Ioana Vasiliu

Senior Researcher

Ioana Maria Vasiliu is Senior Researcher within the Clean Economy Programme at EPG, where she leverages her extensive expertise in climate policy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration management and a post-university diploma in sustainable development, both from the Economic Academy of Bucharest.  

Before joining EPG, Ioana worked as a European Affairs Advisor in the Climate Strategies and Reporting Department at the Romanian Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, where she was responsible for developing policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing climate resilience. Her work reflects a strong focus on climate change, sustainable development and international cooperation. 

Notably, Ioana played a key role in formulating Romania’s national position on EU climate legislation, helping align the country’s climate goals with broader EU objectives. She actively participated in expert-level EU negotiations, advocating for Romania’s specific needs and ensuring they were represented in final policies. She also coordinated Romania’s climate-focused efforts during its accession to the OECD, representing the country in key working groups, including the Environment Policy Committee, the Working Party on Climate, Investment and Development, and the Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches. 

She also played a role in preparing international reports on Romania’s environmental performance, such as the UNECE Environmental Performance Reviews and the OECD Economic Surveys 2024, with a focus on decarbonizing Romania’s industry and the EU report on Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change – Where the European Green Deal meets cultural heritage and she contributed to the development of the UNIDO Strategy for Climate Change. 

In addition to international work, Ioana supported significantly the development of Romania’s National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change, the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Climate Change Strategy for Ministry of National Defense. She also served as Romania’s rapporteur for Articles 17 and 19 of EU Regulation 2018/1999. 

Further, as a member of the interministerial Working Group for the Social Climate Fund, Ioana provided recommendations to address energy poverty and the socio-economic impacts of Romania’s green transition. She also contributed to the review and amendment of Romania’s Emergency Ordinance 64/2011, ensuring it remained aligned with EU legislation and national priorities.