Radio România Internațional

Tag: agriculture

  • January 27, 2025

    January 27, 2025

     

    ART THEFT Recovering the golden helmet of Cotofenesti and the three Dacian bracelets of Sarmizegetusa Regia, stolen on Friday night from the Drents Museum in the Dutch city of Assen, is a priority, the Romanian authorities say. The prime minister’s office is checking the culture ministry’s documents under which the artifacts had been sent to the exhibition, and the culture minister Natalia Intotero will meet with the royal family and the prime minister of the Netherlands to convey Bucharest’s firm message that the heritage pieces be recovered as quickly as possible. Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolcu has set up a task force comprising interior ministry, justice and culture ministry officials as well as Romanian police, to manage the retrieval of these items of immeasurable historical value.

     

    BUDGET The leaders of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, in the ruling coalition, should meet today for talks on the state budget bill and on means to reduce the deficit to no more than 7% of GDP this year. The original deadline was today, January 27, but the bill could be postponed, as recent trade union protests prompted the ruling parties to announce they are looking for legislative solutions to alter the order underlying the budget law. The alterations, which will be operated in Parliament in the first half of February, concern payment of overtime on weekends or public holidays for employees in the defence, public order and national security system. The coalition would have wanted the budget bill to reach the government this week for approval, and to be sent to Parliament early next month.

     

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The EU foreign ministers convene today in a Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting, with the main topics on the agenda including the war in Ukraine, the Middle East crisis and relations with the US after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The FAC meeting in Brussels is the first in this format organised under the Polish EU Council presidency, which began on 1 January, and will be chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. It is also the first such meeting attended by Emil Hurezeanu as head of the Romanian diplomacy. The EU ministers will also have informal conference call with their Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiga.

     

    AGRICULTURE The Romanian minister of agriculture, Florin-Ionuţ Barbu, takes part on Monday in the first AgriFish Council meeting of this year, held in Brussels. According to a news release issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR), the agenda will concern the programme of the Polish presidency, unfair trading practices and strengthening the position of farmers in the food supply chain, trade and performance verification. The Polish EU Presidency will present its work programme and set out the main priorities in the field of agriculture and fisheries for the next six months. In turn, Member State officials will analyse the necessary revision of the performance verification procedure under the financing rules of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Romanian agriculture ministry explained.

     

    BACCALAUREATE High school senior students in Romania are taking the oral tests in the first session of this year’s Baccalaureate exam starting today. The assessment of communication skills in Romanian takes place until Wednesday, with the oral tests in ethnic minorities’ native languages held over three days, starting on January 29. The foreign language oral tests are scheduled between February 3 and 5, and digital skills will be tested between February 5 and 7. The organisation of these tests during the school year has been criticised by some students, teachers and education experts, especially because high school students must also attend classes during the exam days. The written tests in the Baccalaureate exam begins on May 30 and end on June 30, when the final results are to be announced.

     

    BELARUS The incumbent president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko won the presidential election with 87.6% of the votes, according to an exit poll which also says his 4 opponents received 1-2% of the votes. International media say the elections are intended to give a seventh consecutive term to the authoritarian Lukashenko, in power since 1994 and viewed as the most compliant ally of Putin’s Russia. On the eve of the election, the EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the regime in Minsk has “no legitimacy” and called the “sham election” an affront to democracy. In turn, MEPs demanded that the results of the Belarus election not be recognized, especially since the previous elections, in 2020, which were very likely rigged, were followed by ruthless repression of protests. According to the UN, more than 300,000 Belarusians out of a total population of nine million have fled their country for political reasons, mainly to neighbouring Poland. There are reportedly over 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus. (AMP)

  • November 18, 2024

    November 18, 2024

     

    VISIT The fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago encouraged Romanians in their fight for freedom, and the removal of the Iron Curtain made it possible for Romania to rejoin the family of European democracies, President Klaus Iohannis said in Germany. While on a visit to that country, the Romanian head of state Sunday addressed the federal Parliament, in a ceremony occasioned by the Day of Commemoration of the Victims of War and Dictatorship. In Germany, president Iohannis had talks with the German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier about security and the support that Romania and Germany will continue to give to Ukraine, while during the consultations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Romania’s full Schengen accession was also tackled. The Romanian official thanked Germany for its active support and constructive approach, emphasised that Romania fulfills its role as guarantor of security at the EU’s external border – a fact acknowledged by its European partners – and added that Romania’s full Schengen accession will strengthen this area. The agenda of the visit also included meetings with the head of the Bundestag, Barbel Bas, and with the president of the opposition Christian-Democratic Union, Friedrich Merz.

     

     

    EU PM Marcel Ciolacu is in Brussels today, accompanied by a government delegation that includes the foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu, and the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr. The working visit also includes the first meeting of a Romanian official with the new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte. Talks will focus on the security of Romania and the Black Sea region, on strengthening the eastern flank of the Alliance and on the war started by Russia in Ukraine. Marcel Ciolacu will also have meetings with EU officials, including with the president elect of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The topic of Romania’s full Schengen accession will also be approached. The Austrian interior minister, Gerhard Karner, has recently hinted that Austria could withdraw its veto on the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria after the improvement of border protection, and the Romanian PM said that there are good chances for this goal to be reached by the end of the year. A decision is expected at the JHA Council in December, but the actual lifting of border controls could take place a few months later.

     

     

    AGRICULTURE EU agriculture ministers convene in Brussels today for a meeting of the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council. One of the main topics is the situation in the EU market, especially as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The participants will discuss the state of the agricultural market and of basic agrifood products. The Ukrainian minister for agrarian policy and food Vitalii Koval will join the meeting to provide an update on Ukraine’s farming sector. Romania is represented by Violeta Muşat, a state secretary with the ministry of agriculture and rural development.

     

     

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu takes part today in a Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels. The agenda includes Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the developments in Georgia, the EU-USA relations following the US presidential elections, the situation in the Middle East and the security situation in the Horn of Africa. The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, will propose a freeze on the political dialogue with Israel in the context of the war in Gaza Strip, DPA reports, after ”a year of unheeded pleas by the Israeli authorities regarding respect for international law in the Gaza war”, Borrell wrote ahead of the meeting. On the sidelines of the FAC meeting, an informal working breakfast with Moldova’s foreign minister Mihai Popşoi will also be organised, at the initiative of Romania and Lithuania.

