Radio România Internațional

Tag: Black Sea

  • June 15, 2022 UPDATE

    June 15, 2022 UPDATE

    Gas. In Romania, the production of natural gas from the Black Sea, part of the Midia development project, has started, and the first quantities have arrived in the national transport system, the Blacksea Oil & Gas Company has announced. The project consists of five production wells, a shore monitored and operated rig and a 126-kilometer submarine pipeline, which connects to the new gas treatment plant in Corbu commune, Constanţa county (southeast). This year, production is estimated at half a billion cubic meters of gas. Midia is the first new project to exploit natural gas in the Romanian continental shelf of the Black Sea in the last 30 years and will cover 10% of the domestic demand.



    Visit. Romania and France have increased their security cooperation recently amid the crisis generated by Russias military aggression in Ukraine, said Romanian president Klaus Iohannis after talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in Constanţa county, in south-eastern Romania. During a joint press briefing, Iohannis again thanked France for the deployment of military and its coordination of NATOs new battle group in Romania. The two presidents talked about the need to consolidate the deterrence and defence posture on the NATO eastern flank, especially in the Black Sea, NATOs new strategic concept and the accession of Finland and Sweden. Emmanuel Macron said Romanian-French relations are based on a friendship that goes back two centuries. He added that the two countries wish to further boost bilateral cooperation and that an ambitious plan is being worked on, at the request of the Romanian authorities, to support the Romanian Navy. The agenda of talks also included Romanias accession to the Schengen free movement area and its active involvement in the protection of the EUs external borders. Emmanuel Macrons next stop was the Republic of Moldova, where he will be received by president Maia Sandu.



    Ukraine. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday urged Western countries to step up their arms deliveries to Ukraine to allow it to defend itself against the Russian invading forces. “Ukraine is facing a key moment on the battlefield. Therefore, we need to step up our efforts so that it can defend itself, “Austin said during a meeting at the NATO headquarters of the so-called contact group set up by the US to help Ukraine. Earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had received only about 10 percent of the weapons it had requested from its Western partners. For his part, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the West to send more weapons and military equipment quickly, because “the Russians have 10, 100 times more”, he said. Russia also announced on Wednesday that it had destroyed a depot housing weapons delivered by NATO countries to western Ukraine with cruise missile fire.



    Protest. Some 8,000 members of healthcare unions staged a protest outside the government headquarters on Wednesday. They mainly requested higher pay, bonuses, holiday vouchers and the elimination of the 30% cap on bonuses, compensations and other salary rights for healthcare workers. Protesters say the Romanian government in the last two years has systematically violated the salary law by blocking salary increases. The most impacted have been the employees with the lowest salaries in the system. Members of the Columna Federation, the largest trade union in the welfare sector, also took to the streets asking for bigger salaries and a proper funding of their activities.



    Corruption. Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bode announced on Wednesday that extradition proceedings from neighboring Bulgaria for the former Tourism Minister Elena Udrea, convicted of corruption, would be completed by June 20. The relevant Romanian bodies will proceed to take over and transfer her to a unit of the National Administration of Penitentiaries, Bode specified. On June 10, the Sofia Court of Appeal admitted the request of the Romanian authorities regarding the extradition of the former minister, who has to execute in Romania a sentence of 6 years of imprisonment in the so-called Gala Bute case. The process lasted seven years, and during this time the former minister fled the country, in 2018, to Costa Rica, where she would have obtained political asylum. By a final decision, the Bulgarian court ordered the execution of the European arrest warrant issued for Elena Udrea and her extradition to Romania. The media in Bucharest considers Elena Udrea (48 years old) the most influential character in the entourage of the former president of Romania between 2004 and 2014, Traian Băsescu (70 years old). Under his protection she had a remarkable political rise, marked by mandates of general councilor in Bucharest, presidential adviser, deputy, minister and, after passing through the National-Liberal and Democratic-Liberal parties, she became the president of the Popular Movement Party (PMP), founded by Basescu. In 2014, Udrea was the PMP candidate for the Romanian presidency and obtained 5.20% of the votes in the first round. Her conviction comes after, on March 23, the High Court of Cassation and Justice finally ruled that former President Basescu collaborated in his youth with the Securitate, the political police of the communist dictatorship.



    Production. Ireland (minus 30.9%), Slovakia (minus 9.6%), Malta (minus 9.4%) and Romania (minus 6.9%) registered in April, compared to the same period in 2021 , the most significant decrease in industrial production in the European Union, according to the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). By contrast, the largest increases in industrial production were reported in Lithuania (20.6%), Denmark (17%) and Bulgaria (16.9%). Overall, industrial production fell by 2% in the euro zone and by 0.5% in the European Union.



    Tennis. On Wednesday ,Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 tournament in Birmingham, England, with 251,750 dollars in prize money, after winning 6-1, 6-1 the match against the Serbian Aleksandra Krunic. It took Cirstea an hour and 12 minutes to score the victory, and her next opponent will be Catherine McNally (USA) or Donna Vekic (Croatia). Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Simona Halep, former world leader, won the match with the British Harriet Dart. On Thursday, Gabriela Ruse will take on the Chinese Shuai Zhang.



