Radio România Internațional

Tag: Brussels

  • June 3, 2019 UPDATE

    June 3, 2019 UPDATE

    Pope’s visit — President Klaus Iohannis on Monday extended his greetings to all those who welcomed Pope Francis in Romania, highlighting that they gave an example of understanding and solidarity. He also thanked the authorities who have contributed to the success of the Pope’s apostolic visit to Romania. The Romanian president showed in a communiqué, that for 3 days, Romania was a welcoming host for Pope Francis who met openhearted and diverse people, a nation with a rich tradition that has confidence in its future which it is building through the solidarity of all of its citizens, irrespective of their mother tongue or faith. On Sunday evening, following his visit to Romania, the Pope wrote in a Twitter message in Romanian: “May the Blessed Virgin Mary extend her maternal protection to all the citizens of Romania, who throughout history have always placed their trust in her intercession. The Pope’s 3-day state, apostolic and ecumenical visit to Romania was held under the motto “Let’s walk together!” Hundreds of thousands attended the public events held on this occasion in Bucharest, Şumuleu Ciuc, Iasi and Blaj.



    Brussels — The Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă announced she would meet on Tuesday in Brussels with the president of the EC Jean Claude Juncker, with the first vice-president of the EC Frans Timmermans as well as with the president of the Party of European Socialists Serghei Stanishev, in the context of the recent EP elections. The Romanian PM said she would discuss with the European officials about the Romanian proposal for European Commissioner and also about the positions in the EP. PM Dancila said she would plead for ensuring an adequate and balanced representation at the level of European institutions.



    Senate — The plenum of the Romanian Senate on Monday rejected the request of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate for approving the start of criminal prosecution against the speaker of the Senate, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu. 38 senators voted for the Anti-Corruption Directorate’s request, 71 voted against and one abstained from the vote. Prosecutors claim that the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats indirectly received undue benefits worth almost 800 thousand dollars from an Austrian company when he held the position of PM between 2007-2008. Last week the Senate’s committee on the judiciary had decided to give a favorable answer to the request of the anti-corruption prosecutors.



    Informal meeting — The series of events held under the aegis of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU continues in Bucharest which hosts, on Monday and Tuesday, an informal meeting of the EU agriculture ministers. The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan is also attending the meeting. Research in agriculture and bioeconomy will be one of the main topics of discussion. In the context of negotiations on the multi-annual budget of the Union, Romania, as a holder of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, believes the strategic planning of the common agricultural policy has the potential to consolidate the implementation of bioeconomy and to build synergies with agricultural policy and rural development instruments. While in Bucharest, Phil Hogan also met Monday with the PM Viorica Dancila with whom he discussed the legislative package regarding the reform of the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy.



    Decree — The Romanian government on Monday passed an emergency decree which provides for the election of county council presidents through direct vote by the citizens, and not through the vote of the county councilors, as stipulated by the current regulation. The move is actually a return to the system of electing county council presidents that was valid in the period 2008-2016. The spokeswoman for the Romanian presidency Mădălina Dobrovolschi on Monday said that changing the election law through an emergency decree, in the sense of introducing the uninominal vote for electing county council presidents, is actually a gift from the prime minster to the local authorities in her attempt to win their support. Mădălina Dobrovolschi also added that this change will help the incumbent county council presidents.



    London – The US President Donald Trump on Monday started a state visit to Britain where he met with members of the Royal Family and had a private lunch with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The visit marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, and takes place in the context of the Brexit crisis and of PM Theresa May’s forthcoming resignation. On Tuesday the US President will have meetings with the outgoing PM Theresa May and with American and British business leaders. His visits ends on Wednesday when he will attend a ceremony in Portsmouth to mark June 6, 1944, when 160,000 British, American, French and other Allied troops landed in Nazi-occupied Normandy in WW2. Donald Trump will then travel to Ireland and France.



    EP elections results — The Central Electoral Bureau in Romania on Monday announced the final results of the EP elections held on May 26. The Bureau’s spokesman Marian Muhuleţ announced that the opposition National Liberal Party will have 10 seats, the Social Democratic Party in the governing coalition will get 9 seats and the 2020 Alliance made up of the Save Romania Union party and PLUS party will get 8 seats. The Pro Romania Party, the People’s Movement Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania will receive 2 seats each. Romania will be represented in the future EP by 33 MEPs for a 5-year mandate. Romania will receive its 33rd seat in the EP after Brexit.



    Tennis – Number 3 in the world and defending Roland Garros champion Simona Halep on Monday qualified to the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam tournament in Roland Garros. She defeated 6-1, 6-0 the Polish player Iga Swiatek (104 WTA). Also on Monday, in the men’s doubles, the Romanian Horia Tecău and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer were defeated by Guido Pella/Diego Sebastian Schwartzman of Argentina, in the quarter-finals, 4-6, 4-6. (news translated and updated by L. Simion)

  • Decisions on high-level prosecutors

    Decisions on high-level prosecutors

    A recurrent topic
    in the past 2 years, the developments in the judiciary remain in the focus of
    Romanian public life. In the last few days, it was not about changes in the
    criminal legislation or corruption cases involving high-profile politicians,
    but about the candidates for top-level prosecutor positions.






    On Wednesday all
    the 4 candidates for prosecutor general of Romania were rejected, with the
    selection procedure set to be resumed between April 12 and May 8, the Justice
    Ministry has announced. The decision was made by the line minister, Tudorel
    Toader, who interviewed the candidates and was unimpressed with all of them.






    The 4 were the
    former chief of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism
    Offences (DIICOT) Daniel Horodniceanu, the anti-mafia prosecutor Marian Drilea,
    a prosecutor working for the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Brasov Court
    of Appeals, Gabriela Scutea, and the incumbent prosecutor general, Augustin
    Lazar, whose term in office comes to an end this month and who is seeking a new
    term.






