Radio România Internațional

Tag: accession

  • December 16, 2023

    December 16, 2023

    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. On Thursday night the
    government passed the two bills, which rely on better spending of EU funds and
    on improving tax collection by means of a more efficient operation of the
    national tax agency and on curbing tax evasion. PM Marcel Ciolacu, the leader
    of the Social Democratic Party, spoke about an increase of budget revenues from
    27% to 30% of GDP. According to him, the 2024 budget earmarks the largest
    funding in Romania’s history for education and investments. The Opposition, on
    the other hand, says the budget is based on unrealistic figures and that
    payment of public pensions will be a major problem next year.


    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, securitaty and defence, migration and the
    future EU Strategic Agenda were also discussed at the European Council meeting
    on Thursday and Friday in Brussels.


    COMMEMORATION Romania marks today 34 years since the start of the 1989 Revolution
    in Timişoara (west) which eventually led to the fall of dictator Nicolae
    Ceauşescu’s communist regime. 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, with a special
    section for the visually impaired.


    ISRAEL Hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Friday night,
    following an announcement that 3 Gaza hostages had been accidentally killed by
    Israeli troops. The protesters demanded that the government immediately signed
    a deal to free the remaining hostages. Over 100 people are still captive in
    Gaza, after being kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7th attacks on Israel.
    Meanwhile, humanitarian aid will reach Gaza via an Israeli checkpoint, for the
    first time since the start of the war, after Israel authorised access through
    the Kerem Shalom checkpoint. So far humanitarian aid could only go through the Rafah
    checkpoint from Egypt. After more than 2 months of armed conflict and the siege
    imposed by Israel since October 9th, living standards in Gaza Strip
    are described by the UN and NGOs for Palestinian civilians as a nightmare. According
    to the UN, some 1.9 million people, accounting for 85% of the region’s
    population, have been relocated. (AMP)

  • December 12, 2023 UPDATE

    December 12, 2023 UPDATE

    MOLDOVA The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis had talks on Tuesday with
    his Moldovan counterpart, Maia Sandu, during which he reiterated Romania’s
    support for Moldova’s EU accession efforts. Romania, Iohannis emphasised, firmly
    supports the opening of EU accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova.
    Wednesday through Friday president Iohannis takes part in the EU – Western Balkans
    Summit and the European Council meeting in Brussels, in which context he will
    plead for a decision with respect to the start of accession negotiations with
    Ukraine and Moldova. Also on Tuesday, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu had a telephone
    conversation with the Moldovan PM Dorin
    Recean, in which he reiterated Bucharest’s steady support for the neighbouring
    country’s EU accession. The two prime ministers also discussed bilateral
    cooperation projects, especially in the field of cross-border energy
    interconnection and the financial assistance provided by Romania for Moldova’s
    development.


    SCHENGEN The Romanian interior
    minister Cătălin Predoiu highlighted, in a statement following the Salzburg
    Forum in Slovenia on Tuesday, the progress made in the talks concerning Romania’s
    Schengen accession. He said he had talks regarding the technical options for a
    decision to be made in December. As regards the fears concerning the transfer
    of illegal migrants in Austria, Predoiu explained that those concerns exclusively
    relate to the migrants originally registered in Romania. According to the
    current Dublin regulation, once captured in Austria and proved to be illegal
    migrants, these individuals are returned to the country from which they came, the
    Romanian official added. In 2023, 120 people were in this situation, Predoiu
    mentioned.


    ECONOMY Romania’s budget deficit in 2024 will be
    below 5% of GDP, lower than at the end of this year. According to the Romanian
    government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal
    Party, next year substantial additional funding will be earmarked for public
    education, healthcare, transports and investments. Under the draft 2024 state
    budget, salaries in the public sector as well as pensions will be raised. The
    government promises that all these increases will be operated without
    concurrent tax raises. The leaders of the ruling coalition parties rely on a
    planned set of measures to increase budget revenue collection and curb tax
    evasion, as well as on the digitization of the national tax agency.

    AGREEMENT
    The Romanian foreign ministry took note of the publication of the Russian
    Federation’s government decision to withdraw from the bilateral agreement of
    2005 concerning the opening of a Romanian consulate general in Rostov-on-Don. According
    to a news release issued on Tuesday, Romania has not been officially notified
    yet on this decision. At present, apart from the embassy in Moscow, Romania
    also operates a consular office in Rostov-on-Don and one in Sankt Petersburg. This
    summer the Romanian foreign ministry requested Moscow to reduce the number of
    diplomatic personnel at the Russian embassy in Bucharest by 40.


    VISIT The PM of
    Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, Tuesday received the foreign minister and deputy PM of
    the Republic of Kazakhstan, Murat Nurtleu, in which context the head of the
    Romanian government emphasised that the excellent dynamics of bilateral
    relations ensure great potential to the bilateral cooperation towards the
    interconnection between Europe and the Caspian Sea region. According to a news
    release issued by the Romanian government, the Romanian PM hailed the upward
    trend of the political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two
    countries and mentioned that Kazakhstan is Romania’s largest economic partner
    in Central Asia. As regards the cooperation in the energy sector, the two
    parties agreed to encourage cooperation in order to enhance the security of
    energy supplies for the EU member states as well as for the Republic of Moldova
    and Ukraine, reads the news release. The two officials also discussed the
    regional security situation in the context of Russia’s military aggression in
    Ukraine.


    TENNIS The
    Romanian tennis player Simona Halep will be heard at the Court of Arbitration
    for Sport in Lausanne on February 7-9, in proceedings initiated by Halep
    against the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). In October, the twice
    Grand Slam winner lodged an appeal with the CAS against her 4-year suspension
    for doping. The Romanian athlete was penalised for two separate violations of
    the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme, the first one concerning the identification
    of a banned substance at the 2022 US Open, and the second one concerning
    irregularities in her biological passport. (AMP)

  • Negotiations for EU enlargement

    Negotiations for EU enlargement


    On Wednesday the European Commission recommended the launch of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the granting of candidate status to Georgia, once the latter meets certain conditions.



