Radio România Internațional

Tag: ban

  • A new Forestry Code in Romania

    A new Forestry Code in Romania

    On the very International Day of Forests, the Romanian government approved a new Forestry Code, developed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. “It is a balanced Forestry Code, which came to life following an extensive, serious and well-argued dialogue with all the actors in the forestry field”, said the Minister of the Environment, Mircea Fechet. The coming into force of this law is intended to rationalize the legal framework, to combat illegal logging and improve forest management. The document also provides for the establishment of the National Forestry Council, which will bring together all the professional organizations in this field, and the forest owners will be registered in a national forest register.

     

    At the same time, one of the most important provisions prohibits clear-cutting in almost half of the country’s forest area. Until now, clear-cutting was prohibited only in National Parks. Also, the ban will be extended in the Natural Parks. The new Forestry Code will allow the state to reforest those lands that have been deforested and abandoned by the owners, and the Environment Minister, Mircea Fechet, said that there are many such cases. He also mentioned that this bill establishes the legal framework for the digitized fight against illegal forest logging, using satellite images and smart cameras. At the same time, the new Forestry Code entitles forest owners, be they state institutions or private entities or individuals, to alternative security solutions: from specialized structures to security ensured by own means and based on regulations, specifying that forest security is mandatory by law.

     

    Also, the bill establishes the communities dependent on the forest products and prioritizes them in relation to access to forest resources and introduces the phrase “agroforestry use” which means that pastures and agricultural crops will be able to be integrated with trees and shrubs. The bill also establishes the setting up of the National Forestry Council, which monitors and ensures that the forestry personnel operate in conditions of professional ethics, with the observance of professional standards. Ecosystems with high conservation value are defined and the National Catalog of ecosystems with high conservation value – strictly protected – is established. According to another provision, a new concept is introduced, the so-called “aging islands”, which become the mechanism through which forest areas covering at least 0.1 ha, with a great role in maintaining biodiversity, will be protected from cutting. Last but not least, another provision regulates access on foot or by bicycle to the lands of the National Forestry Authority. The new Forestry Code was sent by the government to Parliament, which will analyze and approve it in the form of a law that will replace the old code dating from 2008. (LS)

  • E-cigarettes no longer sold to minors in Romania

    E-cigarettes no longer sold to minors in Romania

    After last week’s ban on the sale of energy drinks to minors in Romania, now it is time for the e-cigarettes to be included in the same category of banned products. The law banning the sale of such products to minors has been endorsed by the decision-making Chamber of Deputies.

    The Romanian MPs have endorsed a bill banning the sale of vapes to young people under 18. This category of banned products also includes the tobacco heating devices and oral nicotine products.

    Any violation of the new law will be sanctioned with high fines in accordance with the crime gravity, including the sale of the aforementioned banned products via the vending machines, easyboxes or couriers.

    Customers will have to produce an ID in shops or when they get their online orders. At the same time, students are not allowed to use the aforementioned products in schools or other education units. At the same time, schools will have to introduce in their regulations, coercive measures in order to make students comply with the law banning the sale, ownership or use of tobacco-based products, e-cigarettes and tobacco-heating devices on school premises.

    The definition of the e-cigarette and its refills has been taken over from the European legislation. Several amendments, initially rejected by the specialized committees, have also been endorsed during the latest debates housed by the Chamber of Deputies.

    Most of these belong to the Chamber’s interim president Social-Democrat Alfred Simonis, who has also initiated the aforementioned bill.

    Alfred Simonis: “Children will no longer be able to buy such electronic cigarettes. Neither will they be able to buy those nicotine pouches. These products will no longer be available in vending machines at that, while fines will be up to 20 thousand Euros for any shop that sells these things to minors.”

    The opposition USR and AUR have also endorsed the bill, but added that banning advertisements to these products is equally important. Here is the USR MP, Emanuel Ungureanu.

    Emanuel Ungureanu: “Publicity – banning advertisements to these products is the key, as in this way you sanction the sellers as well. You thus stop the spreading of fake news even to committees – that these products are less toxic than traditional smoking. Being exposed to commercials for these products is the most toxic thing, which you cannot prevent only through banning the products.”

    Scientific research shows that the use of this type of products entails a series of health risks.

    (bill)

     

  • February 3, 2024

    February 3, 2024

    AGREEMENT The PM
    of Romania Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of farmers and carriers
    Friday reached an agreement ending the recent protests. On Monday, the PM’s
    office will set up an inter-ministry committee tasked with identifying the best
    solutions for the protesters’ demands. Farmers and carriers in Romania
    protested for 3 weeks against high business costs, low prices for produce, the
    import of cheap foodstuffs from Ukraine and the constraints introduced by the
    EU as part of its climate change action.


    COMMEMORATION A
    ceremony commemorating the prominent politician Iuliu Maniu, a former prime
    minister of Romania and leader of the National Christian-Democratic Party, was
    held on Saturday at the Memorial for the victims of communism in Sighetu
    Marmaţiei (north-west). Maniu died on the night of February 4 1953, in the political
    prison in Sighet, where he was serving a life sentence for high treason
    pronounced by the communist regime. His name was cleared under a Supreme Court
    ruling in 1998, and a monument was erected in his honour in the Revolution
    Square in Bucharest.


    MOLDOVA Chişinău
    extended an entry ban against the leader of the Romanian nationalist party AUR,
    George Simion, by another 5 years. Under Moldova’s legislation, foreigners may
    be declared undesirables if they have or if there are strong reasons to believe
    they intend to conduct activities likely to endanger the country’s national
    security or public order. According to the R. of Moldova, the Romanian
    authorities have been notified in this respect, and George Simion challenged
    the decision in court. The AUR leader was expelled from Moldova in 2018, with
    an entry ban in place for a period of 5 years.


    MIDDLE EAST The
    US conducted scores of air raids against targets operated by Iran-controlled
    groups in Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon said the raids were a response to the recent
    drone attack by Iran-supported fighters, which killed 3 US troops at a military
    base in Jordan, the BBC reports. Taking part in Friday’s raids were B1
    long-range bombers, flying out of the US. Iran condemned the strikes, claiming
    they violated the sovereignty of Syria and Iraq, AFP reports. In Bagdad, a
    government spokesman announced the US strikes in western Iraq killed at least
    16 people, including civilians. Meanwhile, the US state secretary Antony
    Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank
    between February 4-8, primarily to reach a deal securing the freeing of all the
    Israeli hostages kept in Gaza following the Hamas terror attack of October 7.