    Football. The three Romanian teams in the Europa Conference League in football will have accessible opponents in the second preliminary round, according to the draw made on Wednesday, in Switzerland, in Nyon. Thus, the vice-champion of Romania, FCSB, from Bucharest, will play against the winner of the match between FC Saburtalo (Georgia) and Partizani Tirana (Albania). Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (center), winner of the Romanian Cup, will face either Olimpja Ljubljana (Slovenia) or Differdange 03 (Luxembourg). The University of Craiova (South) will play against the KF Vllaznia Shkoder team, which won the Albanian Cup. Round-trip matches are scheduled for July. On Tuesday, the draw decided that the holder of the title of champion in Romania, CFR Cluj (northwest), will play in the first preliminary round of the Champions League with Piunik Yerevan from Armenia and, if it qualifies for the second round, with the winner of the match between F91 Dudelange from Luxembourg and KF Tirana from Albania. If eliminated, CFR will play in the second preliminary round of the Europa Conference League with the winner of the qualifying tournament in which Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland), La Fiorita (San Marino) and Inter Club dEscaldes (Andorra) will participate. (MI)


  • Offshore law comes into effect

    Offshore law comes into effect

    Romania can start exploiting gas from the Black Sea after the offshore law, which regulates such operations, has been promulgated by the president Iohannis. Under the law, Romania will have priority in extracting the gas deposit, and the profit will be divided between the Romanian state, which will receive 60% and the investors that will get 40%. The first gas is to be extracted in June, under the project carried out in Midia by the company Black Sea Oil & Gas. Estimates show that one billion cubic meters will be delivered annually through this exploitation, thus covering 10% of Romanias needs. Since its adoption in the Chamber of Deputies, the Liberal energy minister Virgil Popescu said that the new regulation ensured stability, predictability and a friendly fiscal environment for investors, as well as a lower gas price for household consumers.



    The law provides for a set of measures on the stability of the tax and oil royalties regime, as well as for the elimination of additional taxation of incomes for sale prices at which investors do not make excess profits. Throughout the duration of the oil agreements regarding the deep offshore and onshore oil perimeters, the holders of the agreements shall have the right to freely market the hydrocarbons produced from the respective oil perimeters, at the prices and quantities established by them, under the national and European legislation in force.



    By way of exception, the Government, upon the proposal of the Energy Ministry, can introduce temporary price and sale restrictions for the amounts necessary for household consumption and for the producers of thermal energy destined for the population. One of the managers of Romgaz, a company with majority state-owned capital, told Bloomberg that Romania could accelerate its first deep-sea drilling project in the Black Sea, in the context of the natural gas crisis in Europe. Romgaz is a partner involved in the Neptun Deep project. The company, which has recently taken over from ExxonMobil its 50% stake in the Neptun Deep project, claims that it is possible that the project operator, the oil group OMV Petrom, may reassess the development of the project, with the increase in energy prices and construction costs.



    Even if Petrom has the last word, as an operator for the Neptun Deep project, the partners are considering the possibility of relying more on the existing infrastructure in the Black Sea and of dividing the project into two and even three phases, in order to bring the gas to the market earlier, said the Romgaz manager. “Production as part of the Neptun Deep project should not start later than 2026. That is the initial estimate in Exxons plans, but maybe we find a way to speed things up because we are aware of the need for European gas, he added. After the adoption of the Offshore Law, Romgaz and Petrom are to make a final investment decision regarding the Neptun Deep project by the end of 2022. (LS)

  • Senate passes Offshore Law

    Senate passes Offshore Law

    The plenum of the Romanian Senate has adopted amendments to the offshore law. Delayed for a long time, the law regulates the operations regarding the development and exploitation of oil deposits in the offshore perimeters, off the Romanian Black Sea Coast in the Black Sea, as well as of deep oil deposits in onshore perimeters. The bill amending the offshore law establishes the distribution of 40% of the profit obtained to the investors and 60% to the Romanian state, which has the right of pre-emption to gas acquisition. During the meeting, the Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, highlighted that this law would ensure Romania’s gas security in case of an energy crisis, pointing out that Romania could also become a provider of regional energy security, after it will produce more than it will consume.



    He added that the first gas from the Black Sea could be extracted starting with the second half of this year. At the same time, the new law increases the investment deduction allowance from 30% to 40% of the total additional income tax. The senators of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) and Save Romania Union (USR) voted in favor of the document. During the plenary debates, the leader of the Social Democrats, Radu Oprea, said that the law was good and necessary for all Romanian citizens, and the money coming from the gas exploitation will reach the local communities.



    Radu Oprea: “We have a war near Romania’s borders, we need gas, we need Black Sea Oil & Gas (USA) to be able to supply gas to the citizens of Romania starting next month. It means 10% of the gas that others in this room want to import from other countries. This is not possible and desirable for the Romanian economy, for the Romanian industry, and for the citizens of Romania.”



    The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) is the only party that has voted against this law, which they label as anti-national, and they have demanded that the exploitation of natural gas be done exclusively by Romanian companies.



    Senator Rodica Boancă: “AUR has voted against this national betrayal and against this plundering, which will lead to the exploitation and sale of resources of national and strategic importance, especially in an economic war that we are currently going through, and it is very clear that the price of gas will not decrease, we will not have a free energy market. “



    Romanias gas production has dropped in recent years, and 2021 brought high energy prices across Europe. The Romanian economic area of the Black Sea has reserves of over 200 billion cubic meters, an amount that could cover national consumption for the next 20 years. In 2019, in Romania, 79% of the total amount of natural gas was from domestic production, 8% imported from Russia and the remaining 13% from other countries. This in the context in which, in Finland and Macedonia, the gas is imported entirely from Russia, Latvia imports 93% Russian gas and Estonia 79%. Germany, Europes strongest economy, imports almost half of its natural gas from Russia and the other half from other countries. (LS)

  • Steps towards energy independence

    Steps towards energy independence


    Romanias internal energy output makes it one of the most energy-independent states at EU level, according to data released by the European Commission in 2020. Romanias energy reliance at the time stood at 28%, against an EU average of over 50%. The situation is good, compared to Italys reliance of 73% or Germanys 64% share, or Malta and Cyprus, two countries that are almost fully reliant on energy imports. Romania has its own sources of oil, gas, coal, nuclear energy and hydroelectric energy. Besides, it has over 1,400 billion cubic meters of shale gas, the third-largest reserve in Europe after Poland and France, according to estimates by the American Administration for Energy Information. Romania has recently made a new step towards consolidating its energy security and curbing its reliance on Russian gas.