     

     

    FOOTBALL Tonight, in Bucharest, the Romanian national football team takes on Cyprus, in Group C2 of the UEFA Nations League, with over 40,000 fans expected to attend. Romania leads the group with 4 wins in 4 games, and is waiting for a UEFA verdict related to Friday’s match against Kosovo. The match in Bucharest between Romania and Kosovo was suspended after the guests left the field during extra time in the second half, when they heard pro-Serbia chants from the home fans, and refused to resume it. The Kosovo Football Federation denounced the ”unacceptable and unsafe atmosphere” of the match in Romania, and argued that its players left the pitch because of ”persistent racist and anti-Kosovo chants by Romanian fans.” The Romanian Football Federation, for its part, issued a statement dismissing Kosovo’s allegations as unfounded, and said the guest players’ withdrawal shortly before the final whistle was unjustified. (AMP)

  • November 7, 2024 UPDATE

    November 7, 2024 UPDATE

     

    SUMMIT The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, pleaded for short and long-term solutions at a roundtable on migration occasioned by the Summit of the European Political Community in Budapest on Thursday. At the talks on migration, Klaus Iohannis warned that this remains an important challenge at European level, which requires a common and comprehensive response. He emphasised that migration continues to be worrisome in the context of the conflict in the Middle East and the continued war in Ukraine. Mr. Iohannis also said that Romania remains committed both to the implementation of effective migration management measures and to ensuring the security of the EU’s external borders. On the sidelines of the summit, the Romanian head of state also attended a meeting focused on support for the Republic of Moldova, alongside president Maia Sandu and other European leaders. At the end of the meeting in Budapest, the European leaders adopted a joint statement welcoming the results of the referendum and the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova, and committing to providing further support so that the state can carry on its reforms and fight foreign interference. Klaus Iohannis also had a bilateral meeting with the secretary general of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will make a visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13, where he will have meetings with his counterpart Keir Starmer, with the Speaker of the House of Commons, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum. According to the spokesperson of the Romanian government, ahead of this visit, the Cabinet approved in Thursday’s meeting a memorandum updating the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and preventing tax evasion. The document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation in 2023 and those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD.

     

    DEFENCE “Russia’s aggressive actions in the Black Sea region force us to have a common perspective, able to generate a firm response to the emerging threats at our borders,” said the Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr at a meeting of defense ministers in South-Eastern Europe, held in Tirana (Albania). According to a ministry news release, the meeting was an opportunity to discuss the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications for regional security. In this context, Angel Tîlvăr highlighted Romania’s role as a pillar of stability in the extended Black Sea region, an area that has become a crucial point for Euro-Atlantic security. “Only through a united approach can we ensure the security of our region and stability at the borders of the EU and NATO,” he also said. On the sidelines of the meeting, in bilateral talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Anatolie Nosatiy, Tilvǎr emphasised the importance of firm support for the Republic of Moldova in the face of security challenges and destabilisation attempts, part of the Russian Federation’s hybrid actions.

     

    AGRICULTURE The Common Agricultural Policy needs a separate budget, and farmers need to be sure they will receive the funds without limitations linked to the rule of law or other unrelated conditions, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, said in Bucharest. On the sidelines of his official visit to Romania, the EU Commissioner attended the National Conference of the Romanian Farmers’ Club jointly with the minister of agriculture, Florin Barbu. The European official said that, at EU level, the agricultural trade balance with third countries reached a record-high surplus of EUR 70 billion in 2023. The Conference was attended by farmers, high-ranking Romanian and European officials with responsibilities in the development of agriculture policies and strategies, leaders in the field of agricultural technologies, as well as representatives of farmers’ associations at European and national levels.

     

    SALARIES The average annual full-time adjusted salary of Romanians is the fourth lowest in the European Union. Eurostat data shows an annual increase of approx.  EUR 2,600 for 2023, but the total amount remains less than half of the EU average. The EU adjusted average annual salary the last year was EUR 37,900, while in Romania it was approx. EUR 17,700. Luxembourg holds the record with an average full-time salary of over EUR 81,000, followed by Denmark and Ireland. At the opposite pole is Bulgaria, with EUR 13,500 per year, followed by Hungary and Greece.

     

    US ELECTION The US President Joe Biden gave assurances on Thursday that the American electoral system is fair and that a peaceful and orderly transition of power will be ensured. The statement was made in a speech addressed to the American nation on the election results and preparations for the transition on January 20, when President-elect Donald Trump will return to the White House, after defeating the Democrat Kamala Harris. “We accept the choice the country made. I’ve said many times that you can’t love your country only when you win,” Biden said in his first media appearance after Trump’s victory. As for the integrity of the American electoral system — “it is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent,” Biden said. “And it can be trusted, win or lose.” Leaders around the world reacted after Donald Trump announced his victory in the US presidential election. (AMP)

  • November 6, 2024

    November 6, 2024

     

    US ELECTION The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and PM Marcel Ciolacu today congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential elections. “Romania is a strong and committed strategic ally of the USA. Through our joint efforts, we will bring peace and prosperity to our countries and beyond, defending our common interests,” the Romanian president wrote on a social network. The Republican Donald Trump claimed an “unprecedented mandate,” in a speech held at West Palm Beach, Florida, after Fox News called the election for Trump, the only US news outlet to do this so far. Although technically the vote count is not yet over, Donald Trump thanked the Americans for electing him. “We made history,” he said, and promised to help the country “heal.” Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, said in his turn that “we have witnessed the greatest political comeback in US history.” His opponent, the Democrat Kamala Harris, has not yet addressed her supporters.