    The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said this enlargement of the bloc was “the call of history.” “Completing our Union also has a strong economic and geopolitical logic. Past enlargements have shown the enormous benefits both for the accession countries and the EU. We all win,” Ursula von der Leyen pointed out.



    In turn, the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola voiced her satisfaction with these countries being on the right path towards opening accession negotiations. The Commissions recommendation must next be approved by the 27 members at the EU Summit of December 14-15.



    In the meantime, the countries will have to implement some key measures in this respect. As far as Chișinău is concerned, these conditions concern fighting corruption and improving financial regulations. Moldova has made the best progress of the countries that wish to join the European Union, the Commission says, but out of the 9 steps towards launching accession negotiations, the justice reform, fight against corruption and de-oligarchisation still remain unfulfilled. The Commission mentions the length of judicial proceedings, low clearance rates and the large backlog of cases. Also, there has been no significant progress in the prosecution of high-profile corruption cases.



    This is why the Commission urged Chișinău to ensure a transparent and merit-based process for appointments to the main judicial and prosecutorial governance bodies, including for the appointment of a Prosecutor General, and ensure that anti-corruption institutions are functioning within a clear organisational structure and with adequate resources.



    The president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, hailed the Commissions decision to open accession negotiations. “Moldova is firmly on the path for EU membership and we will continue working relentlessly towards this goal,ˮ Maia Sandu said.



    As for Ukraine, the Commission recommends that negotiations be opened once Kyiv meets the remaining conditions concerning the fight against corruption, the regulation of lobby activities and strengthening minority protection standards. The recommendation is a major milestone on Kyivs path towards European integration, and a strategic move for the European bloc, given that Ukraine has been struggling with Russias military invasion since February 2022. The European Commission finds that the country has proved to be capable of progress in harmonising its laws with the EU legislation, even in times of war. (AMP)


  • October 20, 2023 UPDATE

    October 20, 2023 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN The European Commissioner
    for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, says that the good results obtained by
    Romania and Bulgaria in the management of pilot projects on migration are an
    additional argument in favor of the accession of the two states to the European
    Free Movement Area – Schengen. The statement was made at the Home Affairs
    Council meeting in Luxembourg. Several countries pleaded for Romania and
    Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. Austria and the Netherlands, which opposed the
    accession last December, did not present any argument.


    SUMMIT The transformation of
    Romania’s economy into a green and digital one is a long-term process, which
    requires a strong national plan and must be embraced by all political, business
    and civic forces, the Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, told the
    participants in the second Climate Change Summit. According to him,
    mitigating the effects of climate change in the short, medium and long run, is
    a priority for the Cabinet. He also stated that in collaboration with the
    private sector, solutions for the future can be developed, so that Romania in
    2030 will be better prepared to deal with climate challenges. In turn, the
    President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, stated that the impact of climate change
    is global and appreciated the fact that part of the Summit is taking place in
    universities. He stressed that young people must have opportunities to
    participate in the process of decarbonisation and acceleration of the green
    transition.


    HEALTH The government of Romania Friday approved three National
    Healthcare Strategies for the next 7 years: a general strategy on public health
    and healthcare, and 2 specific ones, focusing on fighting in-hospital
    infections and on vaccination, respectively. The healthcare minister Alexandru
    Rafila explained that the vaccination strategy encourages lifelong
    immunisation, and is designed to preserve low risks of re-emergence of serious
    diseases like polio, measles and rubella in Romania. He also emphasised that
    the strategy has nothing to do with compulsory vaccination, but assigns tasks
    to public institutions and the medical professionals with respect to information
    and resources. Also on Friday, the government increased the amounts paid to the
    households affected by flooding, landslides and other natural conditions. Money
    has also been earmarked from the reserve fund for carrying on investments in
    transportation and unblocking healthcare payments.


    AID The National Committee for
    Emergency Situations in Romania has decided to provide aid to the population in
    Gaza Strip. The humanitarian aid will consist, among other things, of food,
    water, beds, mattresses and tents. The transport will be provided with the
    support of the Romanian Ministry of Defence and international organisations,
    the Romanian Government has announced.Meanwhile, hundreds of Romanians
    with medical qualifications have enrolled on the health ministry’s website to
    go to Israel and help if necessary, although Romania has not received any
    request in this respect up to this point.


    THEATRE The 33rd edition
    of the National Theatre Festival started in Bucharest on Friday. Until October
    30, under the motto Laboratories of the Sensitive the public will be able to
    watch 30 Romanian productions and 3 foreign plays. The programme also includes roundtables,
    conferences, exhibitions, book launches, reading and radio shows, as well as
    creative workshops and Q&A sessions with artists. (AMP)

  • Progress towards Schengen accession

    Progress towards Schengen accession

    The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, praised Romanias progress in terms of border control, migration and asylum, during talks at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. I am optimistic, because Romania and Bulgaria prove every time and with every project that they are ready, the European official said. According to a press release of the Interior Ministry in Bucharest, the delegations of Romania and Bulgaria presented the measures adopted to strengthen border control and EU security.



    A focal point of the Romanian delegation’s intervention was the presentation of the excellent results of the pilot project that Romania and the European Commission agreed on in March 2023, which has already been implemented at the border with Serbia for the last 6 months, the press release reads. The European official was impressed by the success of the project, emphasizing that, due to the excellent results of the measures implemented by Romania, the country is a model for all member states. Moreover, the Commissioner said, the good results achieved by Romania and Bulgaria in the management of pilot projects regarding migration, are one more argument in favor of the country joining Schengen. In its turn, the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU reconfirmed that the completion of the two countries’ accession process is its priority, for which it will continue to work, in the hope that it will be a success.



