It can be stated, without fear of error, that Romania's accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) marks the most important strategic foreign policy moment after integration into NATO and the European Union (EU). Furthermore, we are talking about the culmination of a long, technical, sometimes frustrating process, and perhaps less visible to the public, but with enormous economic implications for the coming decades. Romania is entering the „club of the world's best-performing economies,” and this status fundamentally changes how our country is perceived by investors, international financial institutions, and global markets alike. Because accession, beyond concrete benefits, which I will explain further, means a strong signal of confidence for the investors we continue to need, states Alex Milcev, Partner, Head of Tax at EY Romania, in a new analysis.
Financing and its costs on international markets
If we were to reduce Romania's accession to the OECD to two major advantages, we would start with the decrease in the state's financing costs. There is no legal text that guarantees such an effect, but it has been observed from the practice of other countries that have become members over time. Of course, the same expectation exists for Romania, even if the country's rating does not change (at least not immediately).
The second advantage is increased access to global capital and a change in investor perception..
It’s not just a matter of perception, but often a legal and governance issue. More specifically, some international funds (especially pension funds) have restrictive internal investment rules: for example, they prefer not to invest or cannot even invest in non-OECD countries! Romania’s accession will automatically open access to such funds, impacting the financing of infrastructure, large companies, and the technology sector. Furthermore, of course, the mere perception of joining the OECD will contribute to our country's attractiveness and to attracting financiers' attention.
OECD – Accelerator of Reforms
According to the „OECD Economic Survey: Romania 2026,” our country is in a phase where structural reforms are essential to overcome persistent vulnerabilities: a high budget deficit (9.3% of GDP in 2024), still high inflation (8.5% in January 2026), and unequal productivity between Romanian and foreign firms.
But precisely here, joining the OECD becomes a catalyst, at least from the perspective of the details we find explicitly about Romania in the OECD Report, as follows: 1. Accelerating economic convergence – Romania has progressed spectacularly – from 43% of the OECD average in terms of GDP/capita in 2004, to 71% in 2024. The OECD shows that, through the recommended reforms, growth potential could increase by over 15% by 2060. 2. Fiscal Modernization and Budgetary Discipline, because, in practice, entering the OECD comes with auspicious ”pressures”: accelerated fiscal digitalization, reduction of tax evasion (currently, we have the highest VAT non-compliance rate in the EU – approx. 30%), and reform of the tax structure (dividends, micro-enterprises, property).
And, speaking of „beneficial pressures,” an immediate effect of the OECD signals was that Romania abandoned the fiscal restrictions on intragroup services in January 2026 under OECD pressure, a sign that the mere prospect of membership visibly changes the way the state makes fiscal decisions.
Long-term economic growth through investment and competitiveness
The OECD identifies areas where Romania is already performing well, citing high productivity in foreign company branches, deep integration into global value chains, and a (still) highly competitive IT sector.
And areas where accession will force modernization, such as innovation and R&D (currently only 0.5% of GDP), company digitalization, reduction of bureaucracy and outdated regulations, and infrastructure reform. It is almost redundant, following everything we have listed above, to say that through access to standards and periodic evaluations, Romania will climb in competitiveness.
The OECD estimates that the full implementation of recommended reforms can increase Romania's development potential by over 15% by 2060, a rare leap for a European economy.
Conclusion: Romania enters the „big league”
Joining the OECD is more than a political validation – it's confirmation that Romania can align with the economic standards of the most advanced states and can secure its long-term development. It will be a historic moment, comparable in importance to joining NATO and the EU!