Radio România Internațional

Tag: accession

  • December 12, 2024

    December 12, 2024

     

    SCHENGEN The EU interior ministers convening in the Justice and Home Affairs Council have decided to lift controls at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania, starting with 1 January 2025. “Through the coordinated efforts of Romanian authorities, through steps at political and diplomatic level, we can finally enjoy a well-deserved right, legitimately acquired by Romania”, president Klaus Iohannis said, welcoming the decision announced in Brussels. “The advantages of our membership in the free movement area are multiple and have a direct impact on citizens, on the economy and on the image of our country. Scrapping border controls means faster and simpler movement for those who travel, the time spent at the borders will be considerably reduced, and logistics costs for companies will decrease, which will rapidly increase the competitiveness of Romanian products and services on the European market. Romania’s attractiveness to foreign investors will also increase considerably”, the head of state also said. “It is a historic decision, a victory for justice and national dignity and a clear signal that we will never accept being second-class citizens in Europe,” PM Marcel Ciolacu also stressed. “It is, above all, a triumph of all Romanians, regardless of their political choice or social situation, a victory for teamwork,” the PM added. The European Commission welcomed the unanimous decision of the JHA Council, noting that “The full accession of both countries not only strengthens the Schengen Area, but will further consolidate the internal market, increase travel, trade and tourism. A solid Schengen Area strengthens the unity of the EU and makes the EU stronger on a global scale.”

     

    GOVERNMENT Negotiations continue in Parliament to define a government programme for the pro-European coalition. The talks are taking place between the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, as well as the ethnic minorities group. According to the negotiations so far, the new cabinet would have only 15 or 16 ministers at most, and a small number of state secretaries. The distribution of these positions among the coalition parties is yet to be decided. The structure of the new government should be finalised by the end of the week. In addition, the coalition party leaders are also to decide on the new parliamentary majority will operate and who will take over the leadership of the two chambers. The new parliament is due to convene next Friday for a first session, in which the new senators and deputies will be validated.

     

    SALARIES In Romania, net average wages per month in October reached around EUR 1,050, up 12.3% compared to the corresponding month in 2023, the National Statistics Institute announced on Thursday. The highest values ​​were reported in the IT&C sector, and the lowest in the textile industry. According to the Institute, average net earnings increased in October compared to September in most economic sectors. In the public sector, in October, salary increases were operated in education and public administration. In healthcare and social assistance, average net earnings decreased slightly compared to the previous month.

     

    INFLATION The annual inflation rate in Romania rose to 5.11% in November, as against 4.67% in October. Compared to November 2023, food prices rose by 5%, and services by over 7.5%, according to the National Statistics Institute. The National Bank of Romania has revised upwards its inflation forecast for the end of the year, to 4.9%.

     

    FOOTBALL The Romanian football champions, FCSB, are taking on the German side Hoffenheim tonight in Sinsheim, in the 6th round of the Europa League group stage. With three wins, a draw and a defeat, FCSB has 10 points and is in 10th place. The Romanian champions hope for another victory, which will improve their chances to rank among the top 8 teams qualified straight into the round of 16. Hoffenheim has 5 points, with one win, two draws and two defeats, and is in 25th place, one place below the play-off qualification zone. (AMP)

  • August 28, 2024

    August 28, 2024

     

    ELECTIONS In its meeting today, the government of Romania is to set the calendar for the presidential election scheduled this autumn, on November 24 and December 8. The ballot will be held in parallel with the parliamentary election, which will be organized on December 1. The campaign for the parliamentary election begins on November 1 and ends on November 30, in the morning. In the country, polling stations will be open between 7 am and 9 pm, while Romanians living abroad will be able to vote between 7 am on November 30 and 9 pm on December 1. This is the first time that all the 4 types of elections (local, parliamentary, presidential, and the election for the European Parliament) are held in Romania in the same year.

     

    OECD Romania has today received a positive review in the competition sector as part of its OECD accession process. According to Romania’s Competition Council, the review was issued after an assessment that took place between 2018 and 2022. During the review, the Council had to demonstrate that its work meets the requirements of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Recommendations have also been made, and the stage of their implementation will be presented next year. Accession to the OECD is a priority for Romania, and is the country’s 3rd strategic goal after the NATO and EU accession.

     

    DEFICIT Romania’s budget deficit exceeds 4% of GDP after the first 7 months of the year, according to finance ministry data. In January – July, the government had total revenues of over EUR 66 bln, up 15% compared to the first 7 months of 2023. Budget expenditure however increased by over 23%, to more than EUR 80 bln. This year’s budget law is based on a 5% deficit level. Meanwhile, the minister for EU investments and projects Adrian Câciu announced that Romania has so far received EUR 23.84 bln under the cohesion policy in 2014-2020, reaching a 99.1% absorption rate.

     

    INDEPENDENCE The Republic of Moldova Tuesday celebrated 33 years since the proclamation of its independence from the former Soviet Union. Attending the ceremonies, the presidents of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia signed a joint statement of support for the country’s EU accession. In his message on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis promised Romania will continue to provide strategic support to Moldova in all areas. In turn, PM Marcel Ciolacu reassured his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Recean, that Romania will remain in the front line of the efforts to consolidate Moldova’s EU accession efforts, its stability and democratic development.

     

    WEATHER Thunderstorms were reported last night in several parts of the country. Weather experts have issued scores of extreme weather warnings. In Iaşi, in the north-east, the wind brought several trees down and damaged vehicles, while entire streets in the city were flooded. Also in the north-east, in Botoşani County, firefighters were called to put out a fire after lightning struck a tree. Tens of streets and basements were also flooded in Cluj-Napoca (north-west).