    It should also be mentioned that a number of member states recognized the progress made by the two countries and supported, in Luxembourg, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. Austria and the Netherlands, which had blocked the accession of the two countries at the end of last year, did not present at the Council any argument for blocking their entry.



    The Home Affairs Council does not involve a vote or a promise for securing Schengen accession for Romania and Bulgaria, but the fact that all member states discussed the subject once again, cannot be overlooked. All these took place in the context of the Council’s decision to resume checks at some of the continents most important borders, against the current European background marked by migration and terrorist threats. Thus, the EU interior ministers admitted, during the meeting, that member states must better check migrants and asylum seekers and expel faster those considered a security risk. Consequently, ten countries have introduced temporary checks at their borders, some on their entire border, and others only on parts of it. The main reason is the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which could increase the risk of violence inside Europe, as it happened in the case of the attack in Belgium. (EE)

  • Romania and the Schengen zone

    Romania and the Schengen zone

    Invoking an insufficient
    control over the migrant inflows, Austria and the Netherlands had again blown
    Romania and Bulgaria’s hopes to join Schengen with a negative vote on a
    positive decision in the Justice and Home Affairs Council last December. Only
    Vienna opposed Romania’s accession to Europe’s border-free area, as the country
    needed unanimity in order to join.




    Furthermore, Bucharest and Sofia are in tandem
    in this accession process and the idea of decoupling is out of the question. In
    spite of the actions taken in both countries since the JHA Council in December,
    few things have changed. The Netherlands has started giving diplomatic signals
    that it might give up its vetoing Bulgaria, but Austria is maintaining its
    position, at least at a declarative level. It has even rejected the latest
    appeal by the head of the community Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, who in her
    annual state of the European Union address called on Austria to allow Romania
    and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession without delay.




    Romania expects and
    deserves a positive decision during the Spanish presidency of the EU Council on
    the Schengen enlargement, the president of the European Legislature told in an
    interview to European Newsroom. Roberta Metsola has voiced optimism regarding
    the two countries’ Schengen accession. Not only are you waiting for this
    decision but you also deserve it since 2011. So I believe, we will succeed in
    finding a solution. We have high expectations from this presidency of the EU Council
    to try to work with the Austrian colleagues and others if there are other
    countries where questions still exist and I believe these questions can receive
    their answers, Metsola went on to say. In an interview to a private TV channel
    in Romania, the European Parliament President said that Europe must not let the
    impression that some countries are second class.




    Measures must be taken to guarantee a united
    Europe, in which Romania and Bulgaria are no longer at the gates of Schengen,
    in which extremism is not allowed to grow and in which democratic values are
    defended against Russia.


    The excessive delays of
    the decision regarding Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Europe’s border-free
    area are a double prejudice for the two countries, a limitation of the right to
    free movement and additional costs for their economies, the European official
    says. Although the accession criteria
    have been met for over 12 years, Romanians and Bulgarians still have to waste
    time with border checking while the economic losses incurred are significant.
    According to Romania’s Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, keeping Romania
    outside Schengen involves economic losses of up to 2% of the GDP and the government
    in Bucharest intends to call for compensations.


    (bill)

  • September 17, 2023

    September 17, 2023

    FARMERS An alliance of Romanian farmers, unhappy
    with the European Commission’s decision not to extend the ban on grain imports
    from Ukraine, asks the Romanian government to suspend imports of several
    Ukrainian agrifood products. The government, which has already promised
    subsidies for the Diesel fuel used in farming works, announced that before
    taking further measures it was waiting for Kyiv to make public on Monday a plan
    regarding efficient export control to prevent the disruption of the Romanian
    grain market. Depending on that plan, Bucharest will take adequate steps to
    support Romanian farmers. The EC decided
    not to extend its ban on Ukrainian grain imports, in exchange for certain
    commitments from Kyiv. Poland, Slovakia and
    Hungary have introduced unilateral restrictions, while Bulgaria announced it
    did not want the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports extended.


    PENSIONS A new
    version of the special pension law, comprising the amendments requested by the
    Constitutional Court, will be endorsed by the end of September, said the
    interim Chamber of Deputies speaker, Alfred Simonis. He added the law covers
    all categories of special pensions, but because the special benefits paid to
    magistrates and other categories cannot be scrapped, as it happened in the case
    of MPs, taxation will be introduced, which the Court has accepted. Also,
    Simonis said, ceilings must be introduced for each particular profession, so as
    to eliminate special pensions of EUR 8,000 or even EUR 14,000 a month. The
    Constitutional Court last month sent back to Parliament the new draft pension
    law, on grounds that pension benefits currently being paid cannot be readjusted
    to different principles than the ones in the law under which they have been
    granted.


    SCHENGEN Austria’s opposition to Romania’s Schengen
    accession is not targeted against Bucharest, but against this freedom of
    movement system, said the Austrian minister for the EU, Karoline Edtstadler. The
    statement comes after Bucharest warned it would sue Vienna over its veto to
    Romania’s accession. Karoline Edtstadler told the media she understood the
    position of Romanian authorities, but added Austria cannot close its eyes to an
    already flawed system. She explained the EU should ensure efficient protection of its external
    borders before envisioning a Europe without internal
    borders. In
    an interview to Austrian mass media, Romania’s PM
    Marcel Ciolacu said that in case of further opposition from Austria, Romania
    will have to take the matter to court and demand compensation for the losses
    incurred because of its failure to join the Schengen area.