    TENNIS The
    Romanian player Marius Copil takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas, no. 10 in the world,
    in Athens today, in the first match between Romania and Greece in the playoffs
    for the Davis Cup World Group I. The second singles match will be pitting Nicholas
    David Ionel against Aristotelis Thanos. The doubles match and 2 other singles
    games are scheduled for Sunday. Romania and Greece played twice against each
    other in the Davis Cup before, with one win each. Previously in this year’s competition,
    in the first round of the World Group I, Romania lost to Taiwan and Greece was
    defeated by Slovakia. (AMP)

  • April 29, 2023 UPDATE

    April 29, 2023 UPDATE

    UDMR — Deputy Prime Minister in the Romanian government, Kelemen Hunor, was re-elected, on Saturday, to the position of president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR, for a fourth term. At the Congress of the Union, which took place in Timisoara (west), he was the only candidate for that position. Of the 835 delegates attending, 653 voted for his re-election, seven votes were invalid, and the rest did not vote. Kelemen said that he wanted to keep UDMR in the government coalition with the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the Liberal Party — PNL. The liberal leader, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, and the Social Democrat leader and speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, who attended the congress, expressed their support for continuing this partnership. Present, for 33 years, in all the post-communist Romanian Parliaments, since 1996 UDMR has been part of numerous coalition governments in Bucharest, either right-wing or left-wing.



    Drugs – 11 people who were participating in a festival in the resort of Mamaia, on the Black Sea Coast (south-eastern Romania) are being investigated for drug trafficking, as various banned substances were found on them. According to the police, the 11 persons were caught red-handed while selling such substances. They also promoted the sale of drugs through messaging applications, specifying the prices for each type of drug. Six of the persons, foreign citizens, were held on remand for 30 days.



    Handball — Romania’s mens national handball team meets, on Sunday evening, in Gummersbach, Germany, the Ukrainian national team, in its last match in Group 4 of the preliminaries of the European Mens Handball Championship – EHF EURO 2024. The hosts are the Ukrainians, who, after their country was invaded, last year, by the Russian troops, play their home matches abroad. In the same group, the match Austria — the Faroe Islands is also played. In the ranking, Austria is on first place, with 10 points, followed by Romania, 4 points (goal average +5), the Faroe Islands, 4 points (-5), and Ukraine, 2 points (-21). The top two ranking teams in the eight preliminary groups qualify for the final tournament, together with the four best teams on third place. The European Mens Handball Championship will take place in Germany, between January 10 and 28, 2024. World champion four times in the 1960-70s, Romania has not qualified for a European Championship since 1996, when it ranked 9th.



    Book – Romania is attending the Leipzig Book Fair, in Germany, with over 150 new titles: fiction, childrens literature and non-fiction, as well as numerous events hosted at the national stand, with the direct participation of famous writers, such as Gabriela Adameșteanu, Ioana Pârvulescu and Mircea Cărtărescu. The 2023 edition is enjoying great success, as the event has not been organized since 2019, due to the pandemic, and the public is particularly interested in meeting the world of books and their authors – writer Ioana Pârvulescu told Radio Romania.



    Moldova – The Moldovan Foreign Ministry officials say they will not comment on what they call the absolutely unacceptable language used in their statements by some Russian officials, but announce that the ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Oleg Vasnetsov, will be summoned to the ministry to give explanations. The former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev, today the vice-president of the Security Council in Moscow, said that the Republic of Moldova does not even exist as a state anymore, because “it was sold” to Romania. And the spokesman for the Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov, states that the Republic of Moldova is about to be “absorbed” by Romania. They made these statements after the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, the pro-Western Dorin Recean, announced that several Russian officials, responsible for the invasion of neighboring Ukraine, including President Vladimir Putin, have been denied entry into Moldova. Created on part of the eastern Romanian territories annexed by Stalin’s Soviet Union, following an ultimatum, the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from Moscow in 1991.



    Veterans — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on the occasion of War Veterans Day, emphasizing that love of the country, belonging to the nation and courage guided their deeds of arms on the battlefield. Romania currently benefits from “the most solid security guarantees in history”, and the unity and solidarity within NATO “increase the strength of the collective defense”. The “substantial” presence of the allies on the national territory is proof thereof, the president added. “Romania owes its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity to the war veterans and it remembers their heroism” the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also said. The PM stated, in his message, that it is an act of national conscience to honor the people on whose bravery Romania relied in difficult times for the entire world. (LS)

  • April 17, 2023 UPDATE

    April 17, 2023 UPDATE

    Easter — The majority Orthodox Christians along the Greek-Catholics in Romania started the Bright Week on Monday, following Sunday’s Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The Monday of the Bright Week is also called White Monday and is said to be the day when the Gates of Heaven and forgiveness open. This week everything is under the sign of light, the symbol of Christs Resurrection. The usual greeting has been replaced since Sunday with a greeting-confession “Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!” which expresses faith in the Resurrection. The Resurrection of Christ is the greatest celebration in the Christian world, being celebrated for three days.



    Cereals — Poland’s and Hungary’s decision to temporarily ban Ukrainian grain imports, accused of destabilizing agricultural markets, is “unacceptable”, the European Commission said, while adding that it is “considering” a second aid package for farmers in the affected countries. Meanwhile, the Slovakian government also approved the establishment of a ban on imports of some agricultural products from Ukraine. In May 2022 the EU suspended for a year the customs duties on all imports from Ukraine and allowed it to export its grain stocks after the closure of maritime routes as a result of the war launched by Russia. The neighboring European states have seen increased arrivals of corn, wheat or sunflowers from Ukraine, which led to the filling of granaries due to logistical problems and to the fall of local prices. The situation has generated protests by farmers and led to the resignation of the Polish Agriculture Minister. On March 20, Brussels offered to draw 56.3 million Euros from the EUs agricultural crisis reserve to support affected farmers in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. But at the end of March, five countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria) requested additional aid to support farmers who have suffered losses.



    Speed – The traffic police from all over Europe are carrying out, by the end of the week, a large-scale operation to verify compliance with the legal speed and to prevent accidents caused by excessive speed. As part of the European action called “Speed”, the Romanian traffic policemen will carry out, on Friday, a control operation in which they will focus on detecting those who exceed the legal speed. All the traffic surveillance and speed measurement equipment of the police will be used. The General Police Inspectorate in Bucharest announces that in Romania, since the beginning of the year, exceeding the legal speed has caused almost 200 serious road accidents, resulting in over 80 deaths and approximately 150 seriously injured people. Moreover, speeding caused almost 20% of all serious accidents at the national level, according to the data presented by the General Police Inspectorate.