     

    SENATE The Republicans appear to have have gained control of the US Senate, previously held by the Democrats, with a majority of at least 51 seats out of 100, according to projections. The US Senate has 100 seats (2 for each US state) and 34 members are replaced following the vote organised concurrently with the November 5 presidential election. In the House of Representatives, neither party seems to have a decisive advantage, as the vote count in the 50 states continues today. The control of the two chambers of the US Congress is a major stake, as the room for maneuver of the country’s president depends largely on the laws they are able to get passed in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both vote on federal laws, but the Senate also has important exclusive powers, especially in the appointment or removal of key government members or in the confirmation of federal magistrates.

     

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION The Social Democrat Roxana Mînzatu, Romania’s nomination for vice-president of the new European Commission, received a positive review from the specialist committees of the Romanian parliament. Next week, she will also be heard in the committees of the European Parliament. In addition to the position of vice-president, the Romanian commissioner will also serve as Commissioner for People, Skills and Preparedness.

     

    INVESTMENTS PM Marcel Ciolacu had a meeting with a delegation of Japanese investors on Tuesday in Bucharest. They expressed their interest in strengthening financial support for Romania in transport infrastructure, energy, digitisation and high techn projects. Previously, at a bilateral Energy Forum also held in the Romanian capital city, the energy ministry and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a hydropower plant project in Cluj county (northwest Romania).

     

    VISIT The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, is on an official visit to Bucharest, where he takes part today in the national conference of the Romanian Farmers’ Club. According to a press release issued by the European Commission, the commissioner is a special guest in the interactive EU-Romania Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, where he talks about the prospects of European farming in the context of the current environmental and geo-political challenges and of the EU enlargement. At the same time, the European official is to address a plenary session on “Vision and action for the sustainable transformation of agriculture”. Among other things, Janusz Wojciechowski will thank Romanian farmers for their vital contribution to food security, in Europe and beyond.

     

    FLOODS Another person on the list of Romanian nationals missing following the recent floods in Spain has been found dead. The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to the information sent by the Spanish authorities, up to this moment 2 Romanian citizens are dead and 7 are still missing. The Romanian embassy in Madrid and the consular office in Castellón de la Plana are checking public information regarding the death of some Romanian citizens, but no official confirmations have been received so far. Meanwhile, the Spanish government has declared a state of natural disaster in the affected areas and has pledged to cover 100% of the urgent expenses of the affected municipalities. A first emergency plan worth over EUR 10 billion was adopted. (AMP)

  • Aid for Romanian farmers affected by the drought

    Aid for Romanian farmers affected by the drought

    The European Commission has approved a state aid scheme for Romanian farmers affected by the drought, worth 400 million Euros, which will be granted for losses incurred from September 2023 to August 2024. Following the analysis carried out, the EC found that the scheme is necessary and adequate to compensate Romanian farmers for the losses suffered due to this extreme climate event. Moreover, the Commission established that the system is proportionate because it is limited to the minimum necessary funds and has a limited impact on competition and trade between member states. Based on these considerations, the Commission approved the scheme for Romania in accordance with EU rules on state aid. It is intended for agricultural producers who have had losses for one or more of the thirty-nine types of crops selected by the Commission. It is about wheat, rye, barley, oats or rapeseed, peas, sunflowers or corn, crops that were affected by the severe drought after the fall of 2023.

     

    To qualify for this type of aid, agricultural producers must prove that they have lost more than thirty percent of their crops, and financial support will be obtained through direct subsidies. The maximum value of the aid amounts to 200 Euros per hectare for 100% loss, and payments will be made by December 31. In Romania, the authorities have already informed the farmers that until October 29, they can submit the requests and the minutes of damage assessment to the county departments for agriculture.

     

    On the other hand, two weeks ago, the authorities in Bucharest established that farmers affected by the drought, who have concluded loan or leasing contracts, will be able to request the suspension of debt payments and loan rates until August 1, 2025, if they fulfill two conditions cumulatively. The person who requests the suspension must have a written report showing that he or she had a degree of damage of at least 50%, and the interest rate charged by the creditor is higher than 2.5% + ROBOR index for loans in lei and 2% + EURIBOR index for foreign currency loans. Furthermore, farmers will be able to take loans fully guaranteed by the state on favorable terms to pay their outstanding debts.

     

    Unfortunately, the situation is serious. For this year alone, for example, the Romanian government estimates that around two million hectares have been affected by the drought and is considering financial compensation for the owners. However, losses are also announced for the farmers who managed to harvest the crops because some lots of corn have already been refused for export, due to the diseases emerged against the background of the drought. Calculations also show that Romania loses a thousand hectares of arable land every year due to desertification. In this context, the Environment Ministry fears a total desertification in the south of the country, in the next 50 years. (LS)

  • September 23, 2024 UPDATE

    September 23, 2024 UPDATE

    BUDGET The government in Bucharest on Monday endorsed the first budget adjustment this year. The new positive adjustment will be bringing the GDP deficit up to 6.9%, even though the Finance Ministry also forecasts income raises. The money will be mainly used for co-funding investment projects and also for pay rises approved amid a series of protests this year. According to Prime Minister Ciolacu, Europe’s developed countries, Germany and France, supported investment concurrently with the rising budget deficit. Ciolacu described this raise as sustainable, given that 8.5 lei out of 10 will be used for funding motorways, hospitals, schools, gas and water distribution networks and other objectives of local interest. Ciolacu went on to say that the invested sums would be returned eightfold to the budget as it happened in the case of the motorways built.

     

    FUNDS Romania is to receive 21.6 million Euros from the European Commission for the farmers who incurred losses from the bad weather this summer. The decision was made at the AgriFish Council, which takes place in Brussels and where Romania is being represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Barbu. The European Executive has proposed the allotment of 120 million Euros out of its agriculture reserve in order to directly support farmers from Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia and Italy. According to Barbu, it’s for the first time when farmers get compensations in the same year with the calamities. Data released by the Agriculture Ministry in Bucharest says that over 16 thousand farmers have applied for investigations and the assessment of their destroyed crops. Minister Barbu says that roughly 2 million hectares of corn and sunflower crops have been affected by the extreme weather in Romania plus 100 thousand hectares of autumn crops like wheat and rape.

