On the 14th of December 2018, the European Institute of Romania organised its annual conference “Unity in diversity. Quo vadis, EU?”. The event was organised with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the aegis of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, and aimed to bring into focus a series of issues of common interest both for Romania and the EU as a whole.
Many Romanian officials and well-known experts and analysts specialised in the field of European affairs participated in the event. The conference agenda was structured in two panels: (1) Unity in diversity and (2) Quo vadis, EU? Current challenges, future scenarios: (a) European Citizens and the EU Reform; (b) Enlargement vs BREXIT; (c) Reviving the EU Strategy for the Danube Region; (d) European Pillar of Social Rights: reducing inequalities and social disparities in Romania; (e) Transition to a circular economy. From waste management to a green economy in Romania; (f) Current challenges in the field of cybersecurity.
As tradition has it, the debate was followed by the 9th edition of the EIR Excellence Awards ceremony. Prizes were awarded by Mrs Gabriela Drăgan, Director General of EIR, Mr Victor Negrescu, Lecturer at the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, former Minister Delegate for European Affairs, and Artiom Radu, Youth Delegate to the European Union. This year, the spotlight was placed on youth, youth associations, schools and high schools having implemented projects meant to make known and promote the European spirit and values among their communities or at regional and national level. This year’s winners were: the Association of Law Students – UAIC Iași, the National College “Jean Monnet” Ploiești, the Technical College “Mircea cel Bătrân”, Darius Filip, Alin Gabriel Grămescu, Alin Grigore, the Technological High School “Cezar Nicolau”, the Technological High School of Metrology “Traian Vuia”, the Theoretical High School “Jean Monnet” Bucharest, the Theoretical High School “Ioan Petruș”, Otopeni, Ilfov County, Vlad Măcelaru and the Europeanist Students’ Society, Cluj-Napoca.
The conference ended in the magical atmosphere of the Christmas carols performed by the Rainbow Choir of the Secondary School of Arts no. 5 in Bucharest, precentor Viviana Ionescu.