    NATO NATO’s secretary general
    Jens Stoltenberg has warned that we must not expect a swift end to the war in
    Ukraine, in an interview published on Sunday, as Kyiv carries on its
    counteroffensive against Russian forces, AFP reports. The war began in February 2022, when
    Russian troops invaded Ukraine. As for Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO, Jens Stoltenberg promised
    that sooner or later, Ukraine will be a NATO member. In July’s NATO summit in
    Vilnius, Alliance leaders agreed that Kyiv may join NATO once
    certain conditions are fulfilled, with the US and Germany emphasising that
    these conditions include reforms to protect democracy and the rule of law. In
    mid-June the Ukrainian army launched a counteroffensive to push out the Russian
    troops from the south and east of the country, but so far only a limited number
    of localities have been freed.


    RUGBY Romania’s national rugby team play their second
    World Cup match in Bordeaux (France) today, against defending champions, South
    Africa. A week ago Romania lost to Ireland 82-8 (33-8). Romania’s
    rugby team is next to play against Scotland on September 30 and against Tonga on
    October 8, in Lille. The 2023 Rugby World Cup
    ends on October 28. The competition has been held every 4 years since 1987, when
    the first edition of the World Cup was hosted by Australia and New Zealand. (AMP)

  • May 21, 2023 UPDATE

    May 21, 2023 UPDATE

    EDUCATION On Monday the staff in Romania’s public undergraduate
    education will go on strike, the trade unions in the sector announced after
    Sunday’s talks with government officials. The protest will continue until
    unions have received a credible solution from the government, the leader of
    the Spiru Haret Trade Union Federation, Marius Nistor, said. The government put
    forth a clear roadmap for the endorsement of the new salary law and promised pay
    raises for non-teaching staff, which according to unionists would only amount
    to EUR 20 a month. Financial incentives for entry-level teachers and experienced
    staff teaching in underprivileged areas have also been proposed. The higher
    education staff will also go on token strikes as of Monday, the head of the Alma
    Mater National Trade Union Federation Anton Hadăr announced. Trade unions said
    negotiations would continue in the coming days.


    MOLDOVA
    A large-scale rally was held in Chişinău on Sunday, at the initiative of
    president Maia Sandu, in order to prove Moldovans’ support for the country’s EU
    accession. Europe is the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova is
    Europe. Moldova is not alone, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta
    Metsola said in Romanian at the European Moldova National Assembly. Participants
    adopted a resolution confirming the support of Moldovan citizens for the
    country’s EU accession efforts. The rally takes place as the Republic of
    Moldova, an EU accession candidate country, would like to begin accession
    negotiations by the end of this year. For this stage to begin, Moldova must
    complete 9 recommendations, which will be assessed by this autumn in a European
    Commission report. In Bucharest, the Organisation of Moldovan Students
    organised a similar rally in front of Moldova’s Embassy. Scores of people
    watched the speeches in Chisinau jointly with the Moldovan Ambassador to
    Bucharest, Victor Chirila.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part on
    Monday in the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The EU
    foreign ministers will discuss measures to mitigate the effects of Russia’s
    aggression in Ukraine and the situation in the Horn of Africa. The EU officials
    will also touch on the bloc’s commitment in Central Asia, developments in Tunisia,
    the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the context of high-level EU
    diplomatic contacts with both countries. According to the Romanian foreign
    ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s firm, multidimensional and
    continuing support for Ukraine and will express hopes that an agreement will be
    reached as soon as possible on the 8th support package for the
    Ukrainian air forces under the EU Peace Facility. Minister Aurescu will also
    highlight the importance of keeping pressure on Russia by consolidating
    sanctions, and will reiterate the idea of setting up a special international tribunal
    for the crime of aggression to prosecute Russian crimes of aggression during
    the war in Ukraine.


    RAILWAYS The president of Romania’s Competition Council, Bogdan
    Chiriţoiu, made statements concerning Carpatica Feroviar, a new company that
    will take over the operations of the state-owned railway freight corporation CFR
    Marfă. The new company will take over the profitable contracts and the
    equipment needed for completing them, while the other assets will be sold in order
    to cover as much as possible of the old company’s debts to the state budget
    Chiriţoiu explained. He emphasised that current operations will not be
    discontinued. The financial performance of CFR Marfă improved slightly in 2022,
    but the company still owes some EUR 400 mln to the state budget and social
    security budget.


    BEEKEEPERS Romanian beekeepers say they are left with large amounts
    of unsold honey because of imports of cheaper and poorer-quality honey. The
    head of the Romanian Beekeepers Association, Ioan Fetea, says the situation is
    particularly serious as last year’s yield was a lot smaller than in previous
    years. Last year beekeepers saw modest yields, but they could not even sell those,
    precisely because of these dumping practices, obviously explained by the fact
    that that honey is not in line with EU regulations. Almost half of the honey
    imported into Europe is adulterated, counterfeit, and obviously sold very
    cheaply, which puts tremendous pressure on local producers, Fetea explained. Beekeepers
    are also struggling with a fall in the number of bee families, because of the
    use of insecticides in agriculture.


    UKRAINE The US president Joe Biden Sunday announced new military aid
    measures for Ukraine, following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
    on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The new aid package will
    consist of ammunitions, artillery and armoured vehicles, Joe Biden explained, just
    days after approving the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According
    to Reuters, this new package is worth up to USD 375 mln and is designed to
    strengthen Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia. The British PM Rishi
    Sunak also announced in Hiroshima that his country would start training
    Ukrainian pilots this summer, to support Ukraine’s air forces in the conflict.
    Rishi Sunak added that no one wants peace more than Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but
    the terms for peace, he added, should be based on Ukraine’s principles. In the
    3-day summit in Japan, the G7 nations voiced their willingness to stand by
    Ukraine in the long run.



