The head of the European Council emphasized the fact that, in order to prevent a similar future crisis, it is crucial that European states ratify the Fiscal Pact, which aims to consolidate fiscal discipline in the European bloc, and expressed his hope that Romania will proceed to endorse the treaty as fast as possible. He told Romanian lawmakers that:

“A speedy ratification is crucial now. This will contribute to preventing future debt crises, and proves the Europeans’ political determination to face and overcome the current crisis”.

Rompuy added that the EU is encouraging governmental budgets to grant priority to the engines of economic growth, as well as investments in energy and transportation infrastructure, and that Romania is actively committed to establishing these as priorities on its agenda. The government in Bucharest needs to reform state companies, the official said, and to better manage European fund absorption in order to overcome the present stumbling blocks. “Continuing the fight against corruption is not just an economic problem, but something that must be done in order to increase competitiveness and attract investors, for society at large, for increasing the feeling of justice and fairness”, the European Council president said.

Another topic tackled by van Rompuy was Romania’s Schengen accession, initially scheduled for March 2011, but subsequently delayed several times. He said he hoped the process would be finalized this autumn, as:

"All European leaders have repeatedly emphasized that all the legal conditions for accession have been met. At the last meeting, in March, leaders made progress. They urged the Council to make a decision regarding Romania’s accession in December, Rompuy added. He hailed the fact that Romania takes initiatives for bolstering confidence in border control and police cooperation, ensuring a safe entry point into the Schengen space”

Shengen member countries, with the exception of Holland, have already endorsed a French-German proposal for a step-by-step accession process for Romania and Bulgaria, starting with the opening of air-travel frontiers.