    The state-owned company Romgaz has signed the contract for the purchase of ExxonMobils share in the Neptune Deep project, namely 50% of the rights and obligations regarding the deep-water gas field in the Black Sea. Romanias largest natural gas producer paid over a billion USD for this major deal. According to estimates, over 80 billion cubic meters of gas can be extracted from this field, and ExxonMobil owned half of the exploitation rights, the other half being owned by OMV Petrom. Both companies need however a few billion Euro to complete this strategic project for Romania. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă pointed out that natural gas in the Black Sea will be extracted as early as 2026. He explained that estimates show there are large enough quantities to supply neighboring countries and those in the EU as well.



    The governments investment-based plan for developing Romanias energy sector has a business and stability-oriented approach which will make Romania a major regional player, capable of ensuring the necessary demand of its own citizens and economy and actually becoming an importer supplier of energy security in the region, the Prime Minister went on to say. Before starting extracting gas from the Black Sea, investors are waiting on the authorities to amend the offshore law, which is now debated by the Senates special committees. The main modifications to the document adopted four years ago have to do with lowering exploitation taxes for deposits in the Black Sea and on land, as well as with the elimination of restrictions on prices, all part of a legal framework to ensure predictability. The Romanian state and state-owned enterprises will be given priority to buy the resulting output, while 60% of the profit will go to the state. Additionally, companies will be able to deduct 40% of their investment, compared to 30% under the current legislation. (VP)




  • May 3, 2022 UPDATE

    May 3, 2022 UPDATE

    GAS — The Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said Tuesday, when the Romanian state-owned company Romgaz purchased 50% of ExxonMobile’s stake in the Neptun Deep Black Sea gas project, that the deposits would be exploited no later than 2026. Ciuca also said that, according to estimates, there is enough gas to also supply countries in the region and in the EU. There is an area in the Black Sea from where around 100 billion cubic meters of gas could be extracted. The American company ExxonMobile held half of the exploitation rights in that area while the Austrian company OMV Petrom holds the other half. Romgaz paid over 1 billion dollars for the transaction. However, before gas exploitation in the Black Sea is initiated, investors are waiting for the offshore law to be modified. The law is currently under debate by the expert committees of the Romanian Senate.



    APPOINTMENT — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday signed the decrees for the appointment of Marcel Bolos as Minister of Investment and European Projects and of Sebastian Burduja as Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization. Bolos, who enjoys the support of the Liberals, has been a minister of digitalization since January, when the former minister, Florin Roman, resigned. He has also been an interim minister with the Ministry of European Funds since early April. Bolos also served as minister of European Funds between November 2019 and December 2020. In turn, Liberal Sebastian Burduja is a vice president of the budget, finance and banks committee with the Chamber of Deputies and head of the Bucharest’s Sector 1 branch of the National Liberal Party. In 2019 he was a state secretary with the Finance Ministry. He graduated from Stanford University and attended a joint MA programme in business administration and public policies at Harvard University. He also got a PhD in economy at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest.



    JUDGES — The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday elected the current deputy prosecutor general Bogdan Licu, supported by the Social Democrats, as judge with the Romanian Constitutional Court. Also, Iulia Scantei, the head of the Senate’s legal committee, who enjoys the Liberals’ support, was endorsed by the MPs. The two will replace the current head of the Court, Valer Dorneanu and judge Mona Pivniceru, whose mandates expire in June. The Constitutional Court is made up of nine judges appointed for a 9-year mandate. Of them, three are appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, three buy the Senate and three by the country’s President.



    FORECAST – The National Strategy and Forecast Commission revised downwards Romania’s economic growth forecast for this year from 4.3% to 2.9%. The Commission says that overlapping shocks such as the geopolitical context, successive energy price increases and disruptions in global supply chains are amplifying risks and economic uncertainty, also impacting short-term expectations and the behaviour of the business sector. The forecast is in line with the estimates made by international financial institutions, which also revised downwards their forecast for Romanias economic growth.



    EUROBAROMETER – Three quarters of young Romanians feel optimistic about the future of the European Union, while half of them believe things are headed in the right direction for the EU, according to a Eurobarometer published on Monday. According to the survey, young Romanians have greater support for European policies compared to other age categories and are content with their lives. Their main concerns are related to the education system, the economy, unemployment, housing, the environment and climate change. (EE)




  • Romania to extract gas from the Black Sea

    Romania to extract gas from the Black Sea


    Asked when Romania will begin producing natural gas from the Black Sea, prime minister Nicolae Ciucă told Radio Romania: “soon”. This has become a matter of urgency given the war in Ukraine and the economic and commercial conflict between Russia and the European Union. Because of their dependency on imports of Russian gas, some EU member states are reluctant to toughen sanctions against the Kremlin. On the other hand, reducing dependence on Russian gas cannot be achieved from one day to the next, with the European Commission saying this may be possible by 2030, by which time alternative solutions must be found.



    Romania is in the fortunate situation of being the least dependent on Russian gas among EU member states and of sitting on as yet untapped reserves of natural gas in the Black Sea. For years, economic analysts criticised the lack of a strategic vision and the legal uncertainty that prevented these deep water reserves from being exploited despite the fact that they would allow Romania to become completely independent and even export to other countries. It is against this backdrop that the Senate is this week beginning to debate a bill to amend the offshore law.



    Cătălin Niţă, the executive director of the Oil and Gas Employers Association:


    “At first sight, this is an improved version. We will most likely come up with our own amendments, but in principle we are happy that this bill has been unblocked, an important project for Romanias energy security and the future cost of gas for the Romanian people.”



    The new bill provides for legislative stability throughout the exploitation process, which is estimated to last 20 years. 60% of the revenues will go to the Romanian state and 40% to investors. Also, Romania has pre-emption rights on the gas extracted, with only the surplus to be exported. The natural gas reserves in the Romanian deep water sector are estimated at 200 billion cubic metres, with the Neptune Deep field hosting the largest reserves. This development is owned by OMV Petrom and ExxonMobil, with Romgaz about to take over Exxons shares.



