Countries in South-East Europe that are already EU members, as well as candidate countries, need to play a more active role, become more vocal, and contribute to key directions in economic and political projects for a stronger Europe, Roxana Minzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Social Rights, Skills, Quality Jobs and Training, said on Tuesday.

'We are looking at the countries in the region that are already EU members. Their responsibility is to take a step forward, play a more active role, and be more vocal. They are important for building Europe's future,' Minzatu said at the regional conference The Economist Romania Government Roundtable.

She added that Europe moves to become independent, in areas such as industry, energy, and talent development.

'One message coming from Brussels is that we need EU member states from South-East Europe, as well as candidate countries, to be active in shaping this vision for a stronger Europe, and to contribute to key directions in our economic and political projects,' the European Commission Executive Vice-President emphasised.

Roxana Minzatu believes the EU must secure its present and future, and that past crises and current geopolitical realities demand strategic choices.

'We must be honest: there are areas such as defence, energy, and industry where we have often been very open, and that openness has sometimes led to naivety. One could say we have ended up in a situation of dangerous dependencies, leaving us exposed to complex situations created by actors we once considered partners, who did not share our values, and who have sometimes proven openly hostile. Such shocks have affected our workers, our businesses, and our people. We have all paid the price, and ultimately this is not only about competitiveness. It is about taking our future into our own hands when it comes to economic security,' said the Commissioner for Social Rights and Skills.

According to Minzatu, the EU is taking concrete action in the industrial sector, aiming to increase industrial output to 20% of GDP by 2030.

'Recently, we adopted an act to accelerate industry - a significant shift in European economic doctrine. We have set clear targets for production in the EU, aiming to increase it to 20% of GDP by 2030 from current levels. We are also introducing requirements regarding production within the EU, with these criteria incorporated into public procurement and strategic procedures,' Roxana Minzatu said.

She also acknowledged that the EU faces challenges regarding the labour force.

'We have the ambition to upskill over 600,000 workers for the defence sector by 2030. As part of these efforts, we have launched a workers' guarantee scheme to support those in declining sectors, enabling retraining and reskilling so they can be relocated to growing and strategic industries, for example, repositioning them within the defence industry,' the European official explained.

Roxana Minzatu added that in recent years, South-East Europe and the Black Sea region have become important industrial hubs, particularly in the automotive sector and supply chains, with certain industries showing growth above the European average.

'There is still a talent crisis, with workers leaving, yet the region retains great potential in technical and engineering skills. In many South-East European countries, the level of technical expertise is above the European average. Of course, we must also consider strategic location. South-East Europe represents a gateway, particularly when we look at the Black Sea region,' Minzatu said.

She recalled that the EU has adopted a strategy for the Black Sea region.

'This is an important signal, considering the region and the logistical corridors connecting the Caucasus to South Asia. All of these are vital connections for European corridors and for European security,' the European Commissioner noted.

Major economic topics such as financial stability, investment, technological transformation, competitiveness, and the sustainability of public systems are on the agenda of the high-level regional conference The Economist Romania Government Roundtable, organised by The Economist Group in Bucharest from 30 March to 1 April.

High-ranking Romanian officials are engaging in dialogue during the conference with regional and European officials, as well as business leaders, in sessions moderated by Joan Hoey and Alasdair Ross, editors at The Economist. AGERPRES (RO- writing by: Cristian Anghelache; EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)