    Education – The Romanian Parliament will resume these days the debates on the new education laws, which bring changes to the higher and pre-university education systems. Some of the changes refer to establishing a high school entrance examination, separate from the National Assessment, and to the introduction of an additional test, different from the subjects studied for the Baccalaureate exam. At the debates held so far in the specialized committees, the representatives of students, parents and teachers have criticized these changes, as well as the absence of clear provisions for combating violence in schools. The law package should be adopted by the beginning of next month at the latest by the Chamber of Deputies, as a first body notified.



    Motion – On Tuesday, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies debates the simple motion initiated by opposition MPs against the Agriculture Minister, considered responsible for the fact that Romania did not obtain sufficient European funds to support the farmers affected by the imports from Ukraine. The Agriculture Minister Petre Daea was convinced that the European funds for compensating the losses suffered by farmers would be supplemented. The 10 million Euros initially allocated were doubled by a contribution from the state budget. The money will be given strictly to those farmers who had grains in stock on February 1, and not to merchants, the minister said. (LS)

  • Ban on amusement arcades near schools

    Ban on amusement arcades near schools

    The law limiting access to gambling was unanimously adopted on Monday by the Romanian Senate, which is the first chamber to which the bill was referred. The document, initiated by the opposition Save Romania Union — USR bans the operation of amusement arcades near schools, playgrounds, cultural centers and hospitals. Senators from all political parties revealed the importance of this project, aimed at reducing the disastrous effects of gambling on minors. The interim president of the Senate, the liberal Alina Gorghiu, believes that the legislation in the field must be stricter and stricter.



    Alina Gorghiu: “The most important change is the fact that a ban was introduced on the operation of amusement arcades on a distance of 300 meters from educational units and institutions, playgrounds for children, culture, art, health and social institutions and banking and financial institutions. Secondly, an amendment was adopted which stipulates that these slot machines can no longer be functional in bars”.



    For his part, the USR senator Sebastian Cernic showed that while in Romania there are no programs for the prevention and treatment of gambling addiction, the governments of other countries such as Belgium, Great Britain, Spain or Australia have drastically limited the exposure of young people to this risk. According to him, the document is probably the most important law for protecting the life and future of children.



    Sebastian Cernic: “We have to say Stop. It is necessary to clear the road to school or to the childrens playground of temptations and lies.”



    During the debates, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR senator Irina Kovács, a former high school director, stated that there are teenagers who unfortunately have become addicted to gambling only because these arcades are located near educational institutions.



    Irina Kovács: “We had cases of children who ended up developing addictions because the high school was surrounded by no less than five amusement arcades.”



    And the Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR senator Rodica Boancă believes that such laws are necessary: “Gambling, drugs, alcohol consumption create vices that can endanger their life, that of the family”.



    In turn, the social democrat Radu Oprea believes that the draft law is a good initiative, but, unfortunately, it does not solve the problem of those who are addicted to gambling. Radu Oprea: “One of the good amendments is to remove slot-machines from bars and cafes, where young people can enter and where, if there is alcohol around, the idea of playing will definitely become more pressing”.



    After being adopted by the Senate, the bill will enter the debate of the Chamber of Deputies, which is a decision-making body. (LS)

  • November 4, 2022 UPDATE

    November 4, 2022 UPDATE

    LAW Romania’s
    president Klaus Iohannis Friday signed into law a bill banning convicted offenders
    from running for public offices such as senators, deputies, mayors, chairs or
    members of county councils and others. Under the said law, the ban does not
    apply in cases involving rehabilitation, amnesty or decriminalisation.




    AIRCRAFT Romania has signed an agreement to purchase 32 F-16
    fighters from Norway. According to the Defence Ministry, the first aircraft
    will be delivered towards the end of next year, and total costs amount to EUR 388
    mln. The ministry also explains that the aircraft will be operational and fit
    for use for another at least 10 years. The agreement is supported by the US
    Government and is a capability transfer between 2 NATO member states, aimed at
    enhancing Romania’s defence capacity and at ensuring the country’s contribution
    to the collective defence as part of the Alliance. At present the Romanian Air
    Forces operate 17 F-16 fighters.


    TRADE The volume
    of trade exchanges between Romania and Germany in the first 9 months of the
    year exceeded EUR 28 bln, 18% higher than in the same period last year, says
    the Federal Statistics Office quoted by the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce.
    According to the same sources, German exports to Romania stood at roughly EUR 15
    bln, while imports exceeded EUR 13 bln, placing Romania on the 19th position in
    a ranking by exports and on the 21st position in terms of imports. Federal
    authorities have voiced hope that Romania will join the Schengen zone as soon
    as possible in what is seen as a strong political signal acknowledging the
    country’s positive achievements in terms of European integration.


    EXTREMISM The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation condemns the
    xenophobic statements made by a Hungarian politician on a visit to Sfântu
    Gheorghe (central Romania). Barna Bartha, a Deputy affiliated with the
    extremist party Mi Hazánk (Our Motherland) made racist statements concerning
    Roma and Jewish people, and threatened Boróka Parászka, a Hungarian ethnic
    employed as a journalist with Radio România Tîrgu Mureş. The management of the
    Radio Broadcasting Corporation sees these statements as unacceptable and a
    serious attack against basic rules of democracy and against the rule of law. PM
    Nicolae Ciuca also described the threats against journalist Paraszka Boroka as
    a serious attack on democratic values and urged the relevant authorities to
    use their legal powers to protect the members of mass media. Mi Hazánk is a
    far-right party in Hungary, set up 4 years ago by dissidents from Jobbik party
    after its leaders moved away from the organisation’s radical roots.