    Exploitation works are in an advanced stage in the Midia sector, so Black Sea Oil & Gas will begin production this year. Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă explains:



    “Theres a possibility we may begin to receive gas mid this year. There is already an investment made by Black Sea Oil & Gas, they already signed the documents, and theres a possibility we may provide one billion cubic metres of natural gas annually through this investment. Were expecting to begin producing gas in the Neptune Deep sector at the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.”



    Romania thus hopes to become a provider of regional energy security.


  • April 14, 2022 UPDATE

    April 14, 2022 UPDATE

    Gas. The offshore bill regulating the exploitation of natural gas in the Black Sea will be submitted to Romanias Parliament this week, said the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu. The amendment of the bill was sped up by the ruling coalition after a final version was agreed by its members, the National Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Under the bill, the state is to benefit from 60% of the profits generated by the exploitation of natural gas, with the rest of 40% going to private companies. The current legislation provides for progressive taxation, ranging from 30 to 70%, on additional returns obtained from the rise in gas prices, with companies being obliged to sell 50% of their natural gas production on the Bucharest Stock Exchange.



    Macedonia. “Romania strongly supports Macedonias accession to the European Union”, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said in Skopje on Thursday, where he held political consultations with his counterpart, North Bujar Osmani. Aurescu has stated that North Macedonia “is completely ready” for negotiations, accession, and, against the background of Russias invasion of Ukraine, it has a strategic importance for the entire EU. Aurescu has also said that the negotiations for EU accession also mean reforms, and Romania is ready to provide North Macedonia with all the necessary support. At the same time, the Romanian official has criticized the crimes against humanity committed by Russian forces in Ukraine saying these acts must be investigated as soon as possible by international courts. Also, the Romanian minister congratulated the Skopje executive for aligning with the European measures against Moscow, which proves that “North Macedonias commitment to the European path is a real one”. In this context, Aurescu invited North Macedonia to join the NATO battle group that will be deployed in Romania, as well as the Euro-Atlantic Center for Resilience and the EU Cyber ​​Center in Bucharest. Also on Thursday, Bogdan Aurescu was received by President Stevo Pendarovski and had talks with the head of the Parliamentary Assembly, Talat Xhaferi.



    Visit. The speakers of the two chambers of the Romanian Parliament will travel to Kyiv at the invitation of the chair of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk. The speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu will travel to Kyiv on 27th April and he is expected to visit several areas affected by the war, including sites of atrocities committed by the Russian army. He may also address the Ukrainian Parliament. The Senate speaker Florin Cîţu has not announced a date for his trip, but said he will visit areas affected by the war and will discuss with Ukrainian officials Romanias involvement in Ukraines reconstruction plans.



    Human rights. Romania still has problems with discrimination and corruption, according to the US State Departments Country Reports on Human Practices for 2021. Despite some prosecutions, corrupt practices and misuse of public funds remained widespread in Romania, the report says. Also, while the judiciary took steps to punish officials who committed abuses, the authorities did not have effective mechanisms to do so, with the result that many of the cases ended in acquittals. With respect to the media, some reporters throughout the country continued to be harassed, sued, or threatened by authorities they investigated or by their proxies. Other problems identified in the report are the widespread use of bribery in the public sector, especially in health care, and anti-Semitic incidents.



    Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia continue to prepare for the great battle expected in Donbas, the main objective of the Russian forces after they had to withdraw from around Kyiv. Ukraine continues to call for deliveries of heavy weapons from the West, which it sees as vital in this stage of the conflict. The United States for the first time decided to deliver such weapons as part of a military support package announced by president Joe Biden worth 800 million dollars. The European Union also announced plans to provide further 500 million euros in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, on top of the 1 billion provided earlier. In another development, the Russian defense ministry announced that its Moska guided missile cruiser was seriously damaged after a fire caused a munitions explosion, but that its crew had been evacuated. The Russian authorities did not state the location and cause of the incident, but the governor of the Odessa region said the ship was hit by two Ukrainian missiles.



    Geopark. Buzău Land, in the south-eastern part of Romania, has become a UNESCO global geopark, being recognized as a unified geographical area with natural and cultural values of international significance. This is the second area in Romania to win this status after Haţeg Land, in the west of the country. The official ceremony to award the geopark title will be held online on 21st April. Of the 16 areas that applied to be designated global geoparks this year, eight have been validated, which takes the total number of geoparks to 177, from 46 countries. The biggest attractions in Buzău are the muddy volcanoes, the salt domes, the sandstone concretions, the eternal flames, the cave settlements and the regions deep-red amber deposits.



    Covid-19. Some 1,500 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Romania on Thursday, in 24 thousands tests. Also, the authorities have announced 12 related deaths. 1800 Covid-19 patients are hospitalized, 251 in intensive care units. The WHO has decided to maintain Covid-19 at the level of pandemic and an international health-care emergency. WHO experts say that the evolution of the pandemic is still unpredictable, and the mortality rate still high. (MI)

  • Tourism and holidays in Romania

    Tourism and holidays in Romania

    For two years, the Romanian tourism industry has been operating with interruptions, and the efforts for recovery have been thwarted by the anti-Covid measures. Restrictions on leaving or entering the country, the obligatory quarantine upon reaching the destination or returning home, the introduction of “green certificates” and the facilities granted only to vaccinated people or the constant change of the traffic light system have generated a wave of travel cancellations, refunds and litigation.



    Due to restrictions, Romanians chose the tourist destinations of Romania. But in 2021, holiday vouchers were canceled, although they largely ensure the survival and development of the sector, which has lost more than 30% of its workforce in 18 months. Even so, last year, revenues increased compared to the first year of the pandemic, although they did not reach the level of 2019. On Easter and May 1, the number of tourists in Romania’s hotels and guesthouses was double compared to a normal year.



