French Ambassador: Joining EU is not like going to Heaven

“There is a clear distinction between a formal integration and a successful integration in the European Union. Romania is said to join the EU in 2007, but this is not the end of the story. It is nothing like going to Heaven,” the French Ambassador in Bucharest, Philippe Etienne on Tuesday said.

Joining the EU would be a historic moment for Romania, but the important thing was what kind of Romania would join the EU, Etienne said, this way summarising the main issues that need to be addressed: the structural reform of the economy, of the justice and of the public administration.

The French companies, which have a powerful presence here, have practically bet on Romania’s successful EU integration, according to Etienne.

Its $1.5bn direct investments make France one of the top investors in Romania and place it third in terms of foreign trade. The largest French investments in Romania are those made by Orange, Renault, Societe Generale, Alcatel, Michelin, Carrefour, Cora, Vivendi, Alstom, with top French investors present in almost every strategic field of endeavour: telecommunications, carmaking, banks, retail, industry or infrastructure. “The massive French investor presence shows the cultural relations – very tight in the past, have turned into economic relations,” Christian Esteve, Automobile Dacia general manager said.

The French capital is not represented by large companies only. “There are a lot of small and medium-sized firms that follow us (i.e. they act as subcontractors for certain parts used in Dacia),” Esteve specified. sorin.pislaru@zf.ro