    UKRAINE Some 4.5
    million Ukrainians, accounting for one-tenth of the country’s population, were
    left without electricity on Thursday night, after Russian attacks on the
    country’s energy network. Power went out both in the capital Kyiv and in 10
    other regions. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russians
    cannot beat Ukraine on the battlefield, so they try to break our people by
    resorting to energy terrorism. Meanwhile, Ukraine firmly condemned the
    massive displacement of civilians in Russian-controlled Kherson region (south)
    for fear of a massive Ukrainian counteroffensive. Civilians were reportedly
    also moved in the neighbouring region of Zaporizhzhia and in Crimea, the
    peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, as well as in the eastern provinces of Luhansk
    and Donetsk, partly controlled by pro-Moscow secessionists. (AMP)

  • Ban on convicted criminals to hold public offices

    Ban on convicted criminals to hold public offices

    No person convicted of any crime can run for local and parliamentary elections, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies decided on Tuesday, as it approved two draft laws in its capacity as a decision-making body. The persons who cannot be elected to the positions of local councilor, county councilor, mayor or president of the county council, senator or deputy, are those persons who, on the date of submitting their candidacy, were definitively sentenced to custodial sentences for crimes committed with intent, unless rehabilitation, post-conviction amnesty or decriminalization intervened.



    The first draft law adopted comes with a key amendment to the law submitted by deputy Cătălin Teniță from REPER (set up by the former Save Romania Union – USR leader Dacian Cioloș) which originally provided for a ban on the participation in elections for persons convicted of crimes against minors (rape, pornography, trafficking, serious bodily injury, etc.).



    We started from a law initially meant to protect children, given that the number of convictions indicates that in Romania, at least one child out of five is at risk of becoming a victim of sexual abuse up to the age of 18, including rape, pornography, trafficking, serious bodily injury, and so on. The fact that together with my colleagues we extended and adopted this law with reference to all criminals tells me that yes, indeed, Romania is trying to heal itself, says Cătălin Teniță, who submitted the original law together with the opposition Save Romanian Party deputy, Diana Stoica.



    The adoption of the law is a victory for the children of Romania, says Diana Stoica, for her part: This project initially started out of the desire to protect children, because we all saw how, last year, a mayor who had sexual relations with a 13-year-old girl for three years was re-elected to a public position. In the future, if this law does not pass, such persons will be able to hold public positions and be at the head of the communities, and, worse, of the country as well.



    The MPs were removed from this bill, but they were introduced, on the same day, through another bill, initiated by several National Liberal Party – PNL deputies and senators (in the governing coalition). Thus, persons who, on the date of submitting their candidacy, have received definitive criminal convictions cannot run for parliamentary elections.



    Corruption has led Romanians to have extremely low confidence in the state institutions, and it has equally weakened the state and made it poorer, said one of the initiators, the liberal Raluca Turcan: It’s never too late. Corruption impoverishes. Corruption makes young people and worthy people leave this country. Corruption makes honest, righteous people be disappointed by everything that means decision-making in Romania. Today, a big step forward has been taken so that righteous people should access key institutions.



    The two bills are to reach President Klaus Iohannis for promulgation. (LS)


  • June 26, 2022 UPDATE

    June 26, 2022 UPDATE

    FLAG DAY Events were organised in county capitals and in Romanian
    localities hosting military units, to celebrate National Flag Day on the 26th
    June. The National Flag Day was introduced to mark the day in 1848 when the
    revolutionary government proclaimed the red, yellow and blue flag as the
    national colours of all Romanians. The National Flag Day was introduced under a
    1998 law.


    MOLDOVA Russia’s ex-president and PM Dmitri Medvedev threatens that
    the Republic of Moldova will see its natural gas supplies cut and exports of
    agri-food products to the Russian market banned, if Chişinău joins the West’s
    economic sanctions against Moscow. Medvedev, currently the vice-president of
    the Security Council, posted on his Telegram channel an extensive article on
    the Republic of Moldova, which Thursday was recognised as an EU candidate country.
    According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Moscow, Medvedev says the
    accession process may take decades, which makes Moldova’s annexation by Romania
    an easier option. And, Medvedev argues, both Bucharest and Chişinău are making
    efforts in this respect. The Romanian foreign ministry says Dmitri Medvedev’s
    statements are part of Kremlin’s already known false rhetoric, disseminated in
    the Republic of Moldova both before, and after the illegal, unjustified and
    unprovoked aggression of Russia against Ukraine.


    FESTIVAL The Sibiu International Theatre Festival continues in central
    Romania until the 3rd July. This year’s motto is Beauty. This 29th
    edition of the festival brings together artists from around the world in
    theatre, dance, cinema, musical, opera and circus performances. Concerts, book
    shows and exhibitions are also organized as part of the festival. Some of the
    performances taking place in cultural or unconventional venues can be watched
    on the Festival’s official website, digital streaming platform www.scena-digitala.ro,
    and on the event’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.


    INCOMES The average monthly income per household in Romania was
    nearly EUR 1,100 in 2021, up 8.9% since the previous year, according to the
    National Statistics Institute. The total incomes were 3.6 times higher in
    households whose members are higher-education graduates. Also, families in the
    35-49 year bracket earned the most, while in terms of geographic regions the
    highest incomes were reported in Bucharest-Ilfov (south), and the lowest in the
    north-east of the country.


    G7 The group of 7 rich democracies announced a ban on Russian gold
    imports, during a summit held on Sunday, in the context of the war in Ukraine
    and its impact on the energy and grains markets. According to Reuters, this
    adds to sanctions already introduced against Moscow after Russia invaded
    Ukraine at the end of February. The new measures will directly affect Russian
    oligarchs and strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine, the
    British PM Boris Johnson said. We need to starve the Putin regime of its
    funding. The UK and our allies are doing just that, Mr. Johnson added.


    TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, no 19 WTA and former
    world leader, will take on the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova (82 WTA), in
    the first round of the Wimbledon tournament. Halep, winner of the Wimbledon trophy
    in 2019, is seed no. 16 this year in the competition. Another Romanian player,
    Sorana Cîrstea, 32 WTA and seed no. 21, plays against Aleksandra Krunic of
    Serbia (53 WTA). Gabriela Ruse (55 WTA) has the most difficult match in the All
    England Club first round, against the American Coco Gauff, no. 12 in the world.
    Irina Begu (43 WTA) is facing Ekaterine Gorgodze of Georgia (112 WTA), in the
    same round, while Ana Bogdan (109 WTA) plays against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska
    (74 WTA), and Irina Bara (121 WTA) against Chloe Paquet of France (101 WTA). In
    turn, Mihaela Buzărnescu (126 WTA) will play against Natasja Schunk of Germany (156
    WTA). This year’s Wimbledon tournament has record-large amounts in prize money
    (over GBP 40 million) but the WTA and ATP announced they will not assign any
    points, after the British organisers decided to bar Russian and Belarusian
    players from taking part, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (AMP)

  • Partial embargo on Russian oil 

    Partial embargo on Russian oil 

    Since the start of the Russian military invasion in Ukraine on
    February 24, Western countries have responded by a number of economic and
    diplomatic sanctions against Russia. The sanctions are designed to effectively
    counter Russia’s continued aggression on the neighbouring country.