    Lazar is at the
    heart of a major scandal with political tinges, after the has been accused of
    having denied parole to several anti-communist dissidents in the ’80s, when he
    was a member of the release committee at the Aiud Penitentiary, one of the
    harshest prisons in the communist repressive system.






    Seen as close to
    President Klaus Iohannis and detested by the leftist power made up of the
    Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, who also
    accuse him of abuse in the post-communist years, Lazar says these attacks
    against him are prompted by his candidacy for a new term as prosecutor general.
    He also says he has never prosecuted offences against the communist regime, and
    that he is not a collaborator or agent of any intelligence service. But his
    enemies in politics and mass media continue to demand his withdrawal from
    public life.






    Also on
    Wednesday, the Justice Ministry announced that it had not selected any
    candidate on behalf of Romania for the position of chief prosecutor of the EU,
    and this procedure would be resumed as well. The conclusion of the process is
    postponed both in Bucharest, and in Brussels. The future head of the European
    Public Prosecutor’s Office will be appointed by the new European Parliament, to
    be elected in May.






    In its current
    configuration, the European Parliament backs the former head of the Romanian
    Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, praised as the spearhead of
    the fight against corruption by her supporters at home, but challenged by opponents
    as part of a repressive mechanism. The Council of the EU favours the Frenchman
    Jean Francois Bohnert.






    A few round of
    negotiations between the 2 European bodies on the topic failed. So after the
    elections, the new Parliament will have to decide whether to resume talks from
    scratch, or to continue the negotiations conducted so far.



  • March 17, 2019 UPDATE

    March 17, 2019 UPDATE

    EU — The EU on Sunday reiterated its commitment regarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, 5 years after the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and of Sevastopol by Russia, shows a statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. The EU reiterated that it did not recognize the annexation, which it considers a direct challenge to international security with serious consequences for international legal order which protects the territorial integrity, the unity and sovereignty of all states. The EU equally keeps its commitment to fully implementing the non-recognition policy for Crimea, also through restrictive measures. In Bucharest the Foreign Ministry officials said they supported the statement of the EU foreign policy chief Mogherini. They also condemn the illegal annexation by Russia of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea which they consider a violation of the principles and norms of the international law.



    Meeting – Bucharest is hosting, on Sunday and Monday, a ministerial meeting dwelling on Diaspora policies. The meeting is organized by the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU and is taking place in the context of the free movement of labor force and of debates on migration and integration. The Romanian authorities believe that the exchange of good practices, the presentation of and consultation on the national strategies regarding the Diaspora could be useful instruments at both European and national level. The talks will focus on ways through which the European countries could establish relations of economic and cultural cooperation with the Diaspora, the initiatives for supporting its linguistic and cultural development, the policies that contributed to the rapid integration of the Diaspora community members as well as the policies meant to support the return of the members of the Diaspora to the countries of origin.



    Brussels — Romania’s rugby team on Sunday defeated the Belgian team in Brussels, 43-17, in the last leg of the 2019 Rugby Europe International Championship (REIC). In the other matches, Georgia defeated Russia and Spain had the upper hand on Germany. Romania comes 3rd in the rankings after Georgia and Spain.



    Belgrade — Thousands of people on Sunday gathered in Belgrade in front of the Serbian presidential headquarters to protest against president Aleksandar Vucic, whom they accuse of authoritarianism and subordination of the press, news agencies report. Vucic accuses the protesters of excessive violence after some of them on Saturday evening stormed the public television headquarters. The protesters denounced the bias of the public television and its dependence on the government. Protests against president Vucic started on December 8 last year, and have been held every Saturday in Belgrade and other Serbian cities ever since.



    London — The British Labor opposition will force a vote on a motion of censure if the Conservative PM Theresa fails again to obtain a vote on a Brexit deal in Parliament, the leader of the Labor Party Jeremy Corbyn announced on Sunday, according to Reuters. He called on all MPs to work together in order to find an urgent way out of the Brexit deadlock. The British Parliament on Thursday evening approved the motion through which Theresa May’s government is asking for a postponement of Brexit after March 29. The postponement needs to also be accepted by the EU leaders who will gather in Brussels on March 21 and 22. (translation by L. Simion)

  • January 22, 2019

    January 22, 2019

    FLU — Romanian medical authorities have warned that immunization is the most effective protection measure against the flu virus, given that the country is facing a flu epidemic. The number of deaths cased by the flu this winter stands at 27. Children are the most affected by the disease. Daily triages have been recommended in schools and kindergartens.




    TREATY – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has today said that the French-German Cooperation and Integration Treaty in Aachen mirrors the commitment of France and Germany to consolidate the European project. According to President Iohannis Romania will continue to be close to the two countries in their efforts to reach this goal. Attending the ceremony in Aachen, along President Iohannis, who represents the country holding the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, were European Council President Donald Tusk and the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. The Aachen Treaty is based, from a political and juridical point of view, on the Elysee French-German Treaty of 1963 that set the basis for a historic reconciliation between Germany and France. The Aachen Treaty is aimed at adjusting the relations between the two states to the challenges of the 21st century, laying emphasis on the cohesion of the two countries’ action at European level.




    BRUSSELS – Most of Romanian Government’s ministers are in Brussels until Wednesday to present the agenda and priorities of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU before expert committees of the European Parliament. Today, the interim Transport Minister, Rovana Plumb, the Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu, the Health Minister Sorina Pintea and the Agriculture Minister Petre Daea will discuss with the MEPs. On Monday, Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said before the European Parliaments Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs that promoting the Banking Union, given the need for a safe and solid European financial sector, is a priority. In the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the Romanian Minister for Water and Forestry Ioan Deneş, and the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Graţiela Gavrilescu, said that Romania’s priorities in the field include fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity, sustainable development and water management.




