Romania’s EU Presidency: Three major meetings in Bucharest this week

European Day of Data Protection - celebrated each year on 28 January by the Council of Europe and the European Union, informal meeting of EU Defense Ministers and informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers are this week’s major events in Bucharest, in the framework of Romania’s EU Council Presidency.

RRA Reporter Carmen Gavrilă: "European Day of Data Protection is celebrated on 28 January by all member states of the Council of Europe, celebrating adoption in Strasbourg in 1981 of Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data. Meeting in Bucharest is organized by National Supervisory Authority for Personal Data Processing. Event is important, given that digitization is a top priority of the Romanian EU Council Presidency, and EU institutions and Member States have set a clear strategy and deadlines for everything that goes with digitization of the continent, so that European economy becomes more competitive on a global scale. In addition, data protection has become increasingly sensitive in the context of repeated attacks presumably coming from Russian hackers in various EU countries, but also in the context of May European Parliament elections, for which steps are being taken to counter any foreign influence, so that vote is fair and protected from propaganda attempts.

Bucharest will also host, on 30-31 January, an informal meeting of EU Defense Ministers, who plan to discuss changes to EU’s political context and institutional framework resulting from Brexit, European Elections in May and a new European Commission after the vote. Organizer of the meeting is Romanian Ministry of National Defense.

Week ends with Gymnich Meeting (Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers), on 31 January, to be hosted by Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleșcanu and chaired by Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of European Commission.

Two ministerial working sessions are scheduled for all major themes of the international agenda. Also, in line with EU enlargement policy promoted by Romania, there will also be a working session with ministers from the countries that wish to join the EU".

Source:RRA,Romania2019.eu.Translated by Miruna Matei