     

    UN President Klaus Iohannis will be heading Romania’s delegation at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York on the 24th and 25th September. The main theme is “Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for everyone everywhere”. According to a statement from the Romanian president’s office, Klaus Iohannis will give an address on Wednesday, in which he will call for maintaining multilateral dialogue, especially in a UN format, as an essential element of regional and global security. He is also expected to highlight his country’s efforts and contribution, at all levels, to finding solutions to current global challenges, from security crises like the war in Ukraine or the conflict in the Middle East, to major challenges facing the world, including the climate emergency and cyber threats.

     

    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball vice-champions CS Rapid Bucharest lost 37-29 to the German side HB Ludwigsburg at home on Sunday evening, in a Champions League Group B match. Rapid will next play Team Esbjerg away on 6th October. The Romanian side are in 4th place in their group, with 3 points in 3 matches. Previously, the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest defeated the Croatian side RK Podravka Vegeta Koprivnica 29-28 away, while CS Gloria Bistriţa-Năsăud lost at home to the Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana 30-35. CSM have four points in three matches played, and Gloria two points. The latter will play their next match away against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria on 5th October, while CSM will face the Danish side Nykobing Falster Handbold at home on 6th October.

     

    ELECTIONS The Romanian foreign ministry has published a guide for postal voting ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections this year. The voter registration deadline for Romanian citizens with their domicile or residence abroad is 10th October for the presidential elections and 17th October for the parliamentary elections. Registration is made by filling in an online form available at votstrăinătate.ro, a website managed by the Permanent Electoral Authority.

    (bill)

     

     

     

  • August 20, 2024 UPDATE

    August 20, 2024 UPDATE

     

    CANDIDACY The leader of the Social Democratic Party, PM Marcel Ciolacu, will run for president of Romania. Just days ahead of the party congress, he announced his fellow party members of his decision. “I am confident that together we will manage to once again win a presidential election, after 20 years. Romania needs stability and balance,” Ciolacu said.

     

    CSP10 The geopolitical environment is marred by mistrust and disrespect for the international order, which leads to the escalation of regional conflicts and a new arms race, said the Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu. The head of Romanian diplomacy is taking part until Friday in the Conference of States Parties (CSP10) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which is being held in Geneva, under the presidency of Romania. In her address, the Romanian minister highlighted the celebration of 10 years since the entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty, underlining its essential role in the current geopolitical context, as well as the importance of cooperation between all actors involved in reducing human suffering, promoting peace, security and international stability. Also, Luminiţa Odobescu pointed out the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the CSP10, which ends on 23 August, 2024. Romania’s priorities included encouraging a dynamic dialogue between member states regarding the effective implementation of the Treaty, universalisation activities and measures to increase the transparency of conventional arms exports and imports.

     

    AGRICULTURE Romania is safe in terms of food security, even if this year was a dry one, the Agriculture Minister, Florin Barbu, said on Tuesday in a specialised conference. According to him, Romania produced almost 1.7 million tons of wheat more than last year, and it will have a very good corn crop. Florin Barbu also pointed out that the agriculture ministry must take urgent measures, because this year, due to climate change and drought, more than two million hectares have been affected throughout the country. He also mentioned the importance of investments in the irrigation system in Romania, stating that currently over 1.6 million hectares of land are rehabilitated and irrigated. According to the National Institute of Statistics, last year Romania’s wheat output was over 9.6 million tons, on an area of ​​2.2 million hectares, while the corn kernel output was over 8.5 million tons on almost 2.4 million hectares.

     

    INFLATION The annual inflation rate in the European Union went up to 2.8% in July, from 2.6% in June, according to data released on Tuesday by the EU statistical office, Eurostat. The EU members with the highest inflation rates last year were Romania (5.8%), Belgium (5.4%) and Hungary (4.1%). The EU countries with the lowest inflation rates were Finland (0.5%), Latvia (0.8%), and Denmark (1%).  As compared to the month of June, the inflation rate went down in 9 EU members, remained stable in 4 countries and grew in 14 other. In July Romania reported an inflation rate of 5.8%, from 5.3% the previous month.

     

    VISIT The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, Monday received the Minister of Defense Pål Jonson and the Minister of Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin from the Kingdom of Sweden. High on the agenda of talks were the security situation in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea regions, against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, cooperation within NATO, the implementation of the decisions of the Washington Summit, the evolution of projects developed within the European Union, as well as participation in missions and operations under the EU aegis. “Sweden has a significant contribution to Euro-Atlantic security, once it has joined NATO. We act together to promote and implement Allied measures on the entire eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance and to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including in terms of preparing our armies for the challenges of the future”, said Angel Tîlvăr. The officials reiterated their constant support for Ukraine, as well as for the Republic of Moldova, and highlighted the importance of maintaining a constant political and military dialogue, in order to streamline and harmonise joint efforts in the field of defence. (AMP)

  • August 20, 2024

    August 20, 2024

    Geneva – The geopolitical environment is marked by mistrust and disrespect for the international order, which leads to the escalation of regional conflicts and a new arms race, said the Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu. The head of Romanian diplomacy is participating, until Friday, in the Conference of States Parties (CSP10) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which is being held in Geneva, under the presidency of Romania. In her address, the Romanian minister marked the celebration of 10 years since the entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty, underlining its essential role in the current geopolitical context, as well as the importance of cooperation between all actors involved in reducing human suffering, promoting peace, security and international stability. Also, Luminiţa Odobescu pointed out the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the CSP10, exercised until August 23, 2024, which include encouraging the dynamism of the dialogue between the states parties regarding the effective implementation of the Treaty, universalization activities and measures to increase the transparency of conventional arms exports and imports.

     

    Agriculture – Romania is safe from the point of view of food security, even if this year was a dry one, the Agriculture Minister, Florin Barbu, said on Tuesday in a specialized conference. According to him, Romania obtained a production of almost 1.7 million tons of wheat more than last year, and it will have a very good corn crop. Florin Barbu also pointed out that the agriculture ministry must take urgent measures, because this year, due to the climate change and drought, more than two million hectares have been affected throughout the country. He also mentioned the importance of investments in the irrigation system in Romania, stating that currently there are over 1.6 million hectares rehabilitated and irrigated. According to the National Institute of Statistics, last year Romania obtained a wheat production of over 9.6 million tons, from an area of ​​2.2 million hectares, while the production of corn kernels was over 8.5 million tons from almost 2.4 million hectares.