    ECOFIN – Romanian Finance Minister, Eugen Teodorovici, is chairing as of today, in Brussels, the first meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) during the mandate of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. European ministers are discussing, among other things, about a prospective programme on supporting investment, innovation and job creation in the EU. They also discuss about the stage of negotiations on the revision of the current financial surveillance mechanism, in particular the stipulations referring to the fight against money laundering. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, Romania plans to work, during its mandate as president of the Council of the EU, on a number of important dossiers, such as the Economic and Monetary Union, the multi-annual financial framework and the modernization of the VAT system.




    BREXIT — British PM Theresa May on Monday set out her Brexit plan B to MPs, which she was obliged to do under the EU Withdrawal Act after the defeat of her plan in the House of Commons last week. A change to her initial deal is that the government has scrapped the ­£65 (€73.69) fee EU citizens were going to pay to secure the right to continue living in the UK after Brexit. Once again, the British prime minister vowed to find a solution to the Irish backstop, which she said was the key issue blocking her deal going through. May once again rejected calls for a second referendum. Mays deal will now be debated in Parliament on January 29. A vote is expected the same day. The prime minister will then take the conclusions back to the EU. The UK is scheduled to leave the EU on Friday, March 29, 2019, at 11 pm UK time.




    TENNIS — Romanian Filip Jianu, aged 17 and the Spanish Nicolas Alvarez Varona qualified today to the quarterfinals of the junior men’s doubles at the Australian Open, after defeating the all-British pair Jacob Fearnley/Connor Thomson 6-3, 6-7, 10-8. The Romanian-Spanish team will next be up against the Australian pair Tristan Schoolkate/Dane Sweeny.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • January 20, 2019 UPDATE

    January 20, 2019 UPDATE

    Brussels — On Monday the Romanian FM Teodor Melescanu will participate in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. On the agenda of the meeting are topical issues such as fighting disinformation, cooperation between the EU and the League of Arab States and the relations between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to a press release of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, during the meeting to be presided by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Minister Melescanu will present the participants the main themes in the focus of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU. On Tuesday he will have meetings on the same topic at the EP’s Foreign Affairs and Development Committees.



    Council of the EU — The Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU has finalized the adoption of the first file in the field of economic and financial affairs, namely the regulations on the minimum loss coverage for non-performing exposures, the Romanian Finance Ministry officials announced. Reporting significant progress in the field of financial services is one of Romania’s priorities at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting- said the Romanian finance minister Eugen Teodorovici. He met in Strasbourg with the co-rapporteurs on the file regarding the revision of the European financial surveillance system and with the members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Pervenche Beres and Othmar Karas. The Romanian finance minister also talked with Isabelle Thomas, a member in the EP’s Committee on Budgets, about the negotiations on Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.



    Berlin — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will participate on Tuesday in Aachen, in western Germany, in the ceremony for the signing of the French-German Cooperation and Integration Treaty upon the invitation of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and of the French President Emmanuel Macron. On this occasion, President Iohannis, in his capacity as president of the country holding the incumbent presidency of the Council of the EU, will deliver a speech. The ceremony will also be attended by the president of the European Council Donald Tusk and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. The Aachen bilateral treaty is based, from a political and juridical point of view, on the Elysee French-German Treaty of 1963 that set the basis for a historic reconciliation between Germany and France. The Aachen treaty will focus on adjusting the relations between the two states to the challenges of the 21st century, laying emphasis on the cohesion of the two countries’ action at European level.



    Flu — The number of people killed by the flu in Romania reached 20, after on Sunday a new death was reported. A 68-year old man from the southeastern city of Galati died because of the AH3 flu virus. According to the local authorities, the victim had not been vaccinated and was suffering from serious chronic respiratory diseases. On Saturday the health minister Sorina Pintea said that Romania was on the verge of a flu epidemic. The decision to declare a flu epidemic is based on the WHO criteria, one of the most important criteria being the number of cases, namely 1,500 per 100 thousand inhabitants.



    Chisinau — The Moldovan government announced they would increase the number of polling stations for the parliamentary elections of February 24, 2019. 125 stations will be opened abroad, 25 more than at the 2016 presidential election. The number of polling stations will be doubled in Ukraine, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Ireland, it will increase by 70% in the US, by almost 40% in Russia and by 9% in neighboring Romania. Legislative elections will take place for the first time based on a mixed electoral system, according to which 50 deputies will be elected on party lists and another 51 in uninominal electoral constituencies, in one single round.



    High Court — The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest on Monday will hold a new hearing in the trial in which the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party is accused of corruption. He was already sentenced in a court of first instance to 3 years and 6 months in prison for having instigated to abuse of office. The prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate accused Dragnea that, during his term in office as president of the Teleorman county council he ordered the fictitious hiring of two party members at the Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection. The two were paid from public money although they worked exclusively for the party. In 2016 Dragnea received a definitive two year suspended sentence for attempted electoral fraud.