     

    PARALYMPICS Paris is hosting tonight the opening ceremony for the Summer Paralympic Games, which will end on September 8. From Champs-Elysées to the world-famed Place de la Concorde, hundreds of dancers and performers will stage a show called “Paradox”, which according to the organisers is designed to make people think about their uniqueness. Romania is represented by 6 athletes at this year’s Paralympic Games, in 3 events: para judo (Alexandru Bologa and Daniel Vargoczki), para cycling (Eduard Novak and Theodor Matican) şi para table tennis (Camelia Ciripan and Bobi Simion). The first to compete are Camelia Ciripan and Bobi Simion, on Thursday afternoon, in the mixed doubles event, against the Japanese pair Yuri Tomono and Koyo Iwabuchi. (AMP)

  • June 26, 2024

    June 26, 2024

    NATO – The 32 NATO member states have today confirmed the nomination of the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as Secretary General of the Alliance. France Presse wrote that the withdrawal of the Romanian president’s candidacy and the objections of Hungary and Slovakia, secured Rutte a free path to obtaining the position of NATO Secretary General. He will take over his duties on October 1st, when the last extension of the mandate of the incumbent Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, appointed in 2014, expires. Stoltenberg’s mandate was extended four times, in the context of the war in Ukraine.

     

    SUMMIT – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will attend the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Support for the neighbouring Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as the new structure of the European Parliament, are on the meeting’s agenda, according to a press release from the Presidential Administration in Bucharest. Also, the leaders of the European Union will continue discussions on the appointments at the top of the EU institutions, following the recent European elections.

     

    FOOTBALL – The Romanian national football side today play against Slovakia in Frankfurt at 7 pm, Bucharest time, their last match in Group E of the European Championship in Germany. The Belgium-Ukraine match is also played in the same group. In the first two matches, the Romanians beat Ukraine 3-0 and lost, 0-2, to Belgium. All four teams in the group have accumulated three points each, and Romania remains the leader due to the goal difference. An equal result would be enough for both Romania and Slovakia to qualify for the round of 16, which fuels media speculation about a fixed match. The coaches and players of the two teams categorically rejected such a hypothesis.

     

    ELECTION – The Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) in Romania cancelled the elections for the position of mayor in the Black Sea resort of Costineşti, Constanța county, and ordered that the poll should be held again on July 7th. BEC approved the request to cancel the elections, made by the Constanta branch of the Social Democratic Party. In Costineşti, the Romanian press writes, the counting of the votes cast in the local elections on June 9 was repeated six times. In the end, the Liberal candidate was named the winner for the position of mayor, with a difference of one vote from the Social Democratic candidate. A number of irregularities were mentioned, based on supporting documents, including the fact that two people, including a Ukrainian citizen, voted without having this right.

     

    FLAG DAY- President Klaus Iohannis delivered, on Wednesday, a message on National Flag Day, in which context he emphasized Romania’s NATO, EU and UN membership and evoked the need for unity. The head of state said that the National Flag “represents a unifying element for Romanians, wherever they are. “It is present in moments of hardship or joy, at national and international events, in institutions, at parades or on the occasion of sports competitions”, the president pointed out. Klaus Iohannis recalled the history of this holiday and paid tribute to the Romanian soldiers who died in the theatres of operations. On his part, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu recalled that “under the colors of the National Flag, generations of Romanians fought for independence, sovereignty, unity and democracy, values ​​in which we strongly believe.”

     

    ACCESSION – The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have officially started EU accession negotiations, two years after they received the candidate status. The first talks took place in Luxembourg, were of technical nature and concerned the structure and timing of the negotiations. The two countries will negotiate and be evaluated separately, and the duration of the negotiation process depends on their ability to adopt the necessary reforms to meet the accession criteria. Throughout the entire process, Chisinau and Kyiv must align their national legislation with the EU provisions. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, since obtaining the candidate status until now, the two states have made general adjustments in key areas, through which they have demonstrated their will to get closer to the EU legislation.

     

    BUCHAREST – The leaders of the ruling PSD-PNL coalition in Romania did not manage to reach an agreement, on Tuesday evening either, on the date of the presidential elections, as each of the two parties insists on a different calendar. The Social Democrats want the election to take place in September, while the Liberals want presidential elections in November. Discussions within the coalition on this subject will resume on Friday. (EE)

  • June 25, 2024

    June 25, 2024

     

    ELECTION The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party is to make a decision today on the date of the presidential election. The two parties are considering 2 dates for the first election round, September 15th or 29th. The government has until early July to pass an emergency order on the calendar of the presidential election, if the vote is to be held in September. The Liberals insist however that the election should be organized towards the end of the year, although they had initially agreed with a date in September. They argue that holding the election in September would disrupt the start of the new school year, and the campaign would overlap the holiday season. The Social Democrats, on the other hand, rule out any change in the agreed calendar. The 2 ruling parties must also decide whether to have separate candidates for the presidential post. On June 9th, they had a common candidate list for the European Parliament election, but had separate candidates in the local elections.

     

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu took part on Monday in the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. On this occasion, Mrs. Odobescu highlighted the importance of stepped-up military support for Ukraine and mentioned the decision of Romania’s Supreme Defence Council to transfer a Patriot system to Ukraine.

     

    FUNDING On Monday Romania received close to EUR 1.1 bln from the European Union for projects in the energy sector, particularly for renewable energy production. According to an EU news release, Romania and 9 other countries received total funding of EUR 3 bln, intended for 39 programmes. The largest amount was given to Romania, followed by the Czech Republic (EUR 835 mln) and Poland (EUR 700 mln).