     

    Inflation – The annual inflation rate in the European Union in July went up to 2.8% from 2.6% in June, data released on Tuesday by the EU statistical office, Eurostat, reports. The EU members with the highest inflation rates last year were Romania (5.8%), Belgium (5.4%) and Hungary (4.1%). The EU countries with the lowest inflation rates were Finland (0.5%), Latvia (0.8%), and Denmark (1%).  As compared to the month of June, the inflation rate went down in nine EU members, remained stable in four countries and grew in other 14. In July Romania reported an inflation rate of 5.8% from 5.3%.

     

    Visit – The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, on Monday received the official visit of the Minister of Defense Pål Jonson and the Minister of Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin from the Kingdom of Sweden. High on the agenda of talks were the security situation in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea regions, against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, cooperation within NATO, the implementation of the decisions of the Washington Summit, the evolution of projects developed within the European Union, as well as participation in missions and operations under the EU aegis. “Sweden has a significant contribution to Euro-Atlantic security, once it has joined NATO. We act together to promote and implement allied measures on the entire eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance and to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including in terms of preparing our armies for the challenges of the future”, said Angel Tîlvăr. The ministers reiterated their constant support for Ukraine, as well as for the Republic of Moldova, the three officials highlighting the importance of maintaining a constant political and military dialogue, in order to streamline and harmonize common efforts in the field of defense.

     

    Brussels – The main challenge regarding next year’s EU budget is identifying the necessary funds to finance recovery plans and maintaining budget allocations for traditional European programs, said Victor Negrescu, the chief negotiator of the European Parliament on the Union’s budget for 2025, in a social media post. The Romanian MEP recalls that the amount initially foreseen for 2025 for the financing of the recovery and resilience mechanism was 2,677.8 million Euros, while the real estimated costs are almost double. Victor Negrescu claims that the current situation is generated by the high costs of interests for the recovery mechanism, by the emergence of new priorities and programs generated by the new challenges in the field of defense, international and industrial, by the amendments brought through the modification of the multiannual financial framework, as well as by the need to strengthen the borders and the security of the member states. The framework document that underlies the negotiations between the political groups in the European Parliament is to be presented by the end of August, and in October the EP will approve its budget plan so that it can be negotiated in November with the representatives of the EU Council. (LS)

  • March 31, 2024 UPDATE

    March 31, 2024 UPDATE

     

    SCHENGEN Romanian seaports and international airports officially joined the Schengen Area on Sunday, March 31. At sea, controls are not eliminated, but they are simplified. Passengers flying to or from Schengen member states will go directly to their respective boarding gate after security checks, without having their travel documents checked by the border police. Currently, 27 European states are full members of the Schengen Agreement, and Romania and Bulgaria become members with partial rights on March 31. Border checks remain in place at land checkpoints, after Austria vetoed Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen membership. The EC president, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed and congratulated the 2 countries on their accomplishment, and promised talks would be carried on this year to complete the process.

     

    EASTER Roman-Catholic and Protestant Christians, including around 1.3 million believers in mostly Orthodox Romania, celebrated Easter Sunday. At midnight, at the Vatican, Pope Francis presided over the Easter Vigil service at St. Peter’s Basilica. Enmity and wars, self-absorption and indifference, the fears that hold us back from accomplishing the good we mean to do, are our own stone blocks, the tombstones in our hearts, that rob us of enthusiasm and of the strength to persevere, the Pope said in his Homily. In a pastoral letter, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest, Aurel Percă, said that unfortunately, the song of joy proclaimed by the church on Easter comes in contrast with the cries coming from so many painful situations, such as wars, injustice, inequality and poverty. In turn, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said in a message that “Easter gives us an opportunity to be together with our loved ones and reminds us that we are always accompanied by the divine love and strength.” This year, Easter for Roman Catholics and Protestants is 5 weeks before the corresponding Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Neo-Protestant celebration on May 5.

     

    NATO The Parliament of Romania convenes on Tuesday in a joint meeting to mark 20 years since the country joined the North Atlantic Alliance and 75 years since the establishment of NATO. On April 2, exactly 2 decades ago, Romania’s colours were first flown at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, after the ratification documents had been received by the US Department of State on March 29.

     

    DST Saturday night Romania switched to daylight saving time, with clocks going forward one hour. Sunday was the shortest day this year. With the transition to summer time, the difference between the official time in Romania and UTC is three hours. Daylight saving time is observed until October 27. EU member states were supposed to decide by 2021 whether they wanted to permanently adopt summer time or winter time. However, the discussion is still open.

     

    AGRICULTURE Last year Romania came 2nd in the EU, after France, in terms of the sunflower seed yield, thus losing the top EU position held in 2022, the National Statistics Institute announced. In 2023 the yield was 3.7% below the figures reported the previous year, although the surface area under sunflower crops was the same. Romania remains the 6th in Europe in terms of the area under potato crops, and the 9th-largest producer in Europe in 2023, after countries like Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Poland.

     

    OIL SECTOR In 2023, Romania remained the main supplier of oil products for the Republic of Moldova, the National Energy Regulatory Agency in Chişinău announced. Last year, Moldova imported around 1 mln tonnes of diesel, petrol and LPG, accounting for a 6.6% rise since 2022 and for a complete recovery of the oil market after the successive crises entailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Radio Chişinău said, quoting energy sector experts. Russia, which used to be one of the largest oil product suppliers for Moldova, only exported insignificant amounts to Moldova last year.