    Tourist destinations from all over the country were chosen, especially rural guesthouses, mountain and spa resorts, as well as the Danube Delta. The star of the summer season was, by far, the Black Sea Coast. On the New Years Eve, Romanians spent 45 million Euros on foreign destinations and 30 million Euros on domestic ones — show data from the National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania. “2022 New Years Eve celebrations do not compare with the last normal New Years Eve celebrations, in 2020, but considerable growth was reported as compared to the ones in 2021” – said Traian Bădulescu, the spokesman of the National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania.



    According to him, with the announced relaxation of restrictions on December 7, reservations for the New Year’s Eve across Romania increased by 30%. Among the Romanians’ favorite destinations abroad we can mention Egypt, Dubai, Zanzibar, the Dominican Republic, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Mexico and Costa Rica. It was obvious that people wanted to travel where there were less restrictions, especially to green destinations. Consequently, the Western European countries were less popular this time.



    For 2022, the new Liberal- Social Democratic coalition, which has been governing the country since the end of last year, decided to grant holiday vouchers again, as the employer’s associations forming the Alliance for Tourism even recommended a law on granting holiday vouchers for a period of at least 5 years.



    These days, the Romanian Association of Spas and Spa Resorts has proposed to the Executive to grant health vouchers for medical recovery in the 34 existing spa resorts nationwide. According to the president of the Association, Gheorghe Paciu, it would be very important that the medical recovery, so necessary in the current context of the pandemic, should be done in spas, and Romanians should use the national resources of recovery, the therapeutic, thermal waters and mud, which are famous internationally. (LS)

  • Agreement on Black Sea natural gas

    Agreement on Black Sea natural gas

    In full chaos on the world electricity and gas market, the announcement made on Tuesday, in Bucharest, came as a ray of hope: the natural gas producer Romgaz, the largest state-owned company listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, controlled through the Ministry of Energy, and ExxonMobil have finalized the negotiations for the full takeover, by the Romanian company, of the 50% stake of the American oil giant in the Neptun Deep Project for the exploitation of natural gas in the Black Sea.



    The transaction, the value of which has not been made public, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year. Currently, ExxonMobil and OMV Petrom are equal partners in the offshore gas project. The Black Sea is said to host some 84 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Romanias annual consumption stands at 11 billion.



    Upon completion of the transaction between ExxonMobil and Romgaz, OMV Petrom – the largest energy company in the south-east of Europe – would become the operator of the Neptun Deep perimeter. Its development would mean the first production of hydrocarbons in deep waters in Romania. The costs of such a deep-water project can reach several billion dollars. The Neptun perimeter is 200 kilometers off land, and all infrastructure, including the pipelines, must be built.



    Recently, the specialized publication Petroleum Economist, quoted by profit.ro, has estimated that a transaction between Romgaz and ExxonMobil could unlock Romanias offshore potential and could turn it into the largest gas producer in the European Union by the end of this decade, with the exploitation of the reserve starting in 2026. Romania could become independent of Russian gas and even export 20-25% of the domestic production.



    Moreover, regional competition will grow. “I am confident that, in the near future, Romgaz and OMV Petrom will be equal partners in the Neptun Deep project. Important steps have been taken for the Black Sea gas to reach the Romanians homes”, the interim Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, wrote on Facebook. In Bucharests vision, a future partnership between Romgaz and OMV Petrom in the Neptun Deep offshore project would be essential for both the countrys energy security and for achieving the goals on energy transition, one of the focal points for discussion these days. (MI)

  • JUNE 28, 2021 UPDATE

    JUNE 28, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Romania announced only 37 new COVID infections on Monday after
    over 10,700 tests had been carried out. Only one person died and 86 patients
    are being treated in intensive care. No new cases have been reported in the
    past 24 hours in 17 out of Romania’s 41 counties. Authorities say this positive
    development became possible due to the stepped out vaccine rollout, which is
    the only solution to overcoming the crisis. Only 17 thousand people have been
    vaccinated in the past 24 hours and since the rollout kicked off in late
    December 4.7 million Romanians have been vaccinated, which accounts for roughly
    25 % of the eligible population. Others have got immunity after having suffered
    from the disease. Seven hospitals in Romania are to receive robots donated by
    the European Commission used in the disinfection of hospital wards. These
    machines use ultraviolet light and can disinfect over 18 wards on a single
    charge. The government in Bucharest has approved new relaxation measures, due
    to come into effect on July 1st. The EU Digital COVID Certificate is to become
    available online on the same date.








    DRILL Over 300 servicemen of the Romanian Navy
    are participating until July 10th in the multinational drill ‘Sea
    Breeze 21’. The drill has been staged jointly by the US Navy and Ukraine in the
    international Black Sea waters and in the ground training facilities near Odessa.
    Romanian corvette, ‘Rear Admiral Horia Macelariu’ is already in the port of
    Odessa together with other foreign war vessels. Romania’s frigate Queen Marie,
    which has a Navy Puma helicopter on board is also to join the exercise. Two
    cadets of the Admiral Ion Murgescu Navy School will be on board of a US
    destroyer during the exercise to undergo training under the guidance of the US
    sailors.








    ELECTION Local
    by-elections took place on Sunday in six cities and 30 villages around Romania,
    where the voter turnout was over 50%. Some of the mayor seats remained vacant
    after the winners of last September’s elections passed away, gave up their
    mayor seats to stand for Parliament or had problems with the law. The Social
    Democratic Party in opposition won the largest number of mayor seats, namely
    18, another 14 went to the ruling coalition formed by the National Liberal
    Party, the Save Romania Union-PLUS Alliance and the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians in Romania, 3 went to independent candidates and one to the People’s
    Movement Party. The interior ministry said 10 persons are currently investigated
    for possible criminal acts, including voter corruption, electoral fraud, voter
    suppression and breach of voting secrecy.