    ROWING Romania won 2 gold and 3 silver medals at
    the 2023 European Rowing Under 19 Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France,
    in which it took part with 11 boats. Romania came out second in the overall nations
    tables, behind Italy and ahead of Turkey. In last year’s competition, Romania
    had won 5 medals (3 gold, one silver and one bronze), and finished top of the
    ranking by nations. (AMP)

  • May 21, 2023

    May 21, 2023

    EDUCATION
    In Bucharest, the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă, the Social Democratic leader Marcel
    Ciolacu and the labour minister Marius Budăi invited trade unions in public
    education to talks in order to avoid an all-out strike announced for tomorrow. Unionists
    said protests could only end when the solutions to their demands, particularly
    concerning salaries, were introduced in officially endorsed legislation. The
    finance minister Adrian Câciu said the teaching staff’s demands could have been
    solved, if Romania had received the money in the second disbursement round
    under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is currently suspended
    because of targets that have not been met in the field of energy, for which the
    National Liberal Party is responsible. On the other hand, PM Nicolae Ciucă said
    the solution to the unions’ demands has to do with the unified salary law that
    the labour ministry headed by the Social Democrats has failed to finalise in
    spite of the support of the entire ruling coalition. Amid these disagreements, the
    president of the Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, demanded that
    negotiations on the new cabinet make-up following the PM rotation should be
    suspended until the issue in the education sector has been solved, and the Democratic
    Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, a junior partner in the ruling
    coalition, agreed. The Liberals on the other hand argue that the government
    transition should be completed quickly in order to maintain stability and
    balance. Under a protocol signed by the 2 parties, on 26 May the Social
    Democrats should take over the prime minister post from the Liberals, for the
    next 1,5 years, until the next general elections.


    MOLDOVA
    A large-scale rally is held in Chişinău today, at the
    initiative of president Maia Sandu, in order to prove Moldovans’ support for
    the country’s EU accession. Europe is the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of
    Moldova is Europe. Moldova is not alone, the president of the European
    Parliament, Roberta Metsola said in Romanian at the European Moldova National
    Assembly. Participants adopted a resolution confirming the support of Moldovan
    citizens for the country’s EU accession efforts. The rally takes place as the Republic
    of Moldova, an EU accession candidate country, would like to begin accession
    negotiations by the end of this year. For this stage to begin, Moldova must
    complete 9 recommendations, which will be assessed by this autumn in a European
    Commission report. In Bucharest, the Organisation of Moldovan Students
    organised a similar rally in front of Moldova’s Embassy. Scores of people
    watched the speeches in Chisinau jointly with the Moldovan Ambassador to
    Bucharest, Victor Chirila.


    UKRAINE The US president Joe Biden Sunday announced new military aid
    measures for Ukraine, following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
    on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The new aid package will
    consist of ammunitions, artillery and armoured vehicles, Joe Biden explained, just
    days after approving the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According
    to Reuters, this new package is worth up to USD 375 mln and is designed to
    strengthen Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia. The British PM Rishi
    Sunak also announced in Hiroshima that his country would start training
    Ukrainian pilots this summer, to support Ukraine’s air forces in the conflict.
    Rishi Sunak added that no one wants peace more than Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but
    the terms for peace, he added, should be based on Ukraine’s principles. In the
    3-day summit in Japan, the G7 nations voiced their willingness to stand by
    Ukraine in the long run.


    FLOODING
    In Italy, code red alerts for heavy rainfalls with landslide risks are valid
    today as well, in the Emilia Romagna region in the north of the country, already
    affected by unprecedented flash floods. Fourteen people died and 36,000 others
    were evacuated by the authorities. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent
    in Italy, in Ravenna province alone, the most severely hit by the floods, over 16%
    of the territory has been evacuated. A preliminary estimate by Confagricoltura,
    the association of Italian farmers, indicates that the flooding in Emilia
    Romagna caused crop damages of over EUR 1.5 bln.


    GREECE
    Greece is holding elections today for its single-chamber 300-seat parliament, with
    around 9.5 million people expected to take part in the vote. As many as 36 parties
    and political associations are running for parliamentary seats, for which they
    need at least 3% of the votes. The most likely to win is incumbent PM Kyriakos
    Mitsotakis’s party, New Democracy, with 33% of the voting intentions in polls. The
    left-of-centre Syriza party, headed by Alexis Tsipras, is predicted to carry
    26% of the votes. A novelty in this election is the scrapping of the 50-seat
    bonus for the winning party. Unless the parties manage to form a new
    government, early elections will be held in July, with a return to the previous
    bonus system. (AMP)

  • January 31, 2023

    January 31, 2023

    BUDGET In 2022 Romania saw a budget deficit
    of roughly EUR 16.5 bln, nearly 1% smaller than in the previous year. According
    to the finance ministry, the deficit dropped from 6.73% to 5.68% of GDP. Revenues
    amounted to approx.. EUR 94 bln, up 21% since 2021, fuelled by the VAT rise,
    growing EU funding and revenues in the energy sector. Expenditure exceeded EUR
    110 bln, down 0.8% since the previous year.


    DIPLOMACY Lithuania firmly
    supports Romania’s Schengen accession and
    voices willingness to carry on an active dialogue with the other EU partners in
    this respect, especially in today’s extremely difficult security context, the
    Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis told his Romanian
    counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu, in a telephone discussion. The talks were held as
    Romania is set to resume this year its participation in the air policing
    missions in the Baltic Sea region. The 2 officials praised the very good
    bilateral relations and the efficient coordination as part of the EU, NATO and
    regional projects such as the Three Seas Initiative and The Bucharest Nine.