     

    ACCESSION The ex-Soviet republics of Moldova and Ukraine today begin their official EU accession negotiations. The first talks are to be held in Luxembourg, and during this process Chişinău and Kyiv must align their national legislation to the bloc’s regulations. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, since their recognition as candidate countries, the two states have made general adjustments in key areas, proving their willingness to adapt to the EU legislation. Beginning with these inter-governmental conferences, Ukraine’s and Moldova’s progress in the implementation of relevant reforms will be assessed separately. Analysts believe this could be an advantage for Moldova, which according to the European Commission has made better progress than Ukraine so far.

     

    FORUM The Romanian interior minister Cătălin Predoiu takes part on June 25 – 27 in the Salzburg Forum Ministerial Conference in Laxenburg, Austria. According to the interior ministry, the event focuses on current and future challenges in the field of security and migration, including security and migration challenges for the EU in 2024 – 2029, security along the Danube in the context of digitization, as well as migration and migrant smuggling.

     

    THEATRE The Performing Arts Market opened today in Sibiu (central Romania) as part of the famous Sibiu International Theatre Festival. Currently in its 27th edition, the Performing Arts Market has, this year as well, face-to-face, hybrid and online components. More than 80 officials for cultural organisations and institutions in over 30 countries convene in Sibiu to establish contacts and implement joint projects. The Festival founder and president, Constantin Chiriac, says this is the only performing arts market in Romania and in Eastern and Central Europe.

     

    FOOTBALL In the European Football Championship hosted by Germany, the last matches in Group D and C are scheduled for tonight. In Group D, the Netherlands take on Austria and France play Poland, while in Group C, England plays against Slovenia, and Denmark against Serbia. Romania concludes its Group E matches on Wednesday in Frankfurt, with a game against Slovakia. In the same group, Belgium is scheduled to play against Ukraine. All 4 teams in the group have 3 points each, with Romania still first-placed in the group thanks to a better goal difference. A draw against Slovakia is enough for the team to move up into the eighth-finals. (AMP)

  • June 23, 2024 UPDATE

    June 23, 2024 UPDATE

    PENTECOST Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians in Romania Sunday celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus, a feast day also known as the Pentecost and in Romanian as “Rusalii”. The Pentecost is a symbol of the establishment of the Christian Church, 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ and 10 days after Ascension Day. Believers evoke the moment when the Holy Spirit gave the 12 Apostles the gift of speaking many languages to preach to the crowds, and when the first 3,000 people were baptised, thus establishing the first Christian community.

     

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu takes part on Monday in the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, focusing on the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the developments in Georgia. The EU foreign ministers will also have an informal exchange of opinions with their counterparts in the Western Balkans, as part of a working luncheon. According to the Romanian foreign ministry, talks on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will focus on the recent developments on site and the support the EU must provide to Ukraine, particularly in the military area. The participants will also discuss new restrictions against Russia and Belarus, the EU-Ukraine security commitments and will assess the Ukraine Peace Summit held in Switzerland on June 15-16.

     

    MOLDOVA The Republic of Moldova’s Sovereignty Day was marked in Romania’s neighbouring country on Sunday. Since it adopted its Sovereignty Declaration on June 23, 1990, Moldova has struggled with difficulties, but it has remained a peaceful and democratic state, in which the Moldovan nation has been sovereign and has decided the fate of the state, the country’s president Maia Sandu pointed out. She added that the citizens will decide whether to join the EU in a referendum scheduled for this autumn. In her address, Sandu also said that the years of independence have taught Moldova democracy and freedom cannot be taken for granted and must be defended every day.

     

    TIFF The winner of this year’s Transylvania International Film Festival is the Indian film “Girls Will Be Girls”, directed by Shuchi Talati, a drama on the condition of women in a repressive system. Another Indian film, “The Adamant Girl,” by Vinothraj Palani, received the jury’s special award. The Indian director was also awarded at TIFF in 2021, for his debut work, “Pebbles”. Also at the TIFF Gala, the director Sebastián Quebrada won the best director award for “El Otro Hijo.” The best actor award went to the Iranian Hasan Pourshirazi, for his performance in “The Old Bachelor”, while “Dismissed” by Horia Cucută and George ve Ganćaard was voted the best feature in the Romanian Film Days.

     

    EU Next week the European Union starts its accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The EU Council’s Belgian presidency announced the official opening will take place on June 25, and that the 2 countries’ accession roadmaps will be assessed separately. The EU Council brings together the 27 Member States, which have already approved the accession and negotiation frameworks for the 2 candidate states. Chişinău and Kyiv submitted their candidacies shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania lost 2-0 to Belgium, on Saturday night in Cologne, but remains top placed in the most evenly balanced group at the European Football Championship. Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine all have 3 points each ahead of the last round in Group E, with better goal differences for Romania and Belgium. Romania’s decisive match for qualification in the eighth-finals is scheduled on Wednesday against Slovakia, in Frankfurt. Moving up into the next stages of the competition are the top 2 teams in each group and the best 4 third-ranking teams in each group. (AMP)

  • The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine can begin their EU accession negotiations

    The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine can begin their EU accession negotiations

    The European Commission has announced that Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have met the right conditions to be able to start negotiations to join the bloc. According to Brussels, Ukraine has made the last amendments to the laws regulating lobbying activities, as well as in the field of minorities, while the Republic of Moldova has operated changes to its legal system. In both cases, the Commission will be monitoring the implementation of the aforementioned amendments, but the steps taken by the two countries will allow them to kick off the negotiations for EU accession.

    The first stage after this moment is for the community countries to endorse the Commission’s recommendation in the European Council. Kyiv submitted its EU-entry application in February 2022 after the conflict it had with Russia in the east for several years, was followed by a large-scale invasion of the latter’s troops. A month later, the Republic of Moldova – whose pro-Russia breakaway region of Transdniester had also caused a lot of concern after the war in early 90s – asked to join the European Union.

