PSD MEP Viktor Negrescu says that the problem of dredging the Bastro Canal is constantly being discussed in Brussels. The politician says that this was confirmed by the European Commission in response to his request.

Viktor Negrescu, Member of the European Parliament from PSDPhoto: AGERPRES

“The European Commission admits in the answer to my question that it constantly discusses the situation with the Bastro canal and dredging with the Ukrainian side, and that this is a European subject of interest to Brussels. Representatives of the European executive power believe that international agreements should be respected in this regard and Romania’s position on this matter should be taken into account,” Victor Negrescu wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The Commission admits that it proposed to include the Bastro and Sulina canals in the European transport network at the request of Ukraine, but the representatives of Romania opposed this as soon as consultations were held with our country on the basis of Article 172 of the Convention. Treaty on the functioning of the EU, he told the MEP from the PSD.

“On July 14, 20225, the Commission adopted revised indicative maps of Ukraine, adding new infrastructure components to the network. Since the adoption of the revised maps, the Ukrainian authorities have demanded the inclusion of Chilia and Bastro channels. Pursuant to Article 172 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, guidelines relating to the territory of a Member State require its approval. The Commission held consultations with the Romanian authorities regarding the proposed amendment, which would affect the territory of Romania. The Romanian authorities did not support the inclusion of these channels,” the European Commission document published by Negrescu states.

The Social Democrat MEP says this proves that Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu “was right to raise the issue and that after these interventions by the Social Democratic Party, joint efforts have started”.

  • “At the same time, representatives of the European executive welcome the results of the bilateral dialogue coordinated by the Ministry of Transport and the availability of joint measurements, recognize the importance of environmental problems, which they say are being assessed in detail, and they support the need for dialogue between both states to find the right solution.
  • Here is a positive example of the fact that a topic interesting for Romania was raised at the European level,
  • The commission joined and listened to our point of view, solidarity with Ukraine continued, and the topics of the far-right were destructured through a consistent action, in which I was happy to participate, including through this survey,” Victor Negresco wrote.

Adina Valean: Brussels does not see the Bastro scandal

European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said on Saturday that the Bastro scandal does not exist for Brussels.

When asked on Prima TV’s Saturday political show Insider if she is the arbiter in the Bastro scandal, Adina Valean explained that this scandal does not exist in Brussels.

“The Bastroe scandal is not seen in Brussels, it does not exist. Brussels doesn’t have that, no, because we weren’t specifically asked,” said the European Commissioner for Transport.