    CORRUPTION The former manager of Romania’s national football team, Victor Piţurcă, has
    today left the Bucharest Police Detention Centre, where he was held for 24 hours by
    anti-corruption prosecutors in an influence peddling investigation. According
    to judicial sources, Victor Piţurcă was placed under court supervision, and prosecutors
    also initiated criminal proceedings against his son, Alexandru. The case
    concerns the procurement of non-compliant production lines and the sale of face
    masks to the Defence Ministry during the Covid-19 pandemic.Gabriel
    Ţuţu, the head of military producer and exporter Romarm, was also involved in
    the operation.


    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is to pass today a
    bill authorising 2 loans from the European Investment Bank. The nearly EUR 294
    mln will be used for investments, upgrade and rehabilitation works in 26 hospitals in Romania. Another bill on today’s agenda
    provides for up to 50% increases of the monthly allowances paid to the county
    council chairpersons and deputies and to the mayors and deputy mayors of the
    administrative units that implement projects financed from non-reimbursable EU
    funds, foreign loans and under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. The
    government is also to amend an order regulating energy subsidies and other
    support measures for vulnerable citizens.


    NATO NATO will continue to strengthen its partnership
    with Japan amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, NATO Secretary-General Jens
    Stoltenberg said on Tuesday during a visit to Japan, where he had a meeting
    with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Jens Stoltenberg’s tour, which included a
    stop in South Korea, is designed to strengthen ties with the Asian allies in
    the context of the war in Ukraine and rising competition with China. In an
    address in Seoul, the NATO official called on South Korea to increase its military
    support to Ukraine.


    KOREA Also in Seoul, the US defence secretary Lloyd
    Austin and his South-Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, promised to extend the
    scope of the 2 countries’ joint military exercises, in a move by Washington to
    reassure its Asian ally of its support amid growing threats from North Korea. Tensions
    in the Korean Peninsula deepened in 2022, following North Korea’s frequent
    military tests, including launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. (AMP)

  • January 12, 2023 UPDATE

    January 12, 2023 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN Romania’s Schengen accession is a
    major priority for the country, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said
    in Bucharest on Thursday. He mentioned the country counted on the support of the
    Swedish presidency of the EU. At a press conference organised by the Swedish
    Embassy to mark the start of the Swedish presidency of the EU Council on
    January 1, Mr. Aurescu also mentioned Romania’s handling of the situation
    entailed by war in Ukraine, describing Romania as a de facto guardian of EU
    security. In turn, Sweden’s Ambassador to Bucharest, Therese Hyden, pointed
    out that the Schengen file will be on the agenda of an official meeting, when
    conditions are favourable, more precisely when Austria has changed its
    position regarding Romania and Netherlands has changed its view on Bulgaria’s
    accession. Foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also had a telephone conversation on the
    same topic on Wednesday with his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billstrom. According
    to the Romanian foreign ministry, Tobias Billstrom emphasised that the Swedish
    Presidency was determined to be actively involved and to make all efforts for
    this goal to be met. We remind you that on December 8,
    2022, at the JHA Council, Romania was not accepted into Schengen after Austria
    voted against Romania’s joining the passport-free area, and the Netherlands
    opposed Bulgaria’s accession.


    MINORITIES Romania and Ukraine will
    initiate a consultation process regarding Ukraine’s law on national minorities,
    endorsed recently in Kyiv. The two countries’ foreign ministers, Bogdan Aurescu and
    Dmytro Kuleba, Wednesday had a telephone discussion on the topic, after a
    similar dialogue a week ago between the presidents Klaus Iohannis and Volodymyr
    Zelensky. The law triggered concerns among the Romanian authorities, as
    representatives of the Romanian community in Ukraine have not been consulted in
    drafting the document, which was endorsed without a positive opinion of the Venice
    Commission. Although the law is an improvement from the previous drafts, it
    fails to guarantee, among other things, the Romanian minority’s right to
    education in the mother tongue, the Romanian foreign ministry argues.


    FLU 15 people died from seasonal flu complications this season in
    Romania, the National Public Health Institute announced. During the first week
    of this year almost 40% more respiratory infections than in the previous week
    were reported. Drugstores still face shortages of viral infection and seasonal
    flu medication. Moreover, 7 medicines used by almost half of the cancer
    patients in the country are still not available. The health ministry promises
    Romania is not experiencing a medicine crisis and that storage facilities do
    have the drugs in stock.


    UKRAINE American aid is for the first time to reach Ukraine via the
    Romanian logistics hub in Suceava, the US Embassy in Bucharest announced. The
    shipment comprises 30 trucks with clothing, footwear, blankets, hygiene
    products, diapers and emergency kits, donated as part of a campaign launched
    last March in Utah. So far 40 tonnes of goods worth around USD 1 mln have been
    donated, as well as USD 4 mln in cash.


    TENNIS Romanian
    tennis players found out their opponents in the first round of the Australian
    Open. According to the drawing held on Thursday in Melbourne, Irina Begu will play
    against China’s Saisai Zheng, Sorana Cîrstea will take up the uncomfortable
    Kazakh player Iulia Putinteva, and Ana Bogdan will take on Anna Bondar of
    Hungary. Jaqueline Cristian will have one of the most difficult opponents – the
    American Jessica Pegula, and Patricia Ţig will be up against the Chinese Shuai
    Zhang. Romania has five players at the Australian Open, after Simona Halep was
    provisionally suspended after a positive doping test. (AMP)

  • Visit by the European Parliament president to Bucharest

    Visit by the European Parliament president to Bucharest

    The president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has once again stated that Romania is prepared to join the Schengen passport-free area, and it will do it soon. In an address to the joint chambers of the Romanian Parliament, she emphasised that accession to this area is not a gift, but a right earned by Romania, and reminded of the support provided to the Ukrainian refugees. “Romania will join Schengen soon,” she added. “Dont give up on Europe”, Roberta Metsola said, and explained that she thought the postponement decision was the most disappointing course of action the EU countries could have taken.