    European leaders officially recognized Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova as accession candidates in June last year. The next stage, after the EU members have approved the Commission’s recommendation, will be the setting up of an inter-governmental conference with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, a moment, which is actually the beginning of the negotiations aimed at bringing their entire legislations in line with the European one.

    These negotiations will end with the accession per se. The Council’s presidency is being currently held by Belgium, a country, which wants to summon the first inter-governmental conference during its mandate, namely by the end of this month.

    After Belgium, the EU rotating presidency will be taken over by Hungary, a country, which has repeatedly questioned the opportunity of EU enlargement.

    On Thursday at the meeting with the EU ambassadors accredited to Bucharest, occasioned by the conclusion of the Belgian presidency, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis highlighted the ‘significant reform efforts’ accomplished by both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova under extremely difficult circumstances.

    He pleaded for the continuation of the accession process of these two countries and for summoning intergovernmental conferences by the end of the Belgian presidency. The Romanian president has repeatedly mentioned Romania’s support for the two countries during their European integration process.

    Furthermore, press agencies announced as early as Wednesday that a group of eleven out of the 27 EU members have called on the Belgian presidency to endorse the negotiation frameworks for the EU accession of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova so that the inter-governmental conference with the two may be summoned late this month.

    Opening accession negotiations would offer additional motivation to both Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the eleven signatories, Romania included, of the ‘Joint Letter on EU Accession have said.

    (bill)

  • Romania in the EU: a net beneficiary

    Romania in the EU: a net beneficiary

     

    “Romania is a major chapter in the history of the European Union. It means a chance given together with the money from Brussels, for modern infrastructure and opportunities for all Romanians.”

     

    The statement was made by the finance minister Marcel Boloş on May 9th, Europe Day. Boloş voiced his confidence that the European funds are indeed changing lives. If only in financial terms, Romania’s EU membership has been a huge benefit, translating into funds that most likely the country could not have been able to receive from other sources.

     

    According to minister Boloş, for each euro contributed by Romania to the bloc’s budget, it has received 3 euros back. “Specifically, since its accession in 2007, Romania has received over EUR 95 billion, and it has contributed EUR 30 bln to the European Union budget. So the net financial balance points to benefits of EUR 65 bln,” the finance minister explained.

     

    According to him, due to these funds Romania managed in 2020 to have more than EUR 6 bln in EU funding invested in one year, and last year it has reached a record-high EUR 16 bln.

     

    On the other hand, Romania’s EU accession also meant integration in the single market, and the free movement of goods, people, services and capital, Mr. Boloş said. He argued that since the accession foreign investment has doubled, to approx. EUR 108 bln in 2022, and the fact that Romania has become attractive for EU companies meant not only investments, but also the development of sectors that had previously been neglected.

     

    For Romanians, the development entailed by the EU accession also meant higher salaries. Over the past 17 years, minimum wages have been increased 20 times, to a monthly gross EUR 660. Marcel Boloş also mentioned the dozens of schools and kindergartens built or revamped using EU funds, including in villages and small towns, and the 1,300 km of roads built or upgraded.

     

    The EU funding for the period 2014 – 2020 has helped over 95,000 Romanian companies to become more productive, thanks to investments in new equipment, automation, personnel training, and enhanced energy efficiency, the finance minister pointed out. Other projects funded from the EU budget include modernised regional airports, as well as thousands of km of utility networks.

     

    But what the EU accession has meant for Romania, even more important than access to resources and welfare, was embracing the values and principles governing the European bloc: the rule of law, freedom of expression, social inclusion, tolerance—the ingredients of a functioning democracy.

     

    And while self-styled sovereignsts and purported conservatives criticise and despise the European project, they know they have nothing sustainable to replace it with. (AMP)

  • Romania and its full Schengen accession

    Romania and its full Schengen accession

     

    On March 31, Romania and its neighbour, Bulgaria, partly joined the Schengen visa-free travel area, after the EU’s Justice and Home Affairs Council decided to scrap checks at the air and maritime borders between the 2 countries and the other Schengen member states. This was possible after Austria, the last country in the bloc that opposed the idea, lifted its veto.

     

    The Schengen area has one, external border where checks are conducted in line with a clear set of rules regarding visas, migration, asylum and police, judicial and customs cooperation.

     

    Attending the special European Council meeting held this week in Brussels, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis highlighted the need to lift all barriers to the operation of the single market as a pillar of competitiveness, including in relation to the four freedoms of movement.

     

    This aspect, he pointed out, is particularly important in the context of Romania’s Schengen accession process, and of its efforts to have land border checks lifted as well.

     

    In fact, a report commissioned by the Council mentions the need for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen integration, as a means to boost the single market.

     

    Meanwhile, in Sofia, the Romanian interior minister, Cătălin Predoiu, and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, attended a meeting with Bulgaria’s interior minister, Kalin Stoyanov, concerning the two countries’ Schengen accession.

     

    The Romanian official said that both Romania, and Bulgaria were prepared for the lifting of land border checks. He added that all the measures to counter organised crime and illegal migration at the internal borders had been discussed in detail.

     

    In turn, the European commissioner Ylva Johansson voiced hopes that a precise date would be set this year for the two countries’ full accession to the visa-free zone, as proposed by the European Commission. She said the topic would be discussed in the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting due in mid-June.

