“Dear friends,

Thank you sincerely for your support and I assure you of my desire to continue to show that the European Union can, through professionalism, be stronger in the world. We need first of all to rebuild trust in each other, to strengthen democracy and to define together our hopes and objectives for the future. I am confident that we can do these things together. But in the meantime, I encourage you to take advantage of the quiet moments offered by the winter holidays, wishing you all a sincere and warm “Happy New Year!” Take care of yourself, take care of your loved ones and don’t forget those around you who need our help!”

Victor Negrescu

– Being elected Vice-President of the European Parliament, obtaining a solid budget for 2025, sustained efforts for Romania’s accession to the Schengen area, the creation of the first intergroup in the European legislature dedicated to education and efforts to support the Republic of Moldova in the European integration process – these are the main achievements of Victor Negrescu

“The first six months of the third mandate in the European Parliament have meant intense work, concrete results and sustained efforts to make the EU stronger, more competitive and resilient on the global stage”, said Victor Negrescu.

Excellence with a European dimension

Victor Negrescu strengthened his position at the European level by being elected Vice-President of the European Parliament with 394 votes. His responsibilities include the fight against corruption and transparency policies, the relations with the Republic of Moldova, with the social partners, with non-military international organizations, the World Trade Organization and the International Labor Organization, as well as with the Court of Justice of the European Union, the supervision of the Panel on the Future of Science and Technology, the representation of the European legislature in the European System of Evaluation of Strategies and Policies, and member of the Working Group on Communication, Information and Research.

 “I am honored to represent Romania in such an important position in the European Parliament. I will continue to be a strong voice for Romanians at the level of the European institutions, because today, more than ever, we need to show that we can be counted and that we can present our points of view in a professional manner. I presented myself to the MEPs with three clear priorities: the democratization and opening of the European Parliament to the citizens, the respect of all MEPs from all Member States and the strengthening of the role of the legislature in the European decision-making process” – Victor Negrescu.

EU Budget 2025: Negotiated by Victor Negrescu and Adopted by a Large Majority in the European Parliament

As the European Parliament’s chief negotiator on the EU budget, he saved €1.52 billion cuts  proposed by the Council and secured an annual budget of almost €200 billion, the first budget adopted after the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework, which will serve the priorities of the new European Parliament and the new European Commission. 

Among the priorities funded are:

• 422 million euro extra for education and youth;
• 45 million euro for research, innovation and health;
• 30 million euro extra for young farmers;
• 10 million euro for Schengen enlargement with Romania and Bulgaria;
• 6 million euro for military mobility;
• 50 million euro for humanitarian aid.

“With this record European budget, we have shown that with professionalism and good arguments you can push through the ideas you believe in and get the necessary consensus at European level. We have created an EU budget that focuses on investment, but also on concrete responses and actions to help develop the economy and raise people’s living standards. This was my intention from the beginning and I managed to achieve it with the help of my colleagues in the S&D Group and in the European Parliament. At the same time, I have insisted on simplifying access to European funds, increasing pre-financing and speeding up the pace of implementation of programmes, so that these sums are quickly found in the real economy and in people’s pockets,” said Victor Negrescu.

Romania will become a full member of Schengen on January 1, 2025. This objective has been a priority in Victor Negrescu’s actions

Victor Negrescu has made Romania’s accession to the Schengen Area a priority in his political work at the European level. An objective to which he has actively contributed in recent years through the actions and initiatives he has carried out: resolutions initiated in the European Parliament, meetings with European officials who could influence the decision, initiating and promoting petitions, amendments to European legislation and obtaining additional budgetary allocations. 

“Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area is a great success for our country, after more than 13 years of waiting, since we met all the criteria set by the Schengen acquis. It is crucial for our country to seize this moment to maximize the benefits of Schengen membership. I am glad that I have been able to contribute to this objective through my numerous activities as a Member of the European Parliament and that I have had the opportunity to follow and participate in this Schengen accession process to the end through my role as an honorary advisor to the Prime Minister” – Victor Negrescu.

Support for the Republic of Moldova

Victor Negrescu has been an active and constant supporter of Moldova’s European path:

• He initiated steps to open a European Parliament liaison office in Moldova, gaining the support of the Brussels legislature;
• He amended the legislative acts adopted by the European Parliament on the Republic of Moldova, questioning the European Commission on the support given to the Republic of Moldova;
• As the European Parliament’s chief negotiator for the 2025 EU budget, obtained additional funds for Moldova;
• Conducted a series of consultations with Moldovan officials in Brussels and Chișinău as part of the launch of the European integration process.

Fighting corruption and transparency

Negrescu became the first Vice-President in charge of anti-corruption and transparency policies, and on his proposal the Bureau of the European Parliament decided to update anti-corruption mechanisms, including the signing of a cooperation agreement with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which will facilitate the investigation of corruption cases. Also, as the European Parliament’s chief negotiator for the 2025 EU budget, he secured additional funding to strengthen European police and justice agencies.

Education – a constant in the work of the MEP

Victor Negrescu initiated the first intergroup in the European Parliament dedicated to education and skills, supported by more than 100 MEPs. The goals of the intergroup include equal access to education, promoting digital and green skills, and supporting mobility in vocational training.

“Another goal achieved in the European Parliament! I managed to convince the political groups in the European legislature to agree on the creation of an Intergroup on Education and Skills. The priorities of the Intergroup on the Future of Education and Skills for a Competitive Europe include facilitating dialogue with key actors in the field, developing European strategies in this area, influencing European legislation and the EU budget, and building European political alliances to promote key education-related issues” – Victor Negrescu.

Through this intergroup, the MEP will play a key role in shaping the European Education Area by facilitating the dialogue between the European Parliament and education stakeholders: employers, educational institutions and local authorities.

EU-UK cooperation

During the Brexit negotiations, Victor Negrescu has strongly emphasized the importance of the rights of all EU citizens living in the UK, stressing that the almost 6 million EU citizens living in the UK, of which 1 million are Romanians, deserve to be treated fairly and to have the full support of the European, British and national authorities. 

From next year, there will be important changes in the areas of travel, residence and trade. In this context, as Vice-President of the European Parliament, he participated in the event organized by the Delegation of the European Union dedicated to strengthening the cooperation between the EU and the UK and supporting the civic participation of European citizens in the UK, underlining the importance of the European diaspora playing an active role in society.