    Convening
    in a summit in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, the EU leaders agreed, after
    several hours of talks, to gradually ban Russian oil imports. The compromise
    negotiated with difficulty in Brussels bans only seaborne oil purchases for the
    time being, exempting pipeline deliveries following the opposition of Hungary.


    The measure
    is part of the 6th package of sanctions enacted by the EU since the
    start of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.


    The president
    of the European Council, Charles Michel, said the measure, which will be
    enforced by the end of the year, immediately covers more than two-thirds of the
    Russian oil imports, cutting a huge source of financing for [Russia’s] war
    machine and delivering maximum pressure on Russia to end the war.


    Imports via the Druzhba pipeline,
    which also supplies Hungary, will be exempt from the ban in a first stage, after
    Budapest used its veto rights to hinder the adoption of the 6th
    package of EU sanctions for several weeks. Hungary’s domestic consumption is
    65% reliant on the Druzhba pipeline.


    Negotiations
    are scheduled as soon as possible to move towards banning the remaining of the
    Russian oil imports.


    Attending
    the summit in Brussels, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said Bucharest
    supported the new sanctions against Moscow.


    Meanwhile,
    the EU leaders also agreed to remove 3 Russian banks, including Sberbank, from the Swift
    global payments system and to ban 3 other state-owned Russian broadcasters. So
    far, 7 Russian banks have been denied access to the Swift platform which enables
    major banking operations such as interbank transfers.


    Also, a
    macro-financial aid package worth EUR 9 billion has been approved. The funds
    will allow Kyiv to cover its immediate cash demand and to keep its economy
    running. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the country needs EUR 5
    billion per month. The EU funding will take the form of long-term loans with subsidised
    interests. (AMP)

  • Hörerpostsendung 31.5.2020

    Hörerpostsendung 31.5.2020

    Liebe Freunde, herzlich willkommen zur Hörerpostsendung von RRI!



    Gleich zu Beginn habe ich eine halbwegs erfreuliche Ankündigung: Wir haben auch dieses Jahr eine QSL-Serie, allerdings vorerst nur in virtueller Form, denn momentan wissen wir noch nicht, wann uns das Budget für Anfertigung und Porto zugewiesen wird. Letztes Jahr hat es ja bis Mitte Juni gedauert, bis wir endlich QSL-Karten zuschicken konnten.



    Trotzdem können Sie die Karten mittlerweile auf unserer Webseite betrachten, für die Hörer ohne Internetzugang möchte ich sie kurz beschreiben. Die QSL-Serie 2020 ist alten rumänischen Münzen und Banknoten gewidmet, die ab 1867 bis Anfang der 1930er geprägt bzw. herausgegeben wurden. Die offizielle Landeswährung Rumäniens ist der Leu (Mehrzahl: Lei), unterteilt in 100 Bani (ban, pl. bani, bedeutet im Rumänischen auch Münze“ oder Geld“ schlechthin). Im 17. Jahrhundert waren in den historischen rumänischen Provinzen niederländische Löwentaler (nl. Leeuwendaalder) im Umlauf — deren Besonderheit war das geprägte Bild eines Löwen, der sich auf seinen Hinterpfoten aufrichtet. Auf dieser Grundlage wurde diese Münze Löwentaler“ (rum. taler-leu) und im modernen Rumänien einfach nur noch Leu“ (Löwe) genannt. Auch nachdem die niederländischen Taler aus dem Verkehr zurückgezogen wurden, blieb der Name Leu“ (Plural: Lei“) als allgemeiner Begriff für Münzen und Geld erhalten.



    1867 wurde der Leu die offizielle Währung der Vereinigten Donaufürstentümer Moldau und Walachei.



    Und jetzt noch eine detaillierte Vorstellung der QSL-Karte für Januar, in den folgenden Wochen werde ich auch die anderen Karten vorstellen. Auf der QSL-Karte für Januar 2020 ist die Münze im Wert von 1 Ban (aus dem Jahr 1867) abgebildet. Die 1-Ban-Münze hat einen Durchmesser von 15 mm, wiegt 1 Gramm, und die Legierung besteht zu 95% aus Kupfer, 4% Zinn und 1% Zink. Der Au‎ßenrand ist glatt, der Randkreis geperlt. Die Prägung des Nennwertes 1 BANU“ und des Auflagenjahrs 1867“ ist von einem Lorbeerzweig auf der linken und einem Eichenzweig auf der rechten Seite gesäumt. Unter der Schleife, die beide Zweige verbindet, ist der Name der Prägungsanstalt zu sehen. Auf dem Revers ist das Wappen des rumänischen Königshauses zu erblicken, der Randkreis auf der Rückseite ist ebenfalls geperlt.



    Geprägt wurden im Jahr 1867 insgesamt 4 Münzen-Auflagen bei zwei unterschiedlichen Anstalten: Heaton bzw. Watt & Co. (beide in Birmingham). Somit gab es zwei Auflagen, die sich nur durch dieses kleine Detail unterscheiden: Im unteren Teil des Averses ist dementsprechend entweder HEATON oder WATT & Co. eingraviert. Die Münzen wurden am 1. Januar 1868 in Umlauf gesetzt.



    Anlässlich der 140. Jahresfeier seit Verabschiedung des Gesetzes zur Gründung eines neuen Währungswesens und der Prägung nationaler Münzen“ gab die Nationalbank Rumäniens (BNR) im Jahr 2007 ein Serie von Replikaten der Münzen von 1867 in Wert von 1 BAN(U), 2 BANI, 5 BANI und 10 BANI heraus. Die Replikate sind aus Gold (Reinheit: 99,9%) und haben denselben Durchmesser wie die Originale (aufgrund des Edelmetalls wiegen sie allerdings schwerer). Jedes einzelne der insgesamt vier Sets wurde in 250 Exemplaren geprägt. Unter der Schleife, die die beiden Zweige verbindet, wurde der Name der ursprünglichen Prägungsanstalt durch den Buchstaben R“ (für Replikat“) ersetzt.