     

    “We had a very good exchange where both ministers, Stoyanov and Predoiu, told about the improvements made in Bulgaria and Romania”, the European commissioner said. She also pointed out that the Commission had established, in fact-finding missions, that Bulgaria and Romania were better prepared to fulfil all the Schengen acquis than some Schengen member states,” given all the efforts made at their external borders. (AMP)

  • March 25, 2024 UPDATE

    March 25, 2024 UPDATE

     

    MOTION In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies discussed on Monday a simple motion against the agriculture minister Florin Barbu (Social Democratic Party), accused of having backed a bill allowing the reed in the Danube Delta to be used for the financial benefit of certain politicians. The simple motion, called “Praising Ceauşescu will not save the Romanian agriculture,” was tabled by Save Romania Union in opposition, after the agriculture minister’s appreciative discourse about the country’s former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. USR also accused Florin Barbu of having treated the protesting farmers with contempt and of having ignored the MPs requests to present his activity. Barbu dismissed the motion as “a complete joke” and a string of “battle cries, propaganda and many untruths.” The Chamber is to vote on the motion on Tuesday.

     

    DRUG TRAFFICKING The Romanian police will be able to monitor and identify drug traffickers more efficiently once a new special register in this field has become operational. The bill regulating the register was signed into law by president Klaus Iohannis on Monday. Depending on the sentence received in court, traffickers will be entered into the registry for 5 to 20 years, during which the police will be aware of the risks of the monitored person selling banned substances again, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu explained. Drug using and trafficking have seen an upward trend in Romania lately. More than one tonne of drugs was seized last year, and also last year Romanian antidrug structures seized the largest amount of Ecstasy so far (230,000 tablets), the justice minister said.

    SCHENGEN Full Schengen accession by the end of this year is achievable, the Romanian interior minister Cătălin Predoiu believes. He says Romania has already completed preparation for lifting checks at the EU internal air and maritime borders, as approved by the EU Council as of the end of this week. Predoiu added that Romania and Austria cooperate very well in fields like border protection and fighting illegal migration and cross-border crime, and said he suggested extending the cooperation between the 2 countries beyond Schengen, with a focus on fighting drug trafficking and human trafficking.

    INVESTIGATION Romanian prosecutors subordinated to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office seized assets worth EUR 2.4 mln from an Italian suspect subject to an investigation in Bologna concerning cross-border fuel trafficking. The total damages in the case amount to EUR 92 mln. In Romania, prosecutors seized 18 properties owned by the suspect, have frozen 14 bank accounts and assets in Romanian companies. Three Italian nationals are probed into for bringing into Italy oil products from refineries in Croatia and Slovenia, in order to resell them for lower prices to Romanian and British companies, and to bill them to Italian shell companies run by members of the crime group, the EPPO explained.

    ALERT The government of France has raised the terror alert warning to its highest level after Friday’s massacre in Moscow. The country’s PM, Gabriel Attal, said in a social media post that “the decision was taken in light of the Islamic State’s claiming responsibility for the attack and the threats weighing on our country.” France has seen some of the bloodiest terror attacks masterminded by Islamist fighters, such as the ones in 2015-2016, which left roughly 300 dead and hundreds wounded. The government in Paris has explained that the Islamist organisation has been recently involved in a series of attempted attacks, which have been thwarted by police forces in several European countries, such as France and Germany, and the PM Monday morning summoned the heads of the services responsible for the country’s security and safety.

    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball side Dunarea Braila has qualified for the final tournament of the EHF European League after a 26-25 home win against the Croatian side Podravka Vegeta on Sunday in the second round of the quarter finals. Dunarea, which also won the first game against Podravka, is Romania’s second representative in the EHF Finals Women, due on June 1 and 2 in Graz, Austria, after Gloria Bistrita. Romania’s champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarter finals of the Champions League in women’s handball after a double win against the Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana and will be playing in the quarters against the French side Metz Handball.

  • Romania, one step closer to joining OECD

    Romania, one step closer to joining OECD

    The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has this week endorsed its first Formal Opinion in Romania’s OECD accession process, following a technical review by the Committee of Senior Budget Officials, Romania’s finance ministry has announced.

     

    The review took place last December, when the finance ministry presented the reforms implemented by Romania with a view to adjusting its budgetary governance to the Organisation’s policies and practices.

     

    Such reforms mainly concern improving the efficiency of government spending, the capacity to handle budget challenges and an efficient management of the budget process.

     

    Specifically, Romania’s progress has been assessed in relation to four key principles that guide the monitoring of candidate countries: efficient public expenditure, by means of efficient allocation of public resources based on concrete evidence; the capacity to handle current and future budgetary challenges and to approach high-level political priorities in a sustainable manner; accurate and accessible public expenditure through clear transparency and accountability mechanisms; efficient monitoring of the budgeting process by parliament and the existence of citizen participation mechanisms.

     

    According to the finance ministry, accession to the OECD is a vital step for Romania in its efforts to ensure economic development and stability. This accession, Bucharest argues, is not a goal in itself, but rather a necessity for the progress and wellbeing of its citizens.

     

    “The OECD membership means not only access to top-level expertise in a wide variety of fields, but it would also entail huge opportunities: attracting foreign investment, encouraging innovation and improving competitiveness are just some of the advantages,” the finance minister Marcel Boloş posted on his social media account. “We are fully involved in the accession process, we approach every step with utmost responsibility and we are willing to work together with OECD experts to align to OECD’s best policies and practices,” the finance minister also pointed out at the start of the review.

     

    The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is an inter-governmental body that aims to identify, disseminate and assess the application of the best public policies to ensure economic growth, wellbeing and sustainable development among member states and worldwide. The forerunner of the OECD was the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which was formed in 1948 to administer American and Canadian aid under the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II.

     

    The 38 OECD member states are developed countries, accounting for close to 70% of the world’s trade and production and for 90% of global foreign direct investment. (AMP)

  • January 23, 2024

    January 23, 2024

    CELEBRATION On January 24 Romanians
    will celebrate 165 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities,
    Moldavia and Wallachia, under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Military and
    religious ceremonies will be held in major cities across the country, as well as performances,
    exhibitions, events in museums and other cultural institutions. In Focşani, in
    the south-east, a large-scale celebration will be held, including a military
    parade and the traditional Union Round Dance in the town’s central square. The
    city of Iaşi, in the north-east, will host a ceremony at the statue of ruler Alexandru
    Ioan Cuza and a military parade. In Bucharest, the George Enescu Philharmonic
    Orchestra will give a special concert. In January 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was
    elected ruler both in Moldavia, and in Wallachia, and under the 1866
    Constitution, the United Principalities started using the official name of
    Romania.


