Herman Van Rompuy ontmoet Roemeense premier Victor Ponta (en)

PR PCE 125

Remarks following the meeting of

President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy i

with Prime Minister of Romania, Victor Ponta

Today, President Herman Van Rompuy and Prime Minister Victor Ponta met to exchange views on the economic situation in the EU and recent developments in Romania.

President Van Rompuy underlined he follows the events closely. He expressed his deep concerns about the current political developments in Romania with regard to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, which are fundamental principles on which the Union is based and which are natural for all governments to respect.

President van Rompuy encouraged Prime Minister Ponta to engage in a constructive dialogue with the European Commission and to address the issues identified by the Commission as problematic. The President expressed his confidence that the Romanian government is fully aware of the importance of the matters at stake and he took note of the intention of the Prime Minister to comply with the Commission's recommendations.