    Und jetzt zu Hörerzuschriften. Herbert Jörger (aus Bühl, Baden-Württemberg) meldete sich unlängst per E-Mail:



    Ihre Sendung war sehr spannend und unterhaltsam. Gerade in der Zeit der Corona-Pandemie muss man viele Abstriche machen. Grö‎ßere Volksfeste fallen 2020 fast in allen Staaten aus. Wie es mit Reisen in andere Länder aussieht, ist noch nicht geklärt. Besonders die Einzelhändler und die Gastronomie hat es hart getroffen. Auch Kirchenbesuche mit viel Abstand wurden genehmigt, 5 Personen dürfen nun zusammen wieder laufen. Auch der Schulbetrieb für Abschlussklassen ist nun genehmigt, Kosmetik- oder Fitnessstudios sowie die Kitas, Bars und Gaststätten müssen noch warten. Vereine wie Sport, Musik- und Gesangvereine konnten nicht proben.


    Viele Firmen und Betriebe schlossen oder meldeten Kurzarbeit an. Beim Einkaufen ist in Baden-Württemberg und elf weiteren Bundesländern eine Nasen- und Mundbereichsmaske vorgeschrieben. Die Chinesen machten es uns ja vor. Allmählich kehrt das normale Leben zurück. Auch wann die Bäder wieder benutzt werden können, ist nicht geklärt. Fu‎ßballspiele und Autorennen oder Wanderungen fallen auch aus. Eine Frage hätte ich noch, welche Fläche nimmt das Donaudelta ein?



    Vielen Dank für das Feedback. lieber Herr Jörger. Inzwischen ist ja in Deutschland und Österreich der Gastronomie-Bereich unter bestimmten Auflagen wieder offen. Auch in Rumänien ist das der Fall — ab morgen, dem 1. Juni. Es gelten Auflagen wie einen Mindestabstand zwischen den Tischen und die seltsam anmutende Empfehlung, dass nicht mehr als drei Personen aus demselben Haushalt oder derselben Familie an einem Tisch sitzen dürfen. Wie das zu kontrollieren ist, steht in den Sternen, ich kann mir kaum vorstellen, dass etwa ein Barbesitzer allen Kunden die Personalien abnimmt, wie das z.B. in Deutschland verpflichtend ist. Dann hie‎ß es noch, dass Privatpartys mit bis zu 8 Personen erlaubt sein werden. Wieso gerade 8, und nicht 5 oder 10 Personen, wurde auch nicht begründet. Kirchenmessen sind ebenfalls nur im Freien, also vor der Kirche, wieder erlaubt, Fitness-Studios müssen noch bis 15. Juni warten, Schwimmbäder und Saunas bleiben allerdings auch weiterhin geschlossen. In Innenräumen wie Läden und öffentliche Einrichtungen sowie in öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln gilt nach wie vor eine Maskenpflicht, allerdings habe ich nicht selten gesehen, dass sich viele daran nicht halten oder die Maske lässig unter der Nase oder dem Kinn tragen, als wäre sie ein modisches Accessoire. Na ja, wir werden sehen, ob es nicht auch in Rumänien in den nächsten Wochen zu neuen Infektionsherden kommt.



    Das Donaudelta stellt nach dem Wolgadelta das zweitgrö‎ßte Delta Europas dar und umfasst ein Gebiet von 5800 km², wovon 72% mit einer Fläche von knapp 4200 km² unter Naturschutz stehen. Diese Fläche liegt zu 82,5% im rumänischen Teil der Landschaft Dobrudscha sowie zu 17,5% in der Ukraine.



    Herzliche Grü‎ße nach Baden-Württemberg, lieber Herr Jörger, und bleiben Sie gesund!



    Peter Vaegler aus Stralsund schrieb uns gleich mehrere Mal im Monat Mai, Anfang des Monats hatte er noch Schwierigkeiten mit dem Empfang, dann wurde es wieder besser, und schlie‎ßlich machte er auch einen Umzug durch. Hier einige Auszüge aus seiner vorletzten E-Mail:



    Liebe Freunde in Bukarest!



    Wieder ist eine Woche vergangen und zwischenzeitlich sind die Verbote wieder weiter gelockert worden. Ab morgen dürfen auch wieder Touristen aus anderen Bundesländern hier ihren Urlaub verbringen. In den Restaurants der Stadt war zu sehen, dass durch die fehlenden Tagestouristen viele Plätze frei blieben. Es war sowieso empfohlen, vorher Plätze zu reservieren, denn gerade in den beliebten Lokalen waren die genehmigten Tische schnell besetzt.



    Am Donnerstag war ja in Deutschland ein Feiertag und wir hatten endlich die Gelegenheit, meinem 90-jährigen Schwiegervater mit seiner Frau unsere neue Wohnung zu zeigen. Da konnte ich auch gleich unseren neuen Grill einweihen. Es war auch der einzige Tag, an dem das Wetter mitspielte, denn ansonsten war nur Regen und Sturm.



    Ab Montag sind auch wieder die Kinos und Fitnesscenter geöffnet. Langsam normalisiert sich also bei uns das Leben, wobei es für mich immer noch ungewohnt ist, mit einer Maske einkaufen zu gehen.



    Aus Ihrer Sendung wei‎ß ich, dass sich auch die geschlossenen Museen auf die neue Situation eingestellt haben und jetzt virtuelle Ausstellungen anbieten.



    Ich hoffe nur, dass die Lockerungen nicht zu einem erneuten Aufflammen der Pandemie führen.



    Ich grü‎ße alle Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter und wünsche Gesundheit!



    Vielen Dank für das Feedback, lieber Herr Vaegler, und bleiben Sie gesund!



    Aus Luxemburg erhielten wir unlängst folgendes Feedback im Internetformular:



    Guten Tag, nach 16 Jahren Funkstille“ freue ich mich, Ihnen wieder zu schreiben. Die Sendung vom 10. Mai 2020 gefiel mir sehr gut; besonders die zwei Jazzstücke von Berti Barbera waren hervorragend. Ich werde in der Zukunft wieder öfters RRI hören! Wäre es möglich, mir eine schöne QSL-Karte per Post zu schicken? Ich danke Ihnen im Voraus und bleiben Sie gesund!



    Serge Thill



    Vielen Dank für das Feedback, lieber Herr Thill! Wie Sie bereits erfahren haben, dürfte es mit der Zusendung von QSL-Karten noch einige Wochen dauern. Herzliche Grü‎ße nach Luxemburg und bleiben auch Sie gesund!