    VISIT Moldova’s deputy PM and minister of foreign affairs and European integration, Nicu Popescu, is on a working visit in
    Bucharest today, where he is to have talks with his Romanian counterpart,
    Luminiţa Odobescu, and other officials, MOLDPRES
    news agency reports. The 2 foreign ministers will discuss means to develop and
    consolidate the bilateral partnership, and the next steps in Moldova’s EU
    accession negotiations. The European Council recommended the start of EU
    accession negotiations with Ukraine and the R. of Moldova in December.


    DIPLOMACY The president
    of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, at the annual meeting with the
    ambassadors accredited to Bucharest, that Romania will continue to
    stand by Ukraine. Iohannis emphasised that due to Bucharest’s efforts over 33
    million tonnes of Ukrainian grains, accounting for more than 60% of the
    products carried through the EU’s Solidarity Corridors, transited Romania. Klaus
    Iohannis added that Romania will stand by Moldova and Ukraine in their
    negotiations for EU accession, and emphasised that it is crucial for the 2
    countries to continue to receive financial support and know-how for the
    consolidation of their public institutions and economy. As for the situation in
    the Middle East, he voiced support for a two-state solution, in line both with
    the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and with Israel’s right
    to security. In this context, president Iohannis mentioned that Romania conducted
    a very difficult operation providing assistance and support to the Romanian
    citizens in that region. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
    Romanian authorities involved in the evacuation of the Romanian nationals
    there, as well as to thank our partners in Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan for
    their support, Klaus Iohannis added.


    UKRAINE
    The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu stated in Brussels on Monday
    that EU member countries must use all means to help Ukraine in its war
    against Russia. Attending a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, she
    emphasised that Ukraine must remain a priority on the EU agenda. It is
    important for us to maintain pressure over Russia, and Romania supports a new
    set of sanctions against Russia, the Romanian official added. Meanwhile, the
    conflict carries on, with Russia attacking Kyiv and Kharkov with missiles this
    morning. Stay tuned for more after the news.


    VIETNAM Over 2,000 Vietnamese nationals are legally
    employed in Romania, said the president of Romania’s Chamber of Commerce and
    Industry Mihai Daraban at the Romania-Vietnam Economic Forum held in Bucharest
    in the presence of Vietnam’s PM, Pham Minh Chính. Daraban called on
    decision-makers in both countries to create a predictable environment for
    employment, because the Romanian economy needs more workforce.


    NATO Turkey’s
    Parliament is today discussing the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO, said
    the private tv station CNN Turk, quoted by France Presse. The foreign policy
    committee in the Turkish Parliament last month endorsed the ratification, but a
    vote in a plenary session is also necessary before the protocol may be signed
    by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO
    countries yet to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession. Ankara cited Stockholm’s lack
    of cooperation in extraditing to Turkey a number of individuals suspected of
    ties with terrorist organisations, especially in the Kurdish region, while
    Budapest says Swedish politicians have made a habit of criticising Viktor
    Orban’s conservative regime, AFP reports.


    ISRAEL The
    Israeli Army announced today that 24 Israeli troops were killed in the Gaza
    Strip clashes in the last 24 hours, making it the worst daily toll for the
    Israeli Army since the start of the war against Hamas, Reuters reports. Last
    week, Israel launched an offensive to capture the town of Khan Yunis, which
    Israel says is now the main stronghold of the Hamas terrorists responsible for
    the October 7 attack in the south of Israel in which 1,200 people were killed.
    Some 26,000 people died in Gaza since the start of Israel’s military
    operations, the healthcare authorities in Gaza announced. (AMP)

  • Maia Sandu, awarded for promoting European values

    Maia Sandu, awarded for promoting European values

    The
    president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, Saturday received the ‘Timişoara
    Award for European Values, established this year by the authorities of the
    2023 European Capital of Culture to honour personalities who champion or uphold
    European values within and outside the Union.


    I
    accept this prize, Maia Sandu said at the award ceremony, as a vote of
    confidence in Moldova’s and its citizens’ capacity to see through their fight
    for freedom. She also thanked Romania for its unwavering support, and said she
    wanted for her country the prosperity enjoyed by the other EU member states.


    Maia
    Sandu: I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise the gratitude and high
    appreciation for the support we have received from Romania, an unconditional,
    brotherly support for which we will always be grateful. What we see here in Timişoara,
    what we see in the European Union’s cities, is what we want for the Republic of
    Moldova as well. Let the living standards I see in your city, the freedom of
    thought and of speech, the European values become undefeatable, here and in the
    Republic of Moldova.


    The
    Moldovan official also highlighted that the eastward enlargement of the EU has
    been a large-scale historical reparation, which will not be complete as long as
    countries like Moldova and Ukraine are left outside the bloc. The nations that
    choose freedom, she argued, belong together with the states and peoples of the
    free world, and not in a grey area, subject to constant threats to their
    sovereignty and independence.

    We all know that in the Republic of Moldova such
    threats, be they direct or via disloyal agents, oligarchs willing to sell out
    their fellow countrymen without shame, will not disappear, but rather they will
    strengthen unless we break our harmful ties with the past. But we are not
    afraid and we are not wavering. Over the past few years, we have managed to end
    our dependence on Russian natural gas, we have redirected our exports to new
    markets, we have been building and restoring bridges and roads connecting us to
    the EU. The Republic of Moldova is no longer at the service of Kremlin;
    instead, it is taking its fate in its own hands and stepping resolutely on the
    path of European integration, Moldova’s president added.