    Tennis — The world’s no. 1 player, Simona Halep will take on Serena Williams on Monday, in Melbourne, in the eighth finals of the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. On Saturday she eliminated Venus Williams on Saturday 6-2, 6-3. Simona Halep and Serena Williams have so far played against each other 9 times. Halep defeated Williams once in 2014 in the WTA Championships Red Group 6-0, 6-2. (translation by L. Simion)

  • December 4, 2018

    December 4, 2018

    Brussels — The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila is today participating in Brussels in a conference on the future of Europe, organized by the Aspen Romania Institute. The meeting is meant to create a regional platform for defending and promoting the European integration project, at a time of intense internal and external pressure. Organizers aim at coming up with new perspectives in preparation for the European Council meeting to be hosted next year by the central Romanian city of Sibiu and at providing answers to the new political context created by Brexit and the upcoming elections for the European Parliament. Also on Tuesday Viorica Dancila is having meeting with Romanian MEPs. On Wednesday the Romanian PM will attend, alongside other members of the cabinet, the joint meeting of the Romanian Government and the European Commission in the run up to Romania’s future presidency of the Council of the EU. Romania’s strategy is based on 4 main themes: the convergence policy, the EU’s internal security, the EU’s foreign policy and common European values.



    London — The British Parliament is today starting debates on the Brexit agreement which Brussels has agreed upon with the Conservative PM Theresa May, who cannot count on a majority that should guarantee a positive vote on the deal on December 11. The Brexit deal stipulates the juridical conditions for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the EU on March 29, 2019. The agreement provides for an initial period of transition until the end of 2020, a period of time when nothing will change in the relations between the UK and the EU. Subsequently, if the period of transition is not extended by one year or two at the most, the UK will remain in the EU Customs Union unless another deal is brokered, regarding other types of trade relations.



    MAE — The Romanian Foreign Ministry believes that the article carried by the DPA German Press Agency and taken over by the German public television ZDF regarding the anniversary of Romania’s Great Union Centennial does not observe the historical truth, includes serious errors and a tendentious approach. In a communiqué to AGERPRES news agency, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that they took the necessary steps, through the agency of the Romanian Embassy in Berlin, to have the two German institutions provide clarifications for their gesture and make the required corrections. On December 1, 2018 ZDF carried a piece of news about Romania’s National Day, taken over from the DPA, which said that Romania celebrated 100 years since the annexation of the former Hungarian province of Transylvania. The Romanian Foreign Ministry underlines that on December 1, 1918 at the National Assembly in Alba Iulia (in central Romania) 100 thousand people decided upon the union with Romania, with the participation of all parties, religious denominations and social categories. The resolution of the National Assembly in Alba Iulia was first signed by the representatives of the German minority in Transylvania and Bukovina, the MAE recalls in the communiqué.



    Corruption — The juridical committee in Romania’s Senate has today postponed the vote on the request made the National Anti-Corruption Directorate to start the criminal prosecution of the speaker of the Senate, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who is accused of bribe taking. The committee will draft a report after which the request for lifting the official’s immunity will be voted in the plenum of the Senate. In early November, the DNA had asked for the Senate’s approval to begin the criminal investigation of Calin Popescu Tariceanu. Prosecutors claim that the speaker of the Senate indirectly received bribe worth 800 thousand dollars, between 2007 and 2008, when he was prime minister, from an Austrian firm. The money accounted for a 10% commission on the value of the contract addendum and was allegedly used by the dignitary for his own benefit.



    Handball — Romania’s national handball team has qualified to the main groups of the European Championship hosted by France, after defeating the German team 29-24 on Monday evening, in Brest. That was the Romanians’ second match in Group D. In the first match, the Romanian handballers defeated the Czech team. They will play their last match in the group, on December 5, against Norway. Romania’s national handball team’s best result so far was the bronze medal at the 2010 European Championship. The leader of Romania’s national team Cristina Neagu scored 5 times in the match against Germany, thus becoming the best goal scorer in the history of the European Championships with 206 goals. (translation by L. Simion)

  • The Brexit deal was generally approved

    The Brexit deal was generally approved

    The European Affairs Ministers from the EU countries meeting in Brussels on Monday supported the draft withdrawal agreement setting out the terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union in late March 2019. Several ministers underscored that the agreement must be ratified by both sides and it could not be the object of renegotiation.The EU’s Brexit chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the draft Brexit deal reached with London was “fair and balanced”, as the bloc haggled with Britain over any extension to the envisaged transition period, due in late 2020.



    Attending the Brussels meeting, Romanian European Affairs Minister, George Ciamba hailed the special efforts made by the EU chief negotiator and his team for a balanced agreement to be reached, equitable for both sides. The Romanian Minister argued that the withdrawal agreement was the most efficient instrument of curtailing the negative follow-ups of Brexit, highlighting the importance of securing the legal status of citizens and the business environment. He said that the agreement would guarantee the protection of the rights of all European citizens settled in Great Britain, as well as of the British nationals settled in the EU countries before December 31, 2020.



    Minister Ciamba recalled that Great Britain was further an important partner of the EU and of Romania, particularly in terms of cooperation in the field of security, defense and foreign policy. The draft withdrawal agreement has 585 pages, over 400 chapters and three protocols. The agreement sets out all the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU. Last week, British Prime Minister Theresa May got the support of her cabinet to the Brexit deal, more than two years after the British electorate had stood for Brexit as part of a referendum.



    There are still divergent views on the date the transition phase might end; the issue must be solved by the EU summit due on Sunday. This is also the deadline for a document on the EU’s future relationship with Great Britain to be finalized. On Monday, Theresa May said again she was determined to have the British Parliament pass the draft withdrawal agreement. Mrs. May’s task is not an easy one: she is confronted with the opposition of a large political spectrum, including the prospect of her change as prime minister.

  • October 3, 2018

    October 3, 2018

    NATO — Brussels is hosting, as of today, a two-day meeting of the NATO Defense Ministers, the first such meeting after the Alliance’s summit in July, which marks the beginning of the implementation stage of the Declaration adopted in summer. Defense Minister Mihai Fifor represents Romania at the meeting. Developments on NATO’s eastern flank and the reform of the Alliance’s command structure are high on the meeting’s agenda, which also includes talks about setting up support teams trained to counteract hybride and cyber attacks.