    Nouri Streichert (aus Hildesheim, Niedersachsen) scheint dieselbe Sendung über den rumänischen Jazzmusiker Berti Barbera gehört zu haben, denn dazu stellte er uns auch eine Frage:



    Wisst ihr, ob der Künstler schon mal bei der Hildesheimer Jazztime dabei war? Die Jazztime ist in Hildesheim seit 1971 an Pfingsten das gro‎ße Jazzereignis unserer Stadt. Zahlreiche Künstler präsentieren sich Open Air an drei Tagen den Fans unter freiem Himmel bei freiem Eintritt. Am Sonntagabend gibt es eine Galaveranstaltung mit jährlich wechselnden Gaststars. Die Karten für die Gala sind natürlich nicht kostenlos. Dieses Jahr sollte Ute Lemper auftreten. Leider ist die Veranstaltung 2020 abgesagt. Die Künstlerin tritt im nächsten Jahr auf. Die Eintrittskarten behalten Gültigkeit.



    Vielen Dank für das Feedback. Ihre Frage kann ich leider nicht beantworten. In den Biographien des Künstlers, die man im Internet findet, steht leider nicht, ob er jemals in Hildesheim aufgetreten ist. Da hilft nur, ihn persönlich zu fragen, ich habe aber leider keinen persönlichen Draht zu ihm. Viele Grü‎ße nach Hildesheim, lieber Herr Streichert!



    Musikalisch geht es auch in der letzten Zuschrift zu. Ralf Urbanczyk (aus Eisleben, Sachsen-Anhalt) gab uns folgendes Feedback per E-Mail:



    Spannend war das Gespräch mit dem rumänischstämmigen Komponisten Vladimir Cosma in Ihrer heutigen Reihe Gäste am Mikrofon“. Ich fand es zunächst erst einmal gut, dass dieser äu‎ßerst produktive und erfolgreiche Komponist, den besonders seine zahlreichen Filmmusiken bekannt gemacht haben, Zeit für ein Interview mit dem Rumänischen Rundfunk fand. Und dann, dass Sie es bei Radio

    Rumänien International aufgegriffen haben und für die Zuhörer in aller Welt bereitstellten. Unvergessen ist für mich seine Filmmusik zu der französischen Agentenkomödie, die bei uns unter dem Titel Der gro‎ße Blonde mit dem schwarzen Schuh“ lief, in welcher er der Vielseitigkeit der rumänischen Panflöte mit ihrem Meister Gheorghe Zamfir eine gro‎ße Bühne gab. Vladimir Cosma scheint an seiner früheren Heimat, welche er schon in jungen Jahren verlie‎ß, immer noch zu hängen, was ich auch aus dem heutigen Interview entnehmen konnte. Er ist halt ein gro‎ßartiger Künstler und gleichzeitig eine gro‎ßartige Persönlichkeit.



    Vielen Dank für Ihre Zeilen, lieber Herr Urbanczyk, und herzliche Grü‎ße nach Eisleben!



    Damit Zeit für die Postliste. Neue Briefe gab es vorerst nicht, auf elektronischem Wege erreichte uns Feedback von Martina Pohl, Stefan Druschke, Willi Seiser, Peter Vaegler, Michael Willruth, Herbert Jörger, Erich Bergmann, Ralf Urbanczyk, Dieter Feltes und Norbert Reiner (D), Paul Gager (A), Manfred Lepp (PH), Teruhiko Kachi (JPN), Siddhartha Battacharjee (IND) sowie von jemandem, der sich nur Andy aus Moskau“ nannte.



    Audiobeitrag hören:




  • Février 2020

    Février 2020

    Pour vos rapports d’écoute du mois de février, vous recevrez
    une carte qui vous fera découvrir la monnaie de 2 bani émise en 1867. Elle mesure
    15 mm de diamètre et pèse un gramme, étant une composition de cuivre (95%),
    étain (4%) et zinc (1%). Il y est inscrit « 2 bani » et l’année 1867,
    l’inscription étant entourée d’une branche de laurier à gauche et une branche
    de chêne à droite.




    Sur le revers l’on retrouve l’emblème du
    pays et l’inscription Romania.




    Quatre monnaies datent de 1867, frappées à Birmingham, en Grande
    Bretagne. Il existe donc deux séries de monnaies qui se distinguent uniquement
    par le fait que l’une porte l’inscription du fabriquant Heaton, l’autre celle
    de Watt and CO. Ces monnaies ont été mises en circulation en 1868. A noter que
    le BAN est la subdivision inférieure du LEU. En 2007, pour marquer les 140 ans
    écoulés depuis le vote de la « Loi pour la création d’un nouveau système
    monétaire et pour de la fabrication des monnaies nationales », la Banque Nationale
    de Roumanie a émis une série de répliques des premières monnaies de 1, 2, 5 et
    10 Bani. Des répliques en or ayant les mêmes dimensions que les pièces d’origine.
    Voilà deux mots sur les QSL de janvier et de février 2020, entrez sur notre
    site pour les découvrir en photo avant de les recevoir chez vous.



  • Janvier 2020

    Janvier 2020

    Pour vos rapports d’écoute du mois de janvier, vous
    recevrez une carte qui vous fera découvrir la monnaie d’un ban émise en 1867.
    Elle mesure 15 mm de diamètre et pèse un gramme, étant une composition de cuivre
    (95%), étain (4%) et zinc (1%). Il y est inscrit « 1 banu » et l’année
    1867, l’inscription étant entourée d’une branche de laurier à gauche et une
    branche de chêne à droite.

    Sur le revers l’on retrouve l’emblème du pays et l’inscription Romania.

    Quatre monnaies datent de 1867, frappées à Birmingham, en Grande Bretagne. Il existe donc deux séries de monnaies qui se distinguent uniquement par le fait que l’une porte l’inscription du fabriquant Heaton, l’autre celle de Watt and CO. Ces monnaies ont été mises en circulation en 1868. A noter que le BAN est la subdivision inférieure du LEU. En 2007, pour marquer les 140 ans écoulés depuis le vote de la « Loi pour la création d’un nouveau système monétaire et pour de la fabrication des monnaies nationales », la Banque Nationale de Roumanie a émis une série de répliques des premières monnaies de 1, 2, 5 et 10 Bani. Des répliques en or ayant les mêmes dimensions que les pièces d’origine. Voilà deux mots sur les QSL de janvier et de février 2020, entrez sur notre site pour les découvrir en photo avant de les recevoir chez vous.