    The Schengen accession remains a national strategic objective for Romania, and its rejection is ungrounded, the interim Senate Speaker Alina Gorghiu said in her turn:



    Alina Gorghiu: “Romania is a trustworthy partner, and all EU member countries can rely on us. This is why, dear Romanians, the outcome of the December 8th vote is completely unjust. Austrias position was totally unacceptable.”



    In turn, the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu said Romania must remain confident. We have already won the respect of our European partners by accomplishing our mission in the first line of defence of European security and unity, he said:



    Marcel Ciolacu: “This temporary setback cannot define us. Romania will remain a part of the European solution, but at the same time, together with our partners, we will be even more determined to revert the outcome of this unfair vote.”


    The Schengen area will become stronger, safer and more prosperous with Romanias accession, the PM Nicolae Ciucă said in his turn. He mentioned that Romania will stay engaged and with a constructive attitude in order for this national goal to be attained.



    In Bucharest, Roberta Metsola also had a meeting with president Klaus Iohannis. The head of state voiced his hope that Romania will join Schengen next year:



    Klaus Iohannis: “In my opinion, it is too soon anyway. It is hard to believe that something will be discussed before January 15, and I dont expect the issue of the Austrian approach and of the Dutch position on Bulgaria to change in 2 weeks time. We must understand, all of us, together, that these issues must be solved before a new vote in the JHA Council.”



    The talks at Cotroceni Palace also covered the EU unity in the context of the war in Ukraine, the sanctions against Russia and the recent corruption scandal within the European Parliament, regarding the alleged bribes paid by Qatar and Morocco to some European officials in exchange for influencing decisions of the EU institutions. In this context, Roberta Metsola emphasised that she would work to address the mistakes and restore lost confidence. (AMP)


  • December 16, 2022

    December 16, 2022

    SCHENGEN
    The losses incurred by Romania for the rejection of its Schengen accession bid
    are over EUR 25 bln, says the Romanian interior minister Lucian Bode. For 11 years
    we have been securing Schengen’s border, investing in human resources,
    capabilities and modern technologies. The losses incurred by Romania during all
    this time, since it has fulfilled the criteria but has not benefited from the
    related rights, are immeasurable, Mr. Bode said at a meeting of EU gendarme
    chiefs. The topic of Romania’s Schengen accession and of the negative vote
    given by Austria in the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting last week was
    also raised by president Klaus Iohannis at a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.
    Senior European officials conveyed a message of support for Romania’s and
    Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. The EC president Ursula von der Leyen and the
    Council president Charles Michel said further discussions would be held on this
    topic and progress was expected in the following months.


    FUNDING The
    Romanian ministry for EU funding and investments has submitted to the EC the
    second payment request, amounting to EUR 3.228 bln, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The 3rd payment request, amounting to EUR 3.1 bln, is to be submitted
    to the Commission next spring. Romania benefits from over EUR 29 bln for the
    implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, including grants
    of up to EUR 14.24 bln and loans of nearly EUR 15 bln. The country has already
    cashed in 2 pre-financing instalments totaling EUR 3.79 bln.


    EU The president of
    the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will attend in Bucharest on
    Saturday the signing of an agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan,
    Georgia, Romania and Hungary concerning the Strategic Partnership in the
    development and transport of green energy. The agreement will be signed by the
    president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the PM of Georgia
    Irakli Garibashvili, the PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă, and the PM of Hungary
    Viktor Orban. According to the Romanian Presidency, the document is based on
    the interests of the 4 states concerning a strengthened national and regional
    energy security. The agreement will provide a financial and technical framework
    for the construction of an underwater renewable energy transport cable between
    Romania and Azerbaijan, via Georgia and the Black Sea, and further on for the
    transport of this energy to Hungary and the rest of Europe.

    INFLATION The EU
    annual inflation rate dropped from 11.5% in October to 11.1% in November, but in
    8 member countries the rate rose from one month to the other, including in
    Romania, where it went from 13.5% to 14.6%, Eurostat announced on Friday. In November,
    the EU member states with the highest inflation rates were Hungary, Latvia, Estonia
    and Lithuania. At the opposite pole, the lowest inflation rates were reported
    in Spain, France and Malta.


    PROTEST Hundreds
    of employees in the Romanian public education system are today picketing
    prefect offices in several counties, primarily demanding the full
    implementation of a law concerning their incomes. Education unions say the net
    salaries for this category are up to EUR 440 and warn that 2023 will bring a
    new series of union actions unless the government solves the problems in this
    sector. The trade unions also criticise the government’s failure to pay for
    overtime and travel expenses and to adjust revenues to the inflation rate.


    TIMISOARA Romania
    commemorates today 33 years since the start of the anti-communist uprising in Timişoara,
    western Romania. The anniversary is marked by a traditional solemn meeting of
    the Local Council. The participants, including members of revolutionary
    associations, discuss the events of December ’89 and observe a moment of
    silence to honour those who died during those days. Exhibitions, film
    screenings, round tables, a concert entitled Folk for the Revolution as well
    marches are also organised on this occasion. 33 years ago, in Timişoara, a
    solidarity rally for the Reformed pastor Laszlo Tokes grew into an uprising
    that spread across the country and led to the fall of the communist regime.


    RESCUERS Romanian
    mountain rescuers were awarded in Paris at the International Rescuers Congress,
    attended by relevant institutions, associations and research institutes from
    over 60 countries in the world. Salvamont Romania was acknowledged as one of
    the best drone-assisted search and rescue services, and the distinction was
    received for the Data Analysis Centre in Târgu Jiu. The centre uses special software
    and drones for victim identification. (AMP)

  • December 9, 2022

    December 9, 2022

    SCHENGEN Romania’s and Bulgaria’s bid to join the Schengen
    free-movement area may be included on the agenda of the European Council
    meeting next week, at the request of the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis,
    political sources in Bucharest said. I am convinced we will reach the
    accession of Romania and Bulgaria during this mandate and this will be my
    priority, Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, said in
    her turn. The statement comes after on Thursday at the EU Justice and Home
    Affairs Council meeting, Austria opposed Romania’s entry.