    EC – European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans has warned Romania’s government that it might end up in court if it continues its policies to relax the fight against corruption. Timmermans made the comments on Monday, October 1st, at the civil liberties committee in the European Parliament ahead of a plenary debate on Romanias rule of law on Wednesday, with Romanian prime minister Viorica Dancila. Romania has made progress in the past, sometimes even spectacular progress, but it’s moving back in a way that would be damaging not only for Romanian democracy but for the place Romania has built as an EU member state,” Timmermans said. Attending the debates on Wedensady, PM Viorica Dancila asked for Romania to be treated as an equal partner within the EU and said that nobody could prevent the country from continuing its European path.




    RULING — Romania’s Constitutional Court rejected on Wednesday the notification submitted by the country’sKlaus Iohannis, regarding modifications to the Law on the Romanian territory’s administrative organisation, Agerpres news agency reports. Iohannis had signalled the presence of some major dirfferences in terms of legal content, between the versions passed by the two Parliament chambers.




    AGRICULTURE – Romanian Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea is today travelling to Brussels to discuss with European Commission represenatives about additional funds to be paid to farmers who were affected by the African swine fever. Around 11.5 million euro worth of damages have so far been paid to 5,000 Romanian farmers. Over 960 sine fever hotbetds have been confirmed in Romania, and hundreads of thousands of pigs have been culled.




    LAWS – The offshore law, regulating gas exploitation in the Black Sea, was debated on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies’ plenary sitting, that decided to send it back to the expert committees. The Social Democratic Party’s deputies made some important changes to the law adopted by the Senate last week. PSD’s amendments were criticized by the opposition MPs as well as by deputies of their coalition partner. Oil companies have expressed concern about the new offshore law, saying that it may discourage new investment in the Black Sea. This is the second time this law is being voted. The Parliament initially adopted the offshore law in early July, but president Klaus Iohannis sent it back for review.




    PENITENTIARIES – Hundreds of trade unionists with the Romanian penitentiaries have decided to protest today, in front of the Justice Ministry’s headquarters, against the poor working conditions and the unpaid overtime. They say their protest is also against the “indolence and incompetence” of the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, and ask for the resignation of the general director appointed unlawfully. If their demans are left unanswered, protests will be taken to the next stage, by blocking the penitentiaries’ activity, trade unionists have warned.

  • Brussels – political talks on Romania

    Brussels – political talks on Romania

    Romania’s political situation was presented in Brussels by PM Viorica Dancila before the leaders of the main groups in the European Parliament. The meetings took place in the context of the future debates in the European Parliament, to be held next week, regarding the anti-government protest of August 10 in Bucharest, when the gendarmes used violence against the protesters. The PM Dancila was invited to participate in the debates.



    The PM talked about the measures taken at economic and social level related to social justice, defending the rights and freedoms of citizens and re-balancing the powers of the state, shows a government press release. As to the reforms of the judiciary, the PM showed that they were meant to better gauge the Romanian judicial system to be in line with the European practices and the recommendations of the Venice Commission.



    MEP Gabriela Zoana said after the debates in the European Parliament that the presence of the Romanian PM in the European Parliament and the way in which she presented the concrete stand of the Romanian government, with facts and arguments, actually clarified for the European partners that the Social Democratic government was making justified decisions, in compliance with the domestic legislation and the European values. Euractiv recalls, however, that the European Social Democrats reproached the PM Dancila that the ruling Social Democratic Party – PSD is swerving from the European ‘progressist‘ line.



    According to the same source, the Socialist MEPs asked for clarifications over a series of issues, from major cases of corruption to the referendum to be held on October 6 and 7. In this referendum Romanians are called to vote if they agree with redefining the concept of family in the Constitution as being based on the marriage between a man and a woman. Euractiv quotes a Socialist MEP as saying that, in the EU Charter of fundamental rights, it is clearly stipulated that people have the right to get married without discrimination from a sexual point of view.



    The Romanian PM said in Brussels that the Social Democratic Party would not be making a campaign for the referendum to influence its results and that it is everybody’s obligation to act in order to show what this referendum means. A former Social Democratic MEP, Catalin Ivan, accused the PM’s ‘double language’ and claimed that things in Bucharest are different. In a Twitter post, the leader of the European People’s Party, Mafred Weber, wrote, after the talks with the Romanian PM, that he was concerned with the situation in Romania, considering that the independence of the judiciary was under pressure.

  • July 13, 2018

    July 13, 2018

    Transports — The Romanian minister for European funds Rovana Plumb and the transport minister Lucian Sova talked in Brussels with the EU Commissioner for regional policy Corina Cretu about the approval by the European Commission of the project for the M6 subway segment that will ensure the link with the Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest. According to a communiqué of the Transport Ministry in mid March the European Commission asked Metrorex company to provide clarifications in relation to their request for funding the project. The Transport Ministry officials say the value of the subway segment is almost 1.3 billion Euros of which Romania can cover at present only 330 million Euros from a loan and the state budget, with the rest to be possibly covered from European funds. Talks in Brussels also tackled the possibility of building a highway between Transylvania (in the center) and Moldavia (in the east). The route of the highway will be set in such a way so as to bring economic benefits to both Romania and the EU.



