There have been quite a lot of discussions during the last months about the future of Romania’s accession to the EU in 2007. I will try to outline the future options that Romania has in the case that the European Commission will use the safeguard clauses included in the Accession Treaty. Furthermore, I will argue why the use of the mentioned clauses is not an empty concept, and what are the possible consequences for the indigenous political elites, the public opinion and the European Union.