Finalising accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) this year is an objective supported by the entire governing coalition, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Monday, stressing that the process is a way for Romania to once again confirm that it is a reliable country.

'This morning, I had a bilateral meeting with the OECD Secretary-General, Mathias Cormann, where we discussed Romania's objective of finalising accession to the OECD this year, a goal supported by the entire governing coalition. Romania is at an advanced stage of the accession process, being evaluated by 25 OECD committees, of which we have already met the requirements of 23. We have made progress in the areas identified by the organisation, including through the adoption of the law on private pensions, the implementation of the OECD Convention against bribery in international business transactions, the launch of the 2026-2030 Multiannual Strategy on Responsible Business Conduct, and the strengthening of transparency and integrity through the transparency register of interests at government and parliamentary level,' Bolojan said in press statement delivered alongside Cormann.

The Prime Minister said that he and the Secretary-General had signed an agreement between the Government of Romania and the OECD regarding the facilities granted to the organisation.

According to the Prime Minister, the OECD Economic Survey 2026 for Romania provides an overview of the economy - what has worked, what difficulties exist and what reforms are needed for long-term development - and includes recommendations in four main areas: macroeconomic development and economic policies, social policies, adaptation to climate change and increasing the competitiveness of the economy.

One aspect highlighted by the OECD is maintaining economic stability and 'sound' public finances. 'A responsible policy is recommended, along with more efficient use of public funds, modernisation of the tax administration and strategic investments for development,' Ilie Bolojan said.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the Government treats these recommendations 'with responsibility'.

'Following suggestions from previous reports, Romania has already taken important steps towards fiscal consolidation and reducing the budget deficit. If in 2024 the deficit was around 8.7% of GDP (cash), 2025 ended at 7.7%, below the 8.4% threshold estimated by the European Commission. We are carrying out investments to modernise the tax administration in order to make revenue collection more efficient and compliance with tax obligations easier. At the same time, we have taken measures to broaden the tax base and reduce certain tax facilities, including by adjusting the fiscal regime in the construction, agriculture, food industry and IT sectors,' Bolojan explained.

Increasing the competitiveness of the economy is a priority, the head of government underlined.

'We need competitive costs, an efficient administration, predictability and a modern, digitalised state. By August, we must finalise all investments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. We still have more than 10 billion euros to access, both in grants and loans. These funds are conditional on meeting specific milestones, which means we must continue the reforms we have undertaken,' the Prime Minister added.

He stressed that accession to the OECD remains a priority in the coming months, recalling that a meeting of the OECD Trade Committee is scheduled for May.

'We have two months left to meet these requirements so that by this summer we fulfil all the conditions for accession to the OECD. Accession is not an end in itself; it is a means by which Romania once again confirms that it is a trustworthy country, through which we create the conditions for a more competitive economy that generates greater prosperity for our citizens,' Ilie Bolojan said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Florea; EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)