    Washington – Washington supports the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia and reiterates its support for the democratically elected governments and people of those three countries, shows a US Congress resolution. The document shows the US’s commitment to supporting the three former Soviet republics on their way to European integration, and to obtain energy security and intensify commercial cooperation. The resolution also condemns the Russian aggression in the region, and calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition which are illegally deployed on the territory of these three states. The resolution asks the allies from the EU and the UN to continue to put pressure on Moscow for it to comply with its international commitments and calls on the US Department of State to have a full-fledged and active dialogue against Russia’s interference in the democratic processes of the three sovereign nations. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has recently reiterated the need for a complete withdrawal of foreign armed forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova, and NATO called for the pullout of Russian troops stationed in the three states, without their consent, in line with international commitments.



    Brussels — Securing border points, equipping them with state-of-the-art technology and modernizing the customs infrastructure are some of the main objectives of the Romanian Public Finance Ministry for 2018. This is the statement made by finance minister Eugen Teodorovici in Brussels at an event occasioned by the celebration of 50 years of customs union. Minister Teodorovici signed, on the occasion, the European Customs Charter under the high patronage of Pierre Moscovici, a European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, and of Hartwig Loger, the Austrian finance minister, whose country is holding the presidency of the Council of the EU. Customs union was first mentioned in the Rome Treaty and came into force in 1968 when customs duties levied at the border between the states of the European Community were eliminated. The EU members are using a common set of rules, the so-called Customs Code, which lies at the basis of the Customs Union.



    Gărâna — The 22nd edition of the Gărâna Jazz Festival is under way in the southwest of Romania until Sunday. The program includes 25 concerts by musicians from 16 countries. Besides concerts, the audience will have the opportunity to attend the presentation of an experiment — installation made by painter Gheorghe Fikl, during the theater play “Farm” by the Auăleu troupe, the Vinyl National Fair, the exhibition of jazz posters as well as the launch of the book ‘Instant Stage’ by Ioana Tăut. In the past 20 years, more than 70 thousand spectators and many internationally-famed artists shared the experience of avant-garde jazz music in the open air, in the small Romanian village of Gărâna.



    B-Fit — As of Friday until August 5 Bucharest will host, each weekend, the 10th edition of the International Street Theater Festival, B-Fit in the Street. This anniversary edition of the festival, called “A Romanian Story in the Centennial Year” includes tens of shows performed by 400 artists from12 countries among which Denmark, Slovakia, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Romania. The world premiere of the aerial acrobatics show ‘Sonics in Wish’ from Italy will take place on July 14.



    Luxemburg — FC Viitorul football team, 4th ranked in Romania’s football championship, on Thursday won the away match against Racing Union Luxemburg 2-0, in the first preliminary round of Europa League. The return match will take place in Romania on July 19. If they defeat the team of Luxemburg, FC Viitorul will play in the second preliminary round against Vitesse Arnhem of the Netherlands. Also playing in the Europa League preliminaries will be CSU Craiova, the Cup winner, and vice-champions FCSB. Title holder CFR Cluj will play in the preliminaries of the Champions League. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • June 28, 2018

    June 28, 2018

    European Council — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is participating for two days in the European Council meeting in Brussels. Talks will focus, among others, on the European defense policy, economic growth and competitiveness, digitalization, innovation and trade and the post-2020 EU budget. The main topic of the summit is migration. According to a communiqué of the presidential administration, Klaus Iohannis will reiterate the need to continue the consolidation of the EU’s external border protection and will highlight the need for a collective effort of member states to intensify dialogue with the migrants’ countries of origin or of transit. In a letter conveyed to the heads of state and government of the 28 EU members, the president of the European Council Donald Tusk points to the very high stakes involved, and to the growingly heated debates over migrants. He underscored that the EU’s target should be to dismantle the bootleg-type of business, this being the most efficient way to stop the migrants’ flow and to put an end to loss of human lives at sea.



    Brussels — The Speaker of the Romanian Senate Calin Popescu Tariceanu is having talks today in Brussels with the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, about observance of human rights and freedoms in Romania and about the institutional relations in a rule of law state. A press release issued in Bucharest writes that the talks will tackle the stage of monitoring of the Romanian judiciary by the EC through the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification (CMV) and bilateral issues. The meeting is taking place in the context in which the EU officials are closely monitoring the amendments brought to the justice laws by the ruling coalition in Romania made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats, amendments that are being contested by the opposition parties, civil society and part of the magistrates and that triggered off street protests. In Bucharest, the US Embassy issued a release stating that important partner states have called on Romania to consider the potentially negative impact of the amendments to be brought to the criminal laws and have asked the authorities to avoid changes that might undermine the rule of law or Bucharest’s capacity to fight crime and corruption.



    Weather — Romania’s eastern half will be under a code yellow alert for rain until Thursday night. The highs of the day will range between 23 and 29 degrees C, with a 20 degree reading in Bucharest at noon. Meteorologists warn that it will continue to rain in most regions of Romania until Saturday. Hydrologists have also issued a code orange alert for flooding for 8 drainage basins in the south, center and east valid until Thursday afternoon. For other rivers in the south, east and center of the country a code yellow alert has been issued, valid until midnight. According to the Interior Ministry rainfalls have affected 60 localities in 14 counties. The Ministry officials have mobilized at national level, around 16 thousand employees and more than 6,600 technical means.



    Government — The Romanian government is today discussing a bill on granting state aid to those companies who make large-scale investments, mainly in less developed regions. According to the finance minister Eugen Teodorovici the government decision submitted for analysis is a follow-up of the state aid scheme that was successfully implemented between 2014-2017. Minister Teodorovici said that resuming this scheme would boost economic growth, bridge the gaps between regions and help produce innovative products.



