BUCHAREST, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Thursday called the first meeting of the national commission in charge with the country's switchover to the euro, the single European currency.

"This is an important moment regarding a country project, a project around which all the forces of Romania should unite," Dancila said at the beginning of the meeting, believing that joining the euro zone is the third country project, after the accession to NATO and the European Union.

Dancila announced to set up the commission on March 21, to substantiate the national plan for the adoption of the euro.

According to her, the commission will prepare the country's timetable for entering the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) and the necessary actions for economic preparedness, as well as the preparedness of the Romanian society for this important step.

Romania's ruling Social Democrats recently set a 2024 target date to adopt the euro currency.

After Romania's accession to the European Union in 2007, it has repeatedly abandoned the date of joining the Eurozone.

On January 1, 1999, eleven European countries have replaced their national currencies and introduced the euro. Today nineteen of the EU's 28 members currently use the currency.