In 2014 Romania will celebrate seven years as a member of the EU. At this stage I am not sure what celebrations the Romanian Government has planned, but they will sure do something. Many of the restrictions that were imposed in the Accession Treaty when Romania joined the EU will be lifted. These restrictions were in relation to Romania’s relationship with the EU and the EU’s relationship with Romania.
It is interesting to note that the new EU budget for the period 2014 to 2021 is also being agreed at this time.
Much has happened in the seven years since Romania joined the EU. The lack of preparedness in 2007 has in part been solved although the EU is still not happy with certain aspects of the Romanian Civil Society, the Government Administration and the rule of law as well as other minor areas which will continue to cause concern for some time. The EU has realized that it was a mistake to admit Bulgaria and Romania and other countries when it did, but the euphoria was very powerful at that time. The reserve in which the EU is now treating other applicant countries is a reflection of the awareness that mistakes were made and will not be repeated.
Will 2014 and the next seven years have any major impact on Romania? Clearly the fact that Romania will benefit from structural funds and other assistance will allow Romania to develop further economically. One can only hope that political considerations will not prevent the funds being made available to Romania and being spent. One can hope that the politicians will start to think about the country rather than their political careers; that is though a common hope in all democracies.
The fact that from 2014 EU citizens will be able to buy land in Romanian as in any other EU country will help. This means all land both in towns and outside. There is much talk about farming land and how the foreigners will push up the prices. Until 2014 foreigners including EU citizens have not been able to buy land except in special circumstances. From 2014 EU citizens will be able to buy land irrespective of its location as they are free to do in other EU countries. The likely outcome will be the consolidation of tracts of land into more efficient units thereby improving the local economies of the rural areas and providing proper jobs not subsistence farming. Those Romanians who have been able to amass plots of land will be able to sell them at a profit in the future if they want. Land prices could increase from the current price of two thousand Euros per hectare to in excess three thousand plus Euros per hectare. This will be coincidental, for more importantly the release of the land will allow local communities to have the economic resources which they deserve and allow the communities to develop as they should for the 21st Century. There will be a movement of younger people away from the land but as this has happened already in many areas, and there will not be a major population shift.
England seems to think that the whole of Romania is moving to the UK on 1st January. This is clearly wrong. I will not enter into this discussion except to say that in my view Romanians will be welcome as long as they accept that they are moving to another country and are prepared to integrate as I have had to do. Romanians themselves can be very xenophobic and they should not be surprised if other countries are the same. Romania cannot play the underprivileged card any longer. She wants to be seen as a modern society and must therefore accept the good with the bad.
So as for the law. All the laws to implement the above legal changes are now in place and therefore 2014 will be an interesting year.