    DIICOT — The prosecutors of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism in Bucharest started the investigation in rem in the case of the criminal complaint made by the opposition National Liberal Party president Ludovic Orban against the Social Democratic prime minister Viorica Dancila, a case in which he accuses her of high treason and disclosure of secret information that undermines national security. The complaint is related to a memorandum discussed in the government meeting that analyzed the adequacy of relocating the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Ludovic Orban accused Viorica Dancila of revealing confidential information and of having presented the Romanian President with false information in relation to the respective memorandum. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • June 24, 2018

    June 24, 2018

    Motion — The censure motion tabled by the Romanian opposition parties will be read out on Monday in Parliament plenum and Wednesday it will be debated and voted on. The initiators of the motion called “Ousting the Dragnea-Dancila government, a national emergency” claim that the current cabinet, through the measures taken, destroyed the economy and the justice system. On Saturday thousands of people protested in Bucharest and other cities of Romania against the Social Democratic government and the Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea, asking for his and the government’s resignation. Also on Saturday, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, announced that he would run for a new term in office as president of Romania in 2019, saying that his decision was motivated by the troubled political environment in Romania. He said he had to clarify his position on the matter given that 80% of the population was discontented with and no longer trusted the political class. According to President Iohannis the PSD leader Liviu Dragnea should withdraw completely from Romania’s political life. On Friday the Social Democrats announced they would continue to support Dragnea in all the offices he is currently holding although he received a first instance sentence of 3 and a half years in prison for instigation to abuse of office. Dragnea said he would not resign so as to be able to implement his goals, among which the governing program.



    Chisinau — A protest rally will take place Sunday in Chisinau to contest the court decision that invalidates the election as mayor of Chisinau of the pro-European opposition leader Andrei Nastase. The police announced on Saturday that they started criminal prosecution in the case of the rally, based on suspicions related to possible violent actions to take place at the rally. The US Department of State, the EU as well as diplomatic missions accredited to Chisinau conveyed messages in which they express concern with the developments in this case.



    Brussels — Leaders from 17 EU states are today meeting in Brussels to discuss differences over migration in the run up to the EU summit scheduled for the coming weekend. The German chancellor Angela Merkel wants to obtain certain concessions that should allow her to maintain the governing coalition. The French president Emmanuel Macron is pleading for financial sanctions to be imposed on those EU members that turn away migrants with proven asylum status. He referred to Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, countries that are opposed to the asylum-seeker relocation program. The Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boiko Borisov, whose country is holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union until June 30, announced he would propose the immediate closure of the EU’s external borders for migrants and the setting up of centers for war refugees outside the community space, Reuters reports.



    Turkey elections — Turkey is seeing Sunday early presidential and parliamentary elections. The presidential election is considered the most important challenge for the current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has been ruling the country for 15 years. If he gets another 5-year term in office Erdogan intends to remove the prime minister position, a measure which the opposition claims will erode democracy in Turkey. His main challenger is Muharrem Ince representing the most powerful opposition party, the Republican People’s Party. If none of the candidates gets more than 50% of the votes on Sunday, a second round will be held on July 8. Also on Sunday Turks are called to the polls to elect 600 MPs for a 5-year term in office, the elections taking place in the context of a state of emergency imposed by president Erdogan himself in 2016 after the failed coup d’etat against him.



    Romanian Blouse — The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is marked each year on June 24. The traditional Romanian blouse is the staple element of the national traditional dress and an international symbol of Romanian culture. On January 21, 2013 the online community “La Blouse Roumaine” proposed June 24 as the day devoted to the Romanian Blouse. In the same year the community “La Blouse Roumaine” organized the first Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse, which has become a global event marked in more than 50 countries. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • The European report on product quality

    The European report on product quality

    What Romanians
    had long found out has ultimately been agreed upon in Brussels too: the quality
    of food products sold in East European countries, including Romania, as well as
    Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary or Poland, is inferior to that of similar products
    sold in Western countries.






    Formerly,
    officials from all those East European countries demanded that multinationals
    be no longer allowed to use low quality ingredients on the cheaper markets
    where they deliver their products. For instance, 9 of the 29 food products
    under scrutiny by the Institute of Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health in
    Bucharest last year were different.






    Those products
    included canned fish, ham, bacon and bologna. These days, a report debated by
    the MPs in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection in the
    European Parliament says that the problem of dual quality has been reported in
    East European countries and the phenomenon must be made known at all levels, so
    that pressure should be put on producers.




    The question
    which raises itself automatically is whether there was the producers’ intention
    to cheat consumers. Moreover, the food labeling law must be amended because, as
    Euro MPs say, the products sold with a similar packaging across the EU must be
    the same.






    Actually, the
    discussion should start from the fact that all EU consumers should be treated
    in the same way. Furthermore, Euro MPs argue that quality tests should be extended
    to other products too and not only to the food products because there are
    differences in those cases too.






    According to the
    Brussels correspondent for Radio Romania, the measures taken by the European
    Parliament add up to those already announced by the European Commission, which
    has developed a new methodology of comparing the quality of food products sold across
    the EU. That new methodology aims to clarify and strengthen the consumers’
    rights, prohibiting the practices of applying double standards in the matter.






    The national
    authorities in charge of food security and consumers’ protection are
    responsible for ensuring that the food placed on the Single Market complies
    with the relevant EU legislation. Consumers must also be informed about key
    characteristics set in the EU food labeling law and should not be misled by the
    packaging.






    Under the
    coordination of the Joint Research Centre, laboratories in several EU member
    states will apply that methodology in a pan-European testing campaign to
    collect data on the scope gained by the dual product quality. The first results
    are to be made public at the end of this year.



