On 14 December 2021, the European Institute of Romania (EIR) organised the conference on the topic „Romania’s sustainable economic recovery in the context of the double transition – green and digital” (online, via Zoom). The annual conference, EIR’s traditional event, organised with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proposed for discussion the means for ensuring Romania’s sustainable economic recovery in the context of the double transition – green and digital, by presenting the opportunities, the challenges, as well as some best practices at the national level. The event was part of the debates dedicated to the Conference on the future of Europe.
In the framework of the conference, the participants highlighted a series of relevant aspects, among which we mention:
- The debates within the Conference on the future of Europe aim at facilitating the understanding of European policies and at involving the European citizens in defining the means through which to consolidate the European integration. In this sense and in line with the citizens’ expectations, the European Union placed at the heart of the post-pandemic transformation the principles of the green and digital transitions, which are transversally included in all European policies and sectors.
- It is necessary to build the European Union’s future based on a culture of dialogue, solidarity and cooperation, focusing on increasing the European cohesion and resilience, and of centring all initiatives on the European citizen. The green transition aims at decoupling the economic growth from resource consumption, and at moving from a linear economic model to a sustainable one, based on competitiveness, innovation and research. The digital transition represents both a means for ensuring the climate neutrality, and a goal in itself for consolidating the EU’s global role in this area.
- The processes associated with the green and digital transitions are included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) aimed at facilitating the citizens’ access to sustainable development. The SDG’s programmatic framework is reflected at national level in concrete benchmarks and measures included in Romania’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2030. The National Action Plan is currently in preparation within the Department of Sustainable Development, in partnership with other stakeholders from the public administration, civil society, academia, business environment and interested population.
- The economic recovery in the context of the double transition means committing to specific objectives in all sectors, agreed at the European level. They generated associated economic and social costs, which need to be explained to the citizens and the stakeholders, in order to increase the chances of success, and reduce the negative effects on vulnerable categories. Therefore, the absorption capacity for EU funds is especially relevant in the context of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which means the implementation of a complex package of measures for mitigating the effects of the sanitary crisis and for transforming the development model.
- For Romania, it is necessary to have an interpectoral economic approach contributing to achieving the climate neutrality targets through digital instruments, while taking into consideration the effects of the double transition on vulnerable categories. It is important to be aware of the fact that, at national level, there is a need for a better understanding and commitment to these goals, including through a higher involvement in the European debates and deeper cooperation between all stakeholders.
- In the context of the double transition, the external dimension of the policies, materialised through climate and digital diplomacy, are instruments increasingly used for promoting the European Union’s global role on these dimensions, as well as for facilitating the exchange of best practices and expertise, in order to prepare data-based policy interventions for the benefit of the society.