the rule of law. That is what we wanted. I perfectly understand the position on countries in line to join the European Union. In that respect, it is a guarantee that the European Union has not lost its relevance. There are many critics of the European Union, both inside and outside, but with Turkey, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and the Balkan countries wishing to join, there are over 100 million people who would like to become members of it. That says something about its values that we should defend. Romania is in favour of enlargement of the European Union and will try to advance in that regard. It is important to unite. There is a gap between what was eastern Europe and western Europe. We should never forget the countries of the Eastern Partnership which are on the eastern border of the European Union. We want to be surrounded by a space in which there is peace, predictability and prosperity.

The future of Europe is another important topic. All of the countries have been through the process of debate on the future of Europe. I followed with great interest the debate in Ireland and was delighted to see that it included representatives of minorities, including the Romanian ones, as well as the new communities. It was a very successful process in Ireland. The summit in Sibiu will be another opportunity for the leaders to get together and share their views. What do we expect? We expect a vision in line with citizens’ expectations. There was a very important process to share views with voters, citizens, who need to feel close to the European Union.

The Senator said I was an expert on the European Union. I contradict the Senator publicly by saying I am not. It is a very complicated mechanism, which is why I believe it should be explained better to the people in order that they might understand the benefits. It is also a question of talking about how the European Union has shaped Europe, the obligation to continue with the transformation and how we will continue to transform the Union to dispel the populist tendencies that have emerged, surprisingly for me, in the last year.

Did I respond to everybody?

The ambassador did and I thank her for doing so. The timing of this meeting is important. That the ambassador was able to take the time to come here shows the work plan she has in place for the next six months. It is a great honour for any country to assume the role her country has assumed. It is a great time for Mrs. Breazu to be ambassador to Ireland. There are challenges, but, from a work perspective, it will be an exciting time. I am sure she and all those who work with her will rise to the challenge in the next five to six months. I thank her on behalf of the committee for being here. We always appreciate our engagements with her. She is excellent. We would like her to relay our best wishes to her country in holding the EU Presidence for the next six months.

H.E. Mrs. Manuela Breazu

I hope I have responded to everything. I believe I left something out, but I will not add to what I said. I assure the committee that Romania will do its best. I hope members will have a chance to visit Romania, including Bran Castle or any other castle. We have many castles that are competing with Irish castles. One of the important issues for Romania is attracting many visitors from member states to show it as it is. Sometimes images abroad are distorted by information that does not conform to reality. I hope members will have a chance to visit my beautiful country which has been through a lot and which is now in a good stage of its history. It has good prospects.

The joint committee went into private session at 2.50 p.m. and adjourned at 3.10 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 6 February 2019.
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