    VOTE The two-chamber
    Parliament in Bucharest will vote on Tuesday on the first no-confidence motion
    filed by the Social Democratic opposition against the coalition government. The
    initiators of the motion accuse the government led by Liberal Florin Cîţu of
    inefficiency, of taking the country into the wrong direction, and of pushing
    the country’s economy to the brink of disaster and blame it for the drop in
    living standards. The failure of the vaccination campaign and of the National
    Recovery and Resilience Plan are also on the list of complaints. The prime
    minister described the accusations as unfounded, while the leader of the
    National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban said the coalition decided that its MPs
    would attend the debates but would not vote on the motion.




    (bill)





  • August 3, 2020 UPDATE

    August 3, 2020 UPDATE

    Coronavirus RO – Romania has gone beyond the threshold of 54 thousand confirmed coronavirus infections since the outbreak of the virus, almost 5 months ago. The death toll has increased to 2,432. The number of active cases has also reached a new record, passing 18,400, while 419 patients are in intensive care. The Romanian health ministry announced on Monday that Romania would receive over 25 thousand Remdesivir vials, in 3 installments, to treat some of the patients infected with the new coronavirus, under a contract concluded by the EC with the producer. Under this contract worth 63 million Euros, treatment will be provided to almost 30 thousand patients within the EU who show severe Covid-19 symptoms. In another move, also on Monday, the National Public Health Institute published the updated list of countries with a high epidemiological risk. The persons arriving in Romania from these countries will be quarantined for 14 days either at their homes or at a location these persons declare or in a space especially designated by the authorities. The list includes 41 states and can be accessed on the Institute’s website.



    Save the Children — An entire generation of children from around the world have no longer went to school for the first time in the history of modern education because of the Covid-19 pandemic — the Save the Children Romania NGO shows, according to which the marginalized children have been the most vulnerable. In Romania, almost half of the pupils (47%) have had limited access to online education during the isolation measures, as they were not connected to the Internet, had no tablets or computers. By launching a campaign called ‘I want to go to school’, the NGO has called on local and central authorities to take concrete measures to correct and prevent similar situations given that a new school year will begin in mid September. The NGO has come up with a set of measures among which providing the necessary educational tools for distance learning for all the kids that need them, training the teachers to give online lessons as well as preparing all the schools to be able to provide medical safety and physical distancing so as children could learn in decent and secure conditions.



    Drill — As many as 200 marines from Romania, Bulgaria and the US are training until August 7 as part of the 11th edition of the Eurasian Partnership Mine Countermeasure Dive 2020 multinational drill hosted by the Romanian Navy. The drill is meant to counteract underwater threats, the planned drills focusing on the search, detection, neutralization and destruction of mines at sea. This is the only annual multinational exercise held in the Black Sea basin meant to consolidate the training of the NATO countries military divers. (L. Simion)

  • May 22, 2019 UPDATE

    May 22, 2019 UPDATE

    EP ELECTIONS – In Romania, the campaign for the European elections due on May 26 continues. As many as 13 political parties are part of it. The candidates running in the elections are former ministers or experienced MEPs, former prime ministers or mayors, popular journalists and even an ex-president. The Romanians living abroad can cast their votes at 114 polling stations, most of them in Italy, Spain and the Republic of Moldova. A referendum on justice called by President Klaus Iohannis takes place at the same time with the European elections. The head of state pointed out on Wednesday that Romanians must not be afraid to vote for their European Parliament representatives and in the referendum, and once again urged them to come to polling stations on May 26.




    BLACK SEA Funds and financing systems for the “blue economy, investments in ecoports and smart connectivity for transport systems were among the topics approached on the first day of the Black Sea Investment Forum, hosted on May 22 and 23 by the Black Sea coast city of Constanta and organized by the Romanian Transport Ministry and the European Commission. Over 200 participants are looking at the future of regional transport businesses. The event is designed to support and encourage investments and the improvement of the EU business environment by removing barriers to investment and promoting sustainable funding. The Forum aims at facilitating connections between entrepreneurs and top-level authorities in the region, as well as between institutions or companies from EU member states and European and international financial institutions.




    OECD 42 members and partners of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) adopted in Paris on May 22 the Principles on Artificial Intelligence. The 36 OECD members and 6 partner countries, including Romania and 5 south-American countries, committed to comply with international standards promoting artificial intelligence (AI) that is innovative and trustworthy and that respects human rights and democratic values. The topic of the OECD Council Meeting held this week in Paris is “The digital revolution in service of sustainable development: opportunities and challenges. Taking part are the foreign, finance and economy ministers of the 36 member countries. Romania, which is not a member, takes part as a guest country and is represented by the Communications Minister Alexandru Petrescu. He said in Paris that Romania is currently drawing up its first national AI strategy, which will be posted for public debate by the end of the year.




    POPE – Online applications for attendance at the religious services held by Pope Francis in Romania will continue until May 31. Hundreds of thousands of people have already registered. Besides Romanians, Christians from neighboring countries such as Hungary, Serbia and Ukraine, but also from far away countries like Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Australia and Israel, will come to Romania for the Popes visit. Pope Francis makes a three-day apostolic visit to Romania from the 31st of May to the 2nd of June following an invitation from President Klaus Iohannis and the Catholic Church in Romania. The motto of the visit is “Lets walk together. The Pontiff will travel to the capital Bucharest, Iasi, the biggest city in the east of the country and home to a sizeable Roman-Catholic community, Blaj, in the centre, the spiritual capital of the Romanian Greek-Catholics and the Marian shrine in Sumuleu Ciuc, in the centre, in an area with a majority ethnic Hungarian population.




    CULTURE The Romanian Culture Minister, Valer-Daniel Breaz, will chair on Thursday in Brussels the Culture and Audio-Visual section of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, which is scheduled to adopt 2 sets of political guidelines on supporting youth creativity and European co-productions. The Council will also discuss new prospective measures to fight disinformation and to regain the confidence of European citizens in the mass media. On Wednesday night, the Romanian official and the European Commissioner Tibor Navracsics announced the winners of the EU Prize for Literature.