    AMBASSADOR The
    Romanian foreign ministry announced that following Austria’s veto regarding
    Romania’s Schengen accession, the country’s ambassador to Vienna, Emil
    Hurezeanu, was recalled for consultations by minister Bogdan Aurescu. The
    embassy will be headed by an interim charge d’affairs. According to diplomatic procedure,
    the decision is an indication of Romania’s firm disagreement with Austria’s
    position and also of the deterioration of current relations with that country.


    BUDGET The draft state budget
    and social security budget of Romania were passed by the government and have
    been forwarded to Parliament for discussion. The ministries set to receive more
    funding include the defence, agriculture, transport, development and education.
    Less money than this year will be earmarked for energy, judiciary and public
    healthcare. The two bills also stipulate a 10% increase in public sector
    salaries, a 12.5% increase in pension point value and an increase of the
    national minimum wage to approx. EUR 610 per month. AUR party in opposition
    already announced it would table amendments because it disagreed with the draft
    budget.


    WORKERS Another 100,000 non-EU citizens will be given access to the
    Romanian labour market next year. The figure decided by the government is
    similar to the one approved for 2022, and it is intended to cover the labour
    deficit in sectors like constructions, hospitality, protection and guard
    services, road transport and trade.


    INVESTMENTS Net investments in the Romanian economy in the 3rd
    quarter of the year reached EUR 8 bln, up 13.3% compared to the corresponding
    quarter of last year, according to unaudited data made public by the National
    Statistics Institute today. For the first 9 months of the year, the figure is
    around EUR 19 bln, up 4.5% since 2021. Major increases were reported in
    constructions and heavy industry. According to the National Statistics
    Institute, net investments are expenditure incurred with creating new fixed
    assets or with developing, upgrading and rebuilding existing ones, and with the
    transfer of ownership on existing fixed assets.


    GAUDEAMUS The 29th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair organised by Radio
    Romania is under way in Bucharest until Sunday. The event brings together 200
    participants and a variety of editorial products on different formats, for all
    ages and areas of interest, including music and educational games. The line-up
    features 600 different events and related projects. As a first, the fair also
    has special areas dedicated to interactive activities for young visitors. All
    stands are also available online on the gaudeamus.ro website. The fair’s
    honorary president this year is poet Ana Blandiana.


    FOOTBALL The FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar has reached the
    quarter-final stage. Two matches are scheduled for today, pitting Croatia
    against Brazil and the Netherlands against Argentina. On Saturday, Morocco
    takes on Portugal and England is facing France. (AMP)

  • December 8, 2022 UPDATE

    December 8, 2022 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN The EU Justice and Home Affairs Council Thursday
    denied Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to the Schengen free movement area,
    with 2 votes against. Accession requires a unanimous vote. Of the 27 member
    countries, the Netherlands and Austria voted against, with the former specifying
    that it only opposed Bulgaria’s accession. Austria argued that it feared an
    increase in illegal migration. Croatia, on the other hand, received the green
    light for accession on January 1, 2023. The European Commissioner for home
    affairs, Ylva Johansson, congratulated Croatia on its accession and said
    Bulgaria and Romania also deserved to be accepted. In Bucharest, the president Klaus
    Iohannis said the lack of consensus regarding Romania’s bid was profoundly
    unfair. The Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă said he was ‘deeply disappointed’ and
    emphasised that Austria’s vote was ‘unjustified’. The president of the Social
    Democratic Party in power, Marcel Ciolacu, said the European unity and
    stability had received a harsh blow from Austria, which in difficult times
    chose to forsake its European friends and serve Russia’s interests instead. Austria’s
    veto to Romania’s Schengen accession is an unfair and immoral attitude, lacking
    solid reasons, the deputy PM and leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians in Romania Kelemen Hunor said in his turn. In the opposition, the
    president of USR party, Cătălin Drulă, sees the JHA Council’s decision as ‘profoundly
    unfair’, and argues that the Austrian government’s position will go down in
    history as an instance of discrimination. In turn, George Simion the head of AUR
    party, also in opposition, defines the decision as a ‘failure of Romania’s current
    government and of president Klaus Iohannis’.


    FARMERS Romanian farmers will benefit from around 16 billion
    euros under the strategic plan for 2023-2027 approved on Wednesday by the
    European Commission. Some 10 billion euros account for direct payments and
    sectoral interventions, while 6 billion will be allocated to rural development.
    Romania’s agriculture minister Petre Daea said the plan also includes an
    instrument to support farmers who suffered losses as a result of natural
    disasters, with 400 million euros being earmarked to this end.


    REFUGEES The Border Police said almost 65,500 people crossed
    the border into Romania on Wednesday, including more than 7,300 Ukrainian
    nationals, down 1.2% compared with the previous day. Since 10th February 2022,
    two weeks before the Russian army invaded Ukraine, more than 3 million
    Ukrainians have crossed the border into neighbouring Romania. Most of them have
    continued their journey to countries in western Europe, but over 80,000 have
    chosen to stay, according to official figures.


    GAUDEAMUS The 29th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair
    organised by Radio Romania is under way in Bucharest until Sunday. The event
    brings together 200 participants and a variety of editorial products on
    different formats, for all ages and areas of interest, including music and
    educational games. The line-up features 600 different events and related
    projects. As a first, the fair also has special areas dedicated to interactive
    activities for young visitors. All stands are also available online on the
    gaudeamus.ro website. The fair’s honorary president this year is poet Ana
    Blandiana. (AMP, CM)