     

    HANDBALL The western Romanian handball team CS Minaur Baia Mare qualified for the semi-finals of the EHF European Cup, although they were defeated by the Austrian side Bregenz Handball 30-28 on Saturday night, in an away game in the second leg of the quarter-finals. The Romanian vice-champions had won the first leg at home, 37-31. In the semis, Minaur takes on Valur Reykjavik (Iceland), which outplayed CSA Steaua Bucharest in the previous round. On April 2, Romanian champions CS Dinamo Bucharest play away from home against the Danish side Bjerringbro Silkeborg, in the second leg of the EHF European League play-offs. Dinamo won the home game 37-34. The quarter-final winners are to play in the Final Four round. (AMP)

  • March 31, 2024

    March 31, 2024

     

    SCHENGEN Romanian seaports and international airports officially joined the Schengen Area on Sunday, March 31. At sea, controls are not eliminated, but they are simplified. Passengers flying to or from Schengen member states will go directly to their respective boarding gate after security checks, without having their travel documents checked by the border police. Currently, 27 European states are full members of the Schengen Agreement, and Romania and Bulgaria become members with partial rights on March 31. Border checks remain in place at land checkpoints, after Austria vetoed Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen membership. The EC president, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed and congratulated the 2 countries on their accomplishment, and promised talks would be carried on this year to complete the process.

     

    EASTER Roman-Catholic and Protestant Christians celebrate Easter today. In mostly Orthodox Romania, around 1.3 million people are celebrating Easter Sunday today. At midnight, at the Vatican, Pope Francis presided over the Easter Vigil service at the St. Peter’s Basilica. Enmity and wars, self-absorption and indifference, the fears that hold us back from accomplishing the good we mean to do, are our own stone blocks, the tombstones in our hearts, that rob us of enthusiasm and of the strength to persevere, the Pope said in his Homily. In a pastoral letter, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest, Aurel Percă, says that unfortunately, the song of joy proclaimed by the church on Easter comes in contrast with the cries coming from so many painful situations, such as wars, injustice, inequality and poverty. In turn, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis says in a message that “Easter gives us an opportunity to be together with our loved ones and reminds us that we are always accompanied by the divine love and strength.” This year, Easter for Roman Catholics and Protestants is 5 weeks before the corresponding Orthodox, Greek Catholic and Neo-Protestant celebration on May 5. In 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2017, the Resurrection was celebrated on the same day by all Christians, regardless of denomination. Next year, all Christians will celebrate Easter on the same day again.

     

    NATO The Parliament of Romania convenes on Tuesday in a joint meeting to mark 20 years since the country joined the North Atlantic Alliance and 75 years since the establishment of NATO. On April 2, exactly decades ago, Romania’s colours were first flown at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, after the ratification documents had been received by the US Department of State on March 29.

     

    DST Last night Romania switched to daylight saving time, with clocks going forward one hour. Sunday is the shortest day this year. With the transition to summer time, the difference between the official time in Romania and UTC is three hours. Daylight saving time is observed until October 27. EU member states were supposed to decide by 2021 whether they wanted to permanently adopt summer time or winter time. However, the discussion is still open.

     

    AGRICULTURE Last year Romania came 2nd in the EU, after France, in terms of the sunflower seed yield, thus losing the top EU position held in 2022, the National Statistics Institutte announced. In 2023 the yield was 3.7% below the figures reported the previous year, although the surface area under sunflower crops was the same. Romania remains the 6th in Europe in terms of the area under potato crops, and the 9th-largest producer in Europe in 2023, after countries like Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Poland.

     

    OIL SECTOR In 2023, Romania remained the main supplier of oil products for the Republic of Moldova, the National Energy Regulatory Agency in Chişinău announced. Last year, Moldova imported around 1 mln tonnes of diesel, petrol and LPG, accounting for a 6.6% rise since 2022 and for a complete recovery of the oil market after the successive crises entailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, Radio Chişinău said, quoting energy sector experts. Russia, which used to be one of the largest oil product suppliers for Moldova, only exported insignificant amounts to Moldova last year. (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.

  • Support for Romanian farmers

    After large protests by farmers in Bucharest and other cities, the government has approved a support package for the agricultural sector. Farmers will be supported by the state to pay some of their interest rates on loans and the bills for the electricity used for irrigation. Under a programme entitled “Farmers credit”, the government is to allocate around 165 million euros to pay some of farmers variable interest rate on loans in lei (ROBOR). Referring to the help with electricity bills, the governments spokesman Mihai Constantin explains:



    “A government decision was issued establishing reimbursement for up to 50% of expenses incurred with electricity used for irrigation, to be covered by the state budget. This decision to cover a significant part of irrigation expenses incurred by farmers last year is aimed at helping producers recover economically following the losses caused by the drought.”



    Romania will benefit from 34 million euros from the European Unions solidarity fund to make up for the losses suffered as a result of the 2022 drought. The money was already transferred in December last year and Romania has one year and a half to implement the support. The European Commission has recognised that the high costs of energy and living, the high inflation rate, the change of international commercial flows and the need to support Ukraine have all put pressure on the European agricultural sector. Moreover, the European cereal production dropped by 30% in a single year. Euro MP Carmen Avram made an X-ray of European agriculture:



    “The European Commission is going full gas and wherever you look, its about the farmers. New sources of funding are being looked at, laws are being amended, state aid is being granted and, although problems differ, from the impact of Ukrainian cereals in the countries in the East to the dissatisfaction with the elimination of fuel subsidies in the West, the cause seems to be the same: the concurring crises that shook the farming sector and a legislative tsunami called the Green Deal. From 2019 since this Commission took over, 600 legislative initiatives have been announced.”



    Carmen Avram admits, however, that the results of these actions are yet to be seen and hopes Romanian farmers will earn the right to the same amount of subsidies as their counterparts in the West. (CM)


  • February 1, 2024

    February 1, 2024

    Meeting — The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denis Shmihal, welcomed the decision of the European Union to approve an additional financing package for his country worth 50 billion Euros. “The EU member states once again show their solidarity and unity in supporting the Ukrainian people to resist the war,” Shmihal wrote on the online social network platform X. Previously, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced on the same platform that all 27 EU member states had approved this package. According to some European diplomats, the EU agreement includes annual discussions on this package and the review of the plan in two years, if necessary. At the extraordinary meeting of the European Council, that focuses on obtaining an agreement at EU level regarding the main elements of the revision package of the multiannual financial framework for the period 2021-2027, Romania is represented by President Klaus Iohannis. The Presidential Administration in Bucharest shows in a press release that the president will firmly advocate for Ukraine, Romanias neighbor, to remain a top priority on the European Unions agenda and, in this sense, will emphasize the fact that support for this country in all forms must continue. On the eve, Iohannis participated in the memorial ceremony organized by the European Commission in memory of the French politician Jacques Delors, former president of the EC between 1985-1995, who died at the end of last year, when he was almost a hundred years old.