    BREXIT – The British government approved PM Theresa Mays plan on Brexit, including the compromise measures that are to be included in the law that is to be voted on early next month. The draft law includes the idea of a temporary customs union until future general elections are held as well as measures to guarantee EU workers rights and to protect the environment. The passing of the Brexit law by the House of Commons is an almost impossible mission for the government, even though the measures proposed might persuade some of the Labour MPs to vote for it, newspapers write.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • November 26, 2018 UPDATE

    November 26, 2018 UPDATE

    VISIT — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis travelled to Paris on Monday for a two-day official visit to inaugurate the Romania – France Cultural Season. On Tuesday, at the Georges Pompidou Center, he is joining French President Emmanuel Macron at the launch of the event. The two heads of state will visit Brancusis atelier, the exhibition dedicated to Romanian peasant garb as seen in the work of French painter Henri Matisse and Romanian painter Theodor Pallady, as well as contemporary exhibitions. Iohannis and Macron will hold official talks, confirming the special bilateral relations enjoyed by the two countries, as well as talks aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership, consolidating economic cooperation and the role of the Romanian community in France. Klaus Iohannis met on Monday with representatives of the Romanian community in France.




    CONFLICT — The Romanian Foreign Ministry voiced deep concern at the recent naval conflict in the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine. The reaction comes after Russian intelligence confirmed that their coast guard had captured three Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea. According to the ministry, aggression and violations of international law undermine the security of the entire region. Representatives of the ministry said that Romhania fully supports Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty, and its right to use its territorial waters. The UN Security Council will convene in emergency session to debate the incident in the Black Sea. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on Monday to introduce martial law for 60 days, a statement on his website said, though it needs parliamentary approval to come into force.




    CEMETERY – The second cemetery for Romanian soldiers fallen on the Eastern Front in WWII was inaugurated in Russia, in the Krasnodar region, on Monday. The remains of 88 soldiers and officers who lost their lives on the frontlines in the Kuban region, who had been initially interred in 8 local villages, were reburied there. The Romanian cemetery will be part of a memorial complex alongside resting places of German, Slovakian, and Hungarian soldiers. The first Romanian cemetery for servicemen fallen in WWII in Russia was inaugurated in 2015 close to Volvograd, formerly Stalingrad, holding the remains of 1,644 soldiers.




    EUROBAROMETER – Romanians are among the most concerned Europeans regarding the transparency of elections. They would also like to be more informed about the elections and that more youngsters should run in the elections in order to be motivated to come to the polls, reveals the latest Eurobarometer released on Monday. The Romanians’ highest concern as to the elections is about people voting in spite of not being entitled to. At the same time, Romanians fear multiple voting, the manipulation of elections and the buying of votes. The majority of the EU respondents were concerned about a range of potential electoral interferences. More than six in ten (61%) were concerned about elections being manipulated through cyber attacks, with 24% saying they were ‘very concerned’ about this.




    RESIGNATION — Deputy PM and Minister for Development, Paul Stanescu, resigned on Monday all positions he held in the Government. Previously, PM Viorica Dancila had said she had asked for Stanescu’s resignation but that the latter had refused. Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea said on Monday that a decision as regards the steps to be taken if the head of state further refuses to fulfill his atributions regarding the appointment of new ministers. would be taken within the coalition next week.




    FESTIVAL– Sunday night, the Irish Radio and Television Orchestra brought to a close the 4th edition of the RadiRo International Radio Orchestra Festival. For a week, the festival featured prestigious symphony orchestras from all over Europe. For the first time this year, the festival featured jazz recitals. RadiRo is the only event devoted to European and world radio orchestras. All concerts were broadcast live by Radio Romania’s channels, recorded and subsequently rebroadcast by the public television. The concerts were also rebroadcast by the radiobroadcasters that are members of the European Broadcasting Union.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)


  • October 6, 2018 UPDATE

    October 6, 2018 UPDATE

    REFERENDUM – Nearly 19 million Romanian voters are invited this weekend to vote on a proposed redefinition of the concept of family in the Constitution. The initiators aim to define “family as an institution based on the marriage of a man and a woman, rather than the marriage of spouses, as it is at present. According to data released by the Central Electoral Bureau 5.72% of the total number of eligible voters cast their ballots on Saturday, many of them in urban communities. Polls will reopen in the country on Sunday morning. By 21:00 local time, when polls closed in Romania, some 46,000 Romanians had also voted abroad. The Romanians living abroad can vote in 378 polls hosted by diplomatic missions, consular offices, cultural institutes and other locations. The largest number of polls abroad are in Italy, Spain, the Republic of Moldova, the USA, UK, France and Germany. The voting process abroad will conclude on the US West Coast and in Canada on Monday morning, according to Romanian time. The vote in the diaspora started on Friday night in Auckland, New Zealand. On the whole, the vote abroad will take 58 hours. Parliament has passed a bill rephrasing the Constitutional definition of marriage, based on a citizen initiative signed by 3 million people. The referendum will be validated provided that a 30% turnout rate is met and 25% of the eligible voters cast valid votes.



    LAW – The Speaker of the Senate of Romania Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu said on Saturday that he wants a consensus of all parliamentary parties with respect to the Offshore Bill. In the next 2 weeks, when the bill is to be once again discussed, we will have enough time to find the best solutions, Tariceanu also said. The so-called Offshore Bill, which sets out the rules for natural gas extraction in the Black Sea, was discussed on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies, which decided to send the text back to the specialised committees. The bill was originally passed in the previous parliamentary session, but President Klaus Iohannis returned it to Parliament for a review.



    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT – The European Parliament has approved a report proposing new rules for freezing and confiscating the proceeds of crimes. The new regulation will allow for quicker and more efficient implementation of confiscation and asset freeze orders, as well as tighter deadlines for authorities and standard certificates for all EU member states. Experts estimate that offenders keep 98% of the proceeds of criminal activities. The EP report estimates that criminal activities generate around 110 billion euros per year. A 2016 EUROPOL report shows that only 2.2% of the money generated by criminal activities has been frozen or confiscated. At present, regulations on cross-border asset confiscation within the EU contain major loopholes that criminals and terrorists take advantage of.




