Romania’s accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2026 remains a strategic priority, as provided for in the government agenda; it is not only a foreign policy objective, but also a real chance for reforms, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan is quoted as saying in a government press statement.

Bolojan on Thursday chaired a meeting of the National Committee on Romania’s Accession to the OECD, a format that brings together representatives of ministries, institutions and public authorities involved in the process.

The meeting was attended by the public bodies with a say in the areas related to the OECD committees that review Romania against a roadmap.

„During the discussions, the main developments in the accession process were reviewed and priorities for the coming period were established, with a focus on the status of key recommendations that Romania must implement in order to align with OECD best practices and standards in the public policy areas assessed during the process.”

At the beginning of the meeting, Bolojan highlighted the importance of maintaining the sustained institutional efforts necessary for Romania’s accession to the OECD, and mentioned the positive trajectory of the accession process, conveying appreciation for the efforts of the institutions involved.

Regarding the priorities moving forward, the prime minister emphasised speeding up the steps to adopt the normative amendments that implement OECD recommendations essential for advancing the accession path.

At the same time, Bolojan pointed to the importance of strengthening inter-institutional coordination, as well as of thoroughly preparing Romania’s participation in the accession reviews scheduled next.

„Let me reaffirm, also on this occasion, that accession to the OECD in 2026 remains a strategic priority, as provided for in the government agenda. It is not only a foreign policy objective, but also a real opportunity for reforms, based on best practices and international standards. The reports prepared by the OECD mean not only a solid analysis of Romania’s public policies in the areas in which we are reviewed, but they also offer concrete avenues for their improvement. I encourage you to use them when you make public policy programmes in your institutions,” said Bolojan .

Romania became a candidate state for OECD membership in January 2022, receiving a roadmap for that in June 2022. The roadmap sets out the terms, conditions and process for joining the organisation.

Romania is at the stage of technical reviews by the committees included in the Roadmap, with its efforts being focused on the implementation of the priority recommendations received from them and the support of the sectoral evaluations.

The National Committee on Romania’s Accession to the OECD is made up of ministries, institutions and public authorities with a say in the accession process, which is headed by the prime minister of Romania. The national committee shall establish guidelines of action in order to fulfil the provisions of the roadmap for Romania’s accession to the OECD and agree on decisions to align Romania’s legislation, policies and practices with the standards of the organisation and to guide inter-institutional efforts to advance the accession process.

AGERPRES