  • May 20, 2020

    May 20, 2020

    Covid-19 Ro. Another four people infected with the new coronavirus have died in Romania, raising the death-toll to 1141, the Strategic Communication Group has announced today. According to authorities, the total number of infections has exceeded 17 thousand. 10 thousand people have been cured. As regards the Romanians abroad, some three thousand have been contaminated, mostly in Italy, Spain and Germany. 103 have died, most of them in Great Britain, Italy and France.



    State of alert. The Romanian Parliament convenes today to vote on the recent decision of the Liberal Government on the state of alert in Romania, declared with the aim of preventing and combating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the new law, parliament has five days, from the endorsement request, to issue a decision. The opposition Social Democratic Party intends to bring changes to the document. They include exceptions from the obligation to wear protective masks, especially for those with health issues, but only under certain conditions. Also, the Government might have to present in parliament, on a regular basis, the measures it takes. The state of alert was declared for a period of 30 days, but, according to the law, which came into force on May 18th, if it covers the entire territory of Romania, it has to be endorsed by parliament.



    Meeting. The Romanian PM Ludovic Orban has attended an informal meeting with his Bulgarian and Greek counterparts and the president of Serbia. The meeting was held at the initiative of the Bulgarian PM and focused on the situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the prospects of relaxing cross-border traffic restrictions between the four states, in a coordinated manner. The circulation of people between Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia will be allowed as of June 1st, without the obligation of going under a 14 day quarantine, the Bulgarian Government has announced. Romania has not made any decision yet.



    Labour. The Romanian Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru and her German counterpart Hubertus Heil have discussed in Berlin the situation of the Romanian seasonal workers in Germany and signed a joint declaration of intent on boosting cooperation with regard to the labour market and social policies. Romanian workers must benefit from the same rights of social protection, health and safety at work, said the federal minister. In turn, the Romanian Ambassador to Berlin, Emil Hurezeanu, has stated that the protests staged by the Romanian workers at several farms and abbatoirs in Germany against labour and accommodation conditions will lead to a change in the countrys labour legislation. He has added that the German Labour Minister will present Chancellor Angela Merkel with a bill on this matter. The leadership of the Romanian Parliament has approved, at the proposal of the opposition Social Democrats, the setting up of an investigation commission, responsible for checking the situation of seasonal workers abroad during the pandemic.



    Drought. The drought that affects the countries in the east of the EU is devastating harvests and will cause the most serious economic recession in the region since the fall of Communism, according to Bloomberg, quoted by Agerpress. According to the quoted source, in some parts of Romania and Poland, this years drought is the most severe in the past 100 years, and in the Czech Republic, the worst in the past 500 years. Romania, which is the second largest exporter of wheat in the EU, has reported a drop to half the annual average, which usually stood at 9 million tons. That is why the Romanian Government banned the export of wheat to destinations other than the EU, and that triggered a lot of criticism. A week later, the Government dropped the ban. Recently, the Romanian agriculture minister Adrian Oros has stated that more than one million hectares of farming land have been affected.



    Ban. As of today, the sale of menthol cigarettes is banned in Romania. The decision falls under the EU Tobacco Product Directive, which was transposed into Romanian laws four years ago. According to the EC, menthol cigarettes are more harmful than other cigarettes, as menthol turns into carcinogenic substances. According to market representatives, there are some 4.2 million adult smokers in Romania, and 16% of them smoke menthol cigarettes, mostly women.



    WHO. The annual ministerial meeting of the WHO has adopted a resolution proposed by the EU on the need for an investigation of the global reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. In the meantime, the number of infections has reached 5 million around the world, and the death-toll is standing at 325 thousand. 2 million people who had tested positive have been declared cured, according to Worldometers. The US remains the most affected country in the world, with some 92 thousand deaths and more than 1.5 million cases of contamination. Brazil has exceeded the threshold of 1000 deaths in one day, with 1179 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, raising the total to approximately 18 thousand. In Europe, the UK reports the largest number of deaths, some 43 thousand, followed by Italy, France and Spain. Madrid authorities have announced that in Spain wearing a mask is mandatory for all, except for children below 6, both in enclosed and open spaces, if the distance of at least 2 meters between individuals cannot be observed. (M.Ignatescu)

  • State of emergency, tougher measures in Romania

    State of emergency, tougher measures in Romania

    In a press conference given on Saturday evening, the relevant Romanian authorities made public new restrictions, in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.



    Weve managed to reach our main objective: there is no large scale community spread of the novel coronavirus in Romania, the Romanian interior minister, Marcel Vela, said.


    The Romanian official announced new restrictions, adopted
    through a military ordinance. All of them are meant to limit the risks the population is exposed to. The activity of dental clinics has been temporarily
    suspended, except for emergencies. Retail activities have been brought to a
    halt in commercial centers, such as malls, where several operators are doing business. This does not apply to food sellers,
    pharmacies and cleaning service providers. Religious service has been restricted, with masses being celebrated online. A maximum of 8 people are allowed to attend private events such as marriages, baptisms and funerals.


    Residents are required to stay at home to the maximum extent possible during daytime, with a ban on non-essential travel being imposed between 10 PM and 06 AM. The movement of persons outside their homes is allowed only when in full compliance with the general measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, avoiding the formation of any group larger than 3 people who do not live together.

    People on lockdown or under stay-at-home order who leave their homes without approval from the authorities will be placed under quarantine. In turn, those leaving the quarantine facilities without official authorization will get a 14 day quarantine extension, will be fined and face criminal prosecution.

    In addition to these measures, local authorities should identify and provide assistance to people aged over 65 years who lack support, so as to reduce to a minimum their movements outside the house.

    Also, Romania halts entry for
    foreigners, except for when they transit Romania’s territory along transit corridors, laid out in agreement with the neighboring states. Exception
    to the rule are, among others,
    foreigners who are family members of the Romanian citizens, foreigners
    who are family members of EU, EEA and Swiss Confederation citizens residing in Romania,
    foreigners who hold a long stay visa, a stay permit or an equivalent document issued by the authorities of other states, according to the EU law, foreigners who travel to
    Romania for professional purposes, proven by a visa, a stay permit or another
    equivalent document, foreigners who are members of the diplomatic and consular
    corps, the staff of international organizations, military personnel or
    personnel who can provide humanitarian assistance.


    The
    same applies to passengers who transit Romania, including those who are
    being repatriated after having been granted consular protection, passengers who
    make essential travels (on medical or family-related grounds), people who
    need international protection etc.


    All measures will be enforced as from March 22, 2020, 22.00 hours, local time.