    SOPRANO – World-famous Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé died on Saturday at the age of 85, in a hospital in Barcelona where she had been admitted a month ago, the BBC reports. With a career spanning 50 years, Montserrat Caballé performed on some of the worlds greatest stages, alongside such personalities as Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Together with Freddie Mercury she sang the hit Barcelona, which was the anthem of the 1992 Olympics hosted by the Spanish city.





    FINANCIAL – The Romanian Ministry for Finances has recently drawn 1.75 billion euros, through a Eurobond issue in international financial markets. The largest part of the bonds, amounting to 1.15 billion euros, has a 10-year maturity, and the remaining have 20-year maturity. According to Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, the issue clearly reflects the positive international perception of the Romanian economys medium and long-term prospects. The strong demand and the quality of the investors confirm Romanias strengths, namely the sound macroeconomic foundation, coherent fiscal discipline and economic-financial stability. Teodorovici added that the Eurobond issue is designed to strengthen the State Treasurys foreign currency reserve and to minimise long term borrowing costs.



    HANDBALL – The Romanian side AHC Dobrogea Sud Constanţa Saturday defeated at home the Czech side Talent Robstav MAT Plzen, 28-21, in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the EHF Cup in mens handball. The second leg will be played in Constanta as well, on Sunday. On Friday, Romanias womens handball champions, CSM Bucharest, defeated at home, 36-31, the Hungarian team FTC Rail Cargo, in Group D of the new Champions League season. It is for the 4th consecutive time that CSM takes part in the leading continental competition. The first time, in 2016, the Romanian handballers won the Champions League trophy, and in the following editions they came out 3rd in the Final Four


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • October 6, 2018 UPDATE

    October 6, 2018 UPDATE

    REFERENDUM – Nearly 19 million Romanian voters are invited this weekend to vote on a proposed redefinition of the concept of family in the Constitution. The initiators aim to define “family as an institution based on the marriage of a man and a woman, rather than the marriage of spouses, as it is at present. According to data released by the Central Electoral Bureau 5.72% of the total number of eligible voters cast their ballots on Saturday, many of them in urban communities. Polls will reopen in the country on Sunday morning. By 21:00 local time, when polls closed in Romania, some 46,000 Romanians had also voted abroad. The Romanians living abroad can vote in 378 polls hosted by diplomatic missions, consular offices, cultural institutes and other locations. The largest number of polls abroad are in Italy, Spain, the Republic of Moldova, the USA, UK, France and Germany. The voting process abroad will conclude on the US West Coast and in Canada on Monday morning, according to Romanian time. The vote in the diaspora started on Friday night in Auckland, New Zealand. On the whole, the vote abroad will take 58 hours. Parliament has passed a bill rephrasing the Constitutional definition of marriage, based on a citizen initiative signed by 3 million people. The referendum will be validated provided that a 30% turnout rate is met and 25% of the eligible voters cast valid votes.



    LAW – The Speaker of the Senate of Romania Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu said on Saturday that he wants a consensus of all parliamentary parties with respect to the Offshore Bill. In the next 2 weeks, when the bill is to be once again discussed, we will have enough time to find the best solutions, Tariceanu also said. The so-called Offshore Bill, which sets out the rules for natural gas extraction in the Black Sea, was discussed on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies, which decided to send the text back to the specialised committees. The bill was originally passed in the previous parliamentary session, but President Klaus Iohannis returned it to Parliament for a review.



    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT – The European Parliament has approved a report proposing new rules for freezing and confiscating the proceeds of crimes. The new regulation will allow for quicker and more efficient implementation of confiscation and asset freeze orders, as well as tighter deadlines for authorities and standard certificates for all EU member states. Experts estimate that offenders keep 98% of the proceeds of criminal activities. The EP report estimates that criminal activities generate around 110 billion euros per year. A 2016 EUROPOL report shows that only 2.2% of the money generated by criminal activities has been frozen or confiscated. At present, regulations on cross-border asset confiscation within the EU contain major loopholes that criminals and terrorists take advantage of.




    SOPRANO – World-famous Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé died on Saturday at the age of 85, in a hospital in Barcelona where she had been admitted a month ago, the BBC reports. With a career spanning 50 years, Montserrat Caballé performed on some of the worlds greatest stages, alongside such personalities as Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Together with Freddie Mercury she sang the hit Barcelona, which was the anthem of the 1992 Olympics hosted by the Spanish city.





    FINANCIAL – The Romanian Ministry for Finances has recently drawn 1.75 billion euros, through a Eurobond issue in international financial markets. The largest part of the bonds, amounting to 1.15 billion euros, has a 10-year maturity, and the remaining have 20-year maturity. According to Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, the issue clearly reflects the positive international perception of the Romanian economys medium and long-term prospects. The strong demand and the quality of the investors confirm Romanias strengths, namely the sound macroeconomic foundation, coherent fiscal discipline and economic-financial stability. Teodorovici added that the Eurobond issue is designed to strengthen the State Treasurys foreign currency reserve and to minimise long term borrowing costs.



    HANDBALL – The Romanian side AHC Dobrogea Sud Constanţa Saturday defeated at home the Czech side Talent Robstav MAT Plzen, 28-21, in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the EHF Cup in mens handball. The second leg will be played in Constanta as well, on Sunday. On Friday, Romanias womens handball champions, CSM Bucharest, defeated at home, 36-31, the Hungarian team FTC Rail Cargo, in Group D of the new Champions League season. It is for the 4th consecutive time that CSM takes part in the leading continental competition. The first time, in 2016, the Romanian handballers won the Champions League trophy, and in the following editions they came out 3rd in the Final Four


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)