    She
    also said that this has been acknowledged by the EU member countries in
    December 2023, when they decided that Moldova and Ukraine deserve to start
    accession negotiations.


    In
    these troubled times, Maia Sandu is not only a strong leader for her nation,
    but a role model for millions of Europeans outside Moldova as well, the Mayor
    of Timişoara Dominic Fritz emphasised. According to him, Maia Sandu believed in
    Moldova’s European aspirations when many were dismissing them as utopian and, with
    unbelievable effort and courage, she is fighting resolutely to shape a European
    future for Moldova. (AMP)

  • January 1, 2024 UPDATE

    January 1, 2024 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN The EU Council voted unanimously in favour of Romania’s and
    Bulgaria’s gradual accession to the passport-free Schengen Area, after Austria, the last member country opposing
    the measure, lifted its veto. As of March 2024, air and maritime border checks
    with these 2 countries will be abolished, with Austria, Bulgaria and Romania committing
    to also agree on a deadline for ending land border checks.The decision also comprises measures to
    tighten border checks and fight illegal migration, so that Romania and
    Bulgaria will continue to receive substantial financial support and assistance
    from FRONTEX. The European Council president Charles Michel, the head of the
    European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Parliament Roberta
    Metsola and the EU Commissioner for home affairs Ylva Johansson are some of the
    EU leaders who have welcomed the decision.This
    is an important first step, Romania’s president said in his turn, and added
    that lifting land border checks as well remains a priority for Romania.


    AIRLINE The Otopeni Henri
    Coandă International Airport, the largest in Romania, has been prepared for
    Schengen operation ever since 2011. According to the airport spokesman Valentin
    Iordache, two-thirds of the airport passengers have flights to and from Schengen
    member states. Meanwhile, the Romanian state-owned airline TAROM resumed
    flights to and from Tel Aviv on January 1, after having suspended them in the
    wake of the October 7 attacks by the Palestinian terror group Hamas.


    PRICES The year 2024 begins with price
    rises for fuels and foodstuffs as well as for some services. For traditional,
    organic foodstuffs and for food products made in mountain regions, the VAT went
    up from 5% to 9%. Excises are also raised for tobacco, alcohol and soft drinks
    with high sugar content. Also, certain
    micro-enterprises will have to pay higher taxes on turnover, with tax increases
    also in place for banks, hotels and restaurants. Housing costs will also be higher, as the VAT in
    the real estate sector goes up from 5% to 9% for units worth up to EUR 120,000.
    Also as of January 1, meal and holiday vouchers are to be included in the total
    incomes for which health insurance contributions are paid. Analysts predict
    retail price increases will be substantial,
    and expect consumers to turn to cheaper products, while producers will lower
    the product weight in order to observe price caps.


    POLICE Close to 24,000 interior ministry staff are on duty
    during the 4-day New Year’s holiday, while road traffic is monitored by 360 radar
    speed guns and DUI check teams. Also, around 5,000 fire-fighters are on duty
    every day around the country, to provide emergency assistance if necessary. The
    border police also took steps to enhance border monitoring and to streamline
    vehicle and person transit at checkpoints. Meanwhile, the authorities announced
    having seized over 100 tonnes of fireworks kits and opening more than 500 criminal
    investigations in this respect, and have once again called on parents not to
    buy firecrackers for their children as such materials may be extremely dangerous.


    INVOICING Electronic invoicing is compulsory in Romania as of
    January 1 for all B2B transactions. The system entails benefits particularly in
    terms of curbing VAT frauds, the finance minister Marcel Boloş told a press
    conference. He also said that those who will not use the e-Invoicing system may
    receive sentences of 3 to 10 years in prison, if the new law on fighting
    economic and financial crime passes the Constitutional Court review. The
    authorities count on additional revenues of EUR 1 bln. Minister Boloş also said
    that in December the national tax authority’s directorate for large taxpayers
    secured a record-high total of EUR 3.2 bln in state budget revenues. On the
    other hand, the government extended a cap on the price of compulsory motor
    insurance policies, which will stay at the level in February 2023 until March 2024.
    The Cabinet also passed a bill making insurance compulsory for electric bikes
    and scooters as well. (AMP)

  • January 1, 2024

    January 1, 2024

    SCHENGEN The EU Council voted unanimously in favour of Romania’s and
    Bulgaria’s gradual accession to the passport-free Schengen Area, after Austria, the last member country opposing
    the measure, lifted its veto. As of March 2024, air and maritime border checks
    with these 2 countries will be abolished, with Austria, Bulgaria and Romania committing
    to also agree on a deadline for ending land border checks.The decision also comprises measures to
    tighten border checks and fighting illegal migration, so that Romania and
    Bulgaria will continue to receive substantial financial support and assistance
    from FRONTEX. The European Council president Charles Michel, the head of the
    European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Parliament Roberta
    Metsola and the EU Commissioner for home affairs Ylva Johansson are some of the
    EU leaders who have welcomed the decision.This
    is an important first step, Romania’s president said in his turn, and added
    that lifting land border checks as well remains a priority for Romania.


    PRICES The year 2024 begins with price
    rises for fuels and foodstuffs as well as for some services. For traditional,
    organic foodstuffs and for food products made in mountain regions, the VAT went
    up from 5% to 9%. Excises are also raised for tobacco, alcohol and soft drinks
    with high sugar content. Also, certain
    micro-enterprises will have to pay higher taxes on turnover, with tax increases
    also in place for banks, hotels and restaurants. Housing costs will also be higher, as the VAT in
    the real estate sector goes up from 5% to 9% for units worth up to EUR 120,000.
    Also as of January 1, meal and holiday vouchers are to be included in the total
    incomes for which health insurance contributions are paid. Analysts predict
    retail price increases will be substantial,
    and expect consumers to turn to cheaper products, while producers will lower the
    product weight in order to observe price caps.