    Agriculture – The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will have a meeting, today, in Brussels, with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the crisis in agriculture and the support measures that farmers are asking for at the level of the entire Union. The meeting takes place on the sidelines of the extraordinary European summit on the Union budget and after the European Commission announced measures that it claims will support farmers. According to the correspondent of Radio Romania in Brussels, two mechanisms have been established to block cheap imports of vegetable products, chicken meat, eggs and sugar from Ukraine, if they affect the markets. Also, the Commission is to eliminate the requirement that five percent of the surface of a farm be left uncultivated. It will be replaced by the possibility for farmers to cultivate plants that fix nitrogen in the soil, on seven percent of the surface, but without using pesticides. The decisions of the Commission must be approved by the Parliament and the Council of the European Union. From Greece to the Netherlands and from Germany to Spain, farmers protests have multiplied, they are dissatisfied with the restrictions imposed on them by environmental policies, the free market penetration of Ukrainian products and the increase in production costs, after the increase in excise duties on fuel or the elimination of subsidies.



    Farmers – Thousands of Romanian farmers in the vegetable sector are expected at the offices of the Payments and Intervention Agency for Agriculture (APIA), to request the support offered by the state in the context of the losses reported due to the war in neighboring Ukraine. Requests for the compensatory payment must be submitted by March 8, at the APIA county centers. The direct grant represents a compensatory payment per surface and is the equivalent in lei of 100 Euros per hectare. The maximum value of the direct grant cannot exceed the equivalent in lei of 280,000 Euros. On the other hand, across the country, transporters and farmers continue their protests against the economic and social policies of the governors.



    Cyber-attack – The Romanian government has amended the cyber security law, in an emergency procedure, so that state institutions should be informed within 48 hours at most if the IT infrastructure of any entity in the country is affected and to quickly prevent risks. The changes were made after the cyber-attack on the websites of the National Directorate for Cyber ​​Security and the Chamber of Deputies. The Minister of Research and Digitization, Bogdan Ivan, pointed out that, in the case of the Directorate, the attack was not successful, while at the Chamber of Deputies over 300 files with public documents were stolen, as well as data not intended for the public, such as copies of identity documents of parliamentarians, including a copy of the identity card of the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Consequently he will have to change his ID card.



    Parliament – Today, Romanian senators and deputies begin a new parliamentary session, the first of this year and the last but one of the legislature. Among the priorities of PSD and PNL, in the governing coalition, are the projects necessary to fulfill the milestones in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR, as well as those related to gambling and combating drug use. In turn, the opposition wants to stop possible tax increases and to prevent the violation of the Constitution.



    Trial – Today, the Ministry of Finance will be empowered by the Bucharest Government to hire a law firm to represent Romania in the trial with the famous pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The case is pending before the Francophone Court of First Instance in Brussels and has the first court date February 20. The Romanian authorities were notified last December by the New York-based firm regarding the opening of a lawsuit for the recovery of sums of money, after the failure to finalize the purchase of 28 million doses of the Covid vaccine. Poland and Hungary are affected by similar procedures, and the Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, has recently said that Romania will collaborate with the Polish side in the defense effort. (LS)

  • 22.01.2024 (mise à jour)

    22.01.2024 (mise à jour)

    Protestation
    –     Le Sénat de Bucarest a été convoqué dans le cadre d’une réunion
    extraordinaire pour s’informer sur les décrets d’urgence du gouvernement qui
    visent certaines mesures demandées par les fermiers et par les chauffeurs de
    camion. Il s’agit de la permission accordée aux possesseurs d’un permis de conduire de catégorie B d’opérer des
    tracteurs agricoles et forestiers lents et la remise pour le 1er
    juin de la décision européenne sur le marquage fiscal commun du diesel et du
    kérosène. Les deux documents ont été repartis aux commissions spécialisées pour
    l’élaboration du rapport. Sur Facebook, le président du Sénat, Nicolae Ciucă, a
    souligné que les protestations des fermiers et des camionneurs étaient
    justifiées et que le Législatif se mobiliserait pour permettre l’entrée en
    vigueur des textes législatifs au plus vite. Nicolae Ciucă a également dit que
    les eurodéputés libéraux avaient proposé une série de mesures au Parlement
    européen, par le biais de laquelle les fermiers roumains devraient recevoir
    davantage de compensations pour les pertes provoquées par la sécheresse, les
    inondations et les conséquences de la guerre en Ukraine. Ce qui plus est, le
    gouvernement initiera un programme de renouvellement du parc de tracteurs et
    d’outillages agricoles de Roumanie par le biais duquel, les fermiers recevront
    une aide de 30 000 euros. Les protestations des fermiers et des camionneurs se
    poursuivent pourtant près de Bucarest et à travers le pays. Ils demandent la
    réduction des tarifs des assurances RCA, la récupération d’un pourcentage de
    l’accise aux carburants, l’équité fiscale et la réduction des délais de passage
    de la frontière.

    Agriculture
    –     Le ministre roumain de l’agriculture, Florin Barbu, a déclaré que mardi à
    Bruxelles il pourrait demander la démission du commissaire européen en charge
    de l’agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski. Il a affirmé que les sources des
    mécontentements sont une série de dérogations des normes d’environnement qui
    visent la rotation des cultures et la condition de ne pas exploiter 4% de la
    superficie d’une ferme. La Roumanie demande une prolongation de ces dérogations
    appelées GAEC 7 et GAEC 8. M Barbu affirme qu’il pourrait demander la démission
    du responsable européen puisque celui-ci ne respecte pas le vote exprimé par
    une quinzaine d’Etats, dont l’Allemagne et la France sur les deux dérogations.
    Le ministre roumain a précisé qu’il serait pour la première fois qu’un Etat
    par la voix d’un représentant demande au sein du Conseil des ministres la
    démission du commissaire européen à l’agriculture.