  • June 8, 2018

    June 8, 2018

    Warsaw — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda are today participating in Warsaw in the Bucharest 9 meeting, which includes NATO members from central and Eastern Europe. The participants will tackle ways to consolidate the NATO military presence on the eastern flank of the Alliance, to extend dialogue on security and strengthening cooperation between NATO and the EU, including military mobility. On Thursday, on the first day of his visit to Poland, President Iohannis stated, after talks with his Polish counterpart, that Romania and Poland had a common interest in defending NATO’s eastern flank, given the threats and difficult situation in the region. The two heads of state also talked about the excellent bilateral relations, especially in the economic and military fields.



    High Court – The High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania might give its verdict today in the case in which the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea is accused of corruption. Last month, the prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate asked the court for a sentence of 7 years and 5 months in prison for abuse of office and of 2 years and 6 months for intellectual forgery. They accuse Liviu Dragnea that, when he held the position of president of the Teleorman county council, he ordered the fictitious employment of two Social Democratic party members at the Directorate for Social Assistance and Child Protection. The two were paid from public money although they worked exclusively for the Social Democratic Party. Dragnea claimed he was innocent and denied prosecutors’ accusations. In 2016 Dragnea received a definitive, suspended 2-year prison sentence for attempted electoral fraud.



    Sibiu — Almost 13 million Euros is the budget of this year’s edition of the Sibiu International Theater Festival, which kicks off today. Until June 17 the participants in the festival will be able to see 524 shows. The 25th edition of the Sibiu festival will bring to Sibiu 3,300 artists from 73 countries. This is the first year when the festival has two honorary patrons: the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, a former mayor of Sibiu and Prince Charles, the Heir to the British Crown, who is famous for his passion for the region of Transylvania, in central Romania.



    ASEF — The 38th ASEF Board of Governors’ Meeting continues in Bucharest. ASEF – Asia- Europe Foundation is the only institution within the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) cooperation format and the main platform for the consolidation of inter-human cooperation between Europe and Asia in the fields of culture, education, durable development and good governance. Romania became a member of ASEF and ASEM on January 1, 2007, when it joined the EU. This meeting currently held in Bucharest announces future meetings to be held in Bucharest in the first 6 months of 2019, namely the Forum of Students, the Conference of ASEF rectors and the Meeting of ASEM education ministers. The meetings will unfold under the auspices of the Romanian presidency of the EU.



    G 7 — The German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that she expected controversies at the G7 summit to take place on Friday and Saturday in Canada, given the current context of differences between Washington and its partners, France press reports. We’ll have controversies mainly in relation to international trade, environmental protection and development and foreign polices, Mrs. Merkel warned. According to France press, the biggest differences are related to the Iranian nuclear deal, from which Donald Trump has recently withdrawn the US, and to Washington’s decision to impose heavier taxes on aluminum and steel imports for all G7 members.



    Brussels — At the defense ministers’ meeting of the NATO member states held in Brussels, the Romanian defense minister Mihai Fifor evoked the importance of the full implementation of decisions adopted at NATO level. He referred mainly to the need for a coherent approach, at strategic level, of an advanced presence on the entire eastern flank, including in the Black Sea region, from the perspective of planning, training, drills as well as command. Minister Fifor also reiterated Romania’s commitment to developing military capabilities necessary for NATO’s missions and operations, and underscored the importance of the allied forces’ interoperability. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • May 9th – A holiday with a triple significance

    May 9th – A holiday with a triple significance

    First and foremost on May 9th Romanians celebrate the
    Independence Day. Proclaimed in Parliament in 1877 and defended by its soldiers
    on the frontline, the day marked the country’s separation from the sovereign
    Ottoman Empire, and became the cornerstone of the modern Romanian state to be
    built by King Carol 1st and King Ferdinand.




    The Royal Dynasty also linked its name to the United Nations’
    victory against Nazi Germany. According to historians, a decision by Romania’s
    last king, Mihai 1st, to take the country out of the alliance with
    the Axis powers, shortened World War Two by at least six months.




    Condemned by the post-war communist regime to terror, humiliation
    and poverty, Romanians are now able, thanks to the anti-communist revolution of
    1989 and their EU accession in 2007, to also celebrate Europe Day. This day
    marks the victory against Nazism in 1945 and the declaration through which, in
    1950, the French Foreign Minister, Robert Schumann, launched the EU project.






    At Wednesday’s reception offered by the Romanian Presidency on this
    occasion, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis deplored the fact that there
    are politicians in Bucharest who question the Union’s role and relevance, at
    the same time neglecting the benefits of belonging in this project, arguing
    that Romania would be better off outside the European family. Here is president
    Klaus Iohannis.






    Klaus Iohannis: What these
    politicians don’t say is that without the rule of law, without correct laws
    there is no prosperity and high living standard for most of the citizens. There
    would only be privileges for a small group ruling the country.






    The country’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said in a
    communiqué that Romania believes in the European project and that it is taking
    action for its support and development. The Romanians’ standard of living has
    constantly grown after the country’s EU accession 11 years ago, Angela Cristea,
    the head of European Commission Representation also said.




    According to Mrs. Cristea, Romania has to
    continue its efforts to have the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism lifted,
    which is an instrument through which Brussels is monitoring the situation in
    Romania’s legal system.


    Angela Cristea: Romania has come very
    close to the point of having this Cooperation and Verification Mechanism
    closed, but of course, it must continue the progress it has registered in the
    past years and not stop. Another file still not closed is the country’s
    accession to the Schengen area. Romania has met all the criteria to join
    Schengen and only needs a political decision. The effort Romania needs in this
    respect is more of a diplomatic nature. And the third unclosed file is that of
    the country’s accession to the Eurozone. This is the most complex file and we
    hail Romania’s decision to have set 2024 as the deadline for this accession.






    The head of the European Commission
    Representation in Bucharest has recalled that the EU executive is determined to
    support Romania, including with European funds, so that the country may join
    the Eurozone.