    POLICE Close to 24,000 interior ministry staff are on duty
    during the 4-day New Year’s holiday, while road traffic is monitored by 360 radar
    speed guns and DUI check teams. Also, around 5,000 fire-fighters are on duty
    every day around the country, to provide emergency assistance if necessary. The
    border police also took steps to enhance border monitoring and to streamline
    vehicle and person transit at checkpoints. Meanwhile, the authorities announced
    having seized over 100 tonnes of fireworks kits and opening more than 500 criminal
    investigations in this respect, and have once again called on parents not to
    buy firecrackers for their children as such materials may be extremely
    dangerous.


    INVOICING Electronic invoicing is compulsory in Romania as of
    January 1 for all B2B transactions. The system entails benefits particularly in
    terms of curbing VAT frauds, the finance minister Marcel Boloş told a press
    conference. He also said that those who will not use the e-Invoicing system may
    receive sentences of 3 to 10 years in prison, if the new law on fighting
    economic and financial crime passes the Constitutional Court review. The
    authorities count on additional revenues of EUR 1 bln. Minister Boloş also said
    that in December the national tax authority’s directorate for large taxpayers
    secured a record-high total of EUR 3.2 bln in state budget revenues. On the
    other hand, the government extended a cap on the price of compulsory motor
    insurance policies, which will stay at the level in February 2023 until March
    next year. The Cabinet also passed a bill making insurance compulsory for
    electric bikes and scooters as well. (AMP)

  • December 16, 2023 UPDATE

    December 16, 2023 UPDATE

    BUDGET The 2024 state budget and social security budget bills will be reviewed by Parliament’s specialist committees as of Monday. On Tuesday the draft laws will be discussed in a joint plenary
    meeting, with a final vote expected on Wednesday. The budget is based on a 3.4%
    economic growth rate, with investments amounting to 7% of GDP and the largest
    appropriations in history for public education. PM Marcel Ciolacu dismissed
    claims that the figures are over-optimistic, and voiced his confidence that budget
    revenues would be raised from 27% to 30% of GDP. Under the bill, as of June 1
    whole-economy minimum wages will be around EUR 745. Ciolacu also said he was
    counting on better EU fund absorption, on improved tax collection and on
    curbing tax evasion.


    EU President Klaus Iohannis says the EU winter summit, which came to an
    end in Brussels on Friday, will be remembered for the historic decision to
    initiate accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The
    Romanian official encouraged the government of Moldova to step up the reforms
    required for EU integration. As for Ukraine, the president of the European
    Commission,Ursula von der Leyen, says
    the decision was a promise kept and an investment in stability and security. EU
    leaders also discussed the Israel-Hamas war, and condemned the continuing
    hostilities with growing numbers of victims among Palestinian civilians in Gaza
    and the West Bank. They argued that peace will only be achieved through a
    two-state solution. A revision of the 2021-2027 Multi-Annual Financial
    Framework, support for Ukraine, security and defence, migration and the future
    EU Strategic Agenda were also discussed at the European Council meeting on
    Thursday and Friday in Brussels.


    COMMEMORATION In Timişoara (west) events were organised to mark 34 years
    since the start of the 1989 Revolution which eventually led to the fall of
    dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu’s communist regime. The rally in support of the
    Reformed pastor László Tőkés, who was under political police (Securitate)
    surveillance, turned into an uprising against the communist dictatorship. In
    this context, the Revolution Memorial was opened to the public in Timişoara on
    Saturday. The organisers prepared a complex programme, providing information on
    the events of 1989. The commemoration also includes exhibitions, concerts, a
    special meeting of the Local Council, and a commemorative march. In this
    context, the Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciucă said in a message that the sacrifice
    and courage of Timişoara’s heroes were the foundation of today’s free and
    democratic Romania.


    UNEMPLOYMENT Around 63% of the Romanians aged 15 to 64 had a job in
    July-September, according to the National Statistics Institute. The
    unemployment rate was 5%, but among youth aged 15 to 24 the rate reaches 22%. The
    economic analyst Constantin Rudniţchi says the INS data is not very different
    from previous reports and that the Romanian labour market is below its
    potential. As for unemployment, he believes the overall trend is to look for
    and to create jobs. Rudniţchi believes the most urgent issue to be the one
    million Romanians who are outside the social and employment system, i.e. who
    are neither in school nor employed.


    AGREEMENT Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria intend to sign an agreement on
    January 11, 2024, concerning a joint plan to remove mines floating in the Black
    Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, the Turkish defence minister Yasar Guler
    said, according to Reuters. Officials from the 3 NATO member states met with
    the authorities of Georgia, Poland and Ukraine in April 2022 to discuss the
    issue, and also discussed the plan in a NATO meeting in Brussels in October and
    in Ankara, last month. Yasar Guler explained that the initiative will only
    include Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria for the time being, and the signing
    ceremony will take place in Istanbul.


    FAIR A special Christmas fair was opened at the Săvârşin Castle of
    Romania’s late King Michael I. The organiser, Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of
    the Crown of Romania, said the event was intended to promote and preserve the
    authenticity of Christmas traditions. It is something spiritual, and we often
    forget that Christmas has grown a little too commercial. So we are glad to have
    valuable people here, she said. On the estate in Arad County, western Romania,
    a Royal Automobile Museum, a souvenir shop, the auto repair shop of King
    Michael I and a Tea House are also opened to the public. During the event, carol
    performances and handicraft exhibitions are also organised for the visitors. (AMP)