    Diplomatie – A Bruxelles, la ministre roumaine des Affaires Etrangères, Luminiţa Odobescu,
    a affirmé que les Etats communautaires devraient utiliser « tous les
    moyens » pour aider Kiev. Selon la responsable roumaine, l’Ukraine devrait
    rester une priorité à l’agenda de l’Union européenne et le bloc communautaire
    devrait débloquer la tranche de l’instrument européen pour la paix, sceller un
    accord politique durant le Conseil européen la semaine prochaine pour ce qui
    est du mécanisme pour l’Ukraine et décider d’un calendrier prédictible de
    l’adhésion pour l’Ukraine et pour la République de Moldova. La cheffe de la
    diplomatie roumaine a également souligné qu’il était important que l’UE lutte
    contre la propagande de Moscou et poursuive les pressions sur la Russie. C’est
    précisément pourquoi la Roumanie soutient un nouveau paquet de sanctions à l’encontre
    de la Russie, a souligné Mme Odobescu. Pour ce qui est de la crise au Proche
    Orient, elle a appelé à la mise en liberté immédiate des otages détenus par le
    groupe terroriste du Hamas et a souligné que dans ce dossier les autorités de
    Bucarest coordonnaient leurs actions à celles de Washington et à celles des
    partenaires de la région.

    Union
    –     Les grandes villes roumaines se préparent à célébrer l’Union des principautés
    roumaines de Valachie et de Moldavie. Mercredi, le 24 janvier toute une série
    d’événements sont prévus : cérémonies militaires et religieuses,
    spectacles, expositions, visites de musées et d’autres institutions de culture.
    A Focsani, dans le sud-est, le 165e anniversaire de l’Union des deux
    principautés sera marqué par un ample programme qui inclura des spectacles et
    des concerts, un court défilé militaire et la traditionnelle ronde de l’Union
    sur la Place centrale de la ville. A Iasi, dans le nord-est, une cérémonie
    devant la statue du prince régnant Alexandru Ioan Cuza est prévue, réunissant
    plus de 300 militaires. Si la météo est favorable, le défilé sera complété par
    un survol d’hélicoptères militaires. A
    Bucarest, le musée national Cotroceni sera ouvert gratuitement au public, et à
    l’Athénée roumain, l’orchestre philharmonique « George Enescu » se
    produira dans le cadre d’un concert pour les élèves. Ce fut en janvier 1859 qu’Alexandru
    Ioan Cuza a été élu prince régnant tant en Moldavie, qu’en Valachie et selon la
    constitution de 1866, les Principautés Unies s’appellent officiellement
    Roumanie.

  • Manifs et mesures gouvernementales

    Manifs et mesures gouvernementales

    Jeudi, le gouvernement roumain a adopté plusieurs projets
    transposant dans la législation nationale les solutions convenues à la suite
    des discussions avec les chauffeurs de poids-lourds et les agriculteurs qui
    protestent depuis des jours à travers le pays. Côté transports, les règles
    concernant les moyens de peser les camions aux postes-frontière, le contrôle
    technique (ITP) des véhicules ou l’attestation professionnelle du personnel
    spécialisé dans le domaine du transport routier ont été modifiées. Selon le
    Premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu, une solution a également été trouvée pour un
    niveau décent du prix des assurances auto obligatoires pour les poids lourds et
    les véhicules utilitaires.



    « Le prix
    sera soutenable, y compris pour les petits entrepreneurs avec deux ou trois
    camions, qui n’ont pas les mêmes moyens que les entreprises qui possèdent de
    grandes flottes. D’ailleurs le paiement échelonné de l’assurance auto obligatoire
    et la possibilité de suspendre l’assurance pendant que le camion est stationné
    pendant une certaine période, pour diverses raisons, sont aussi
    autorisés »


    Des
    mesures visant les agriculteurs




    Côté agriculture, les céréaliers recevront une
    compensation. A propos de celles-ci, mais aussi d’autres mesures convenues, le premier
    ministre Marcel Ciolacu a déclaré :



    « Nous
    accordons un soutien direct de 100 euros par hectare aux producteurs du secteur
    agricole, pour compenser les pertes subies à cause de la guerre en Ukraine aux
    cultures créées à l’automne 2022. L’allocation pour chaque entreprise agricole
    ne peut excéder les 280 000 euros. Nous estimons qu’il y aura plus de 162 000
    bénéficiaires et un effort budgétaire de près de 250 millions d’euros, montant
    déjà prévu dans le budget. Par ailleurs, la demande de conduire des tracteurs avec
    le permis de conduire aux catégories B et B1 me semble
    raisonnable. Nous sommes en train de résoudre également le problème des outillages
    agricoles, en étendant les exceptions visant l’immatriculation et le contrôle
    technique périodique des véhicules lents. Le Registre automobile roumain pourra
    réaliser le contrôle technique périodique des véhicules agricoles ou forestiers
    avec des laboratoires mobiles, directement au siège de la ferme. »     .

    Enfin, la proposition de reporter temporairement le paiement
    des mensualités aux crédits faits par les producteurs agricoles touchés par la
    sécheresse de l’année dernière a été analysée, en première lecture. Et pourtant,
    il s’agit d’une proposition qui doit être mise en œuvre en collaboration avec
    le système bancaire.


    Les
    manifs se poursuivent la semaine prochaine


    Malgré les mesures annoncées par l’Exécutif, les
    protestations se sont poursuivies, même si leur ampleur a diminué. A Bucarest,
    la Mairie a autorisé une manifestation ce dimanche, mais aussi lundi et mardi
    prochains, dans le centre de la capitale, pour 5.000 personnes et 200 tracteurs
    et camions.





    Les médecins généralistes et ceux des cliniques
    spécialisées à travers le pays ont également participé à des manifs, déplorant la
    réduction des montants alloués au décompte des services médicaux, aux termes
    d’un projet des autorités. A l’issue des négociations, les responsables
    gouvernementaux ont décidé de maintenir le budget actuel jusqu’au 30 juin. Après
    cette date, le gouvernement roumain devra identifier des solutions, afin que
    l’argent disponibles couvre ces dépenses jusqu’à la fin de l’année.