Tag: Bulgaria
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Romania Enters Schengen
The Schengen external border changed on 1 January, with the entry into force of the Justice and Home Affairs Council decision of 12 December 2024, by which Romania and Bulgaria joined the free movement area and the land borders. Thus, the frontier moved to Romania’s border with Serbia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine, while Bulgaria has an external Schengen frontier at the border with Serbia, North Macedonia and Turkey, the latter being one of the most complicated on the eastern side in terms of illegal migration.
The problems on this border area were one of the reasons why Austria was late in giving its consent in recent years. Emotions ran high until the last moment for Bucharest and Sofia. Although, in November, Austria had signed an agreement on full accession in Budapest, and the Austrian government had made political statements that it would no longer veto it in the Council, surprises emerged from the Netherlands at the last moment. The right-wing radicals from the Freedom Party initiated a parliamentary procedure to stop this move, but failed to gather a majority. Valentin Naumescu, professor of international relations at Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, told us:
“Romania deserved integration into the area of free movement, and has deserved it for a long time. We should have received this decision around March 2011, when we first met the technical criteria for accession. Unfortunately, there was always an unfavorable context, a combination of European and regional political circumstances, which were negative for Romania. The Netherlands, Austria, and other countries had elections, or were afraid of the rise of extremist, anti-migration parties. Everyone was settling their domestic political scores at the expense of Romania and Bulgaria. So, this delay, I would dare to say, is not due to us, Romania, because we have been meeting the technical criteria for over 13 years, and this has been recognized by the European Commission.”
From now on, it is a closed chapter, Romania has entered the normality of a member state of the European Union, which has long fulfilled the conditions to be a member of the Schengen area, insists Professor Naumescu, but, he adds, there is another important thing happening, which is worth highlighting:
“It is also important that Bulgaria is entering with us, because, from a geopolitical point of view, a corridor from Greece, in the south of the European Union, to Central Europe is being closed. This corridor of free movement will be very important for carriers, for the economy, for the Romanian economy and not only, for the economy of the region, for the European Union as a whole. There are many companies that will benefit by shortening transport times, transiting the territory of these countries, by abolishing internal customs controls. So, these are things that will be felt in the short and medium term, I would say in the coming years as well. We will be better connected economically, many investors will dare to come and invest in our part of the world, having lower costs. Otherwise, we can’t say that many things will change. Yes, it’s also a matter of prestige, but in the sense of returning to normality, because our prestige was affected.”
Joining Schengen not only eliminates hours of waiting in line at borders during the holidays, but also changes the rules of the game for the economy, bringing advantages in terms of the fact that freight transport will be more efficient and less expensive, according to the principle of “time is money”. With the elimination of controls, carriers will save millions of euros annually, and Romanian products will reach shelves in Europe faster and at lower costs. Simply put, Romania becomes more competitive in an extremely dynamic European market, but also more attractive to foreign investors. At the same time, border regions become true economic hubs. Without bureaucratic controls, local trade will grow, and cross-border collaborations will generate jobs and economic growth. According to the agreement, Romania and Bulgaria are part of the Schengen area starting January 1, but for six months there will be a regime of alternative or spot checks – a safety measure to see how free passage works. This means that not all vehicles or people will be stopped for inspection as before, but according to the authorities’ estimates, somewhere between 5 and 10 percent at most. Such checks are not new, they were temporarily initiated on various internal borders in Schengen, amid the increase in illegal migrants from outside to the interior of the Union. Another reason is Russia’s hybrid war, which poses security risks to the European Union.
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Romania and Bulgaria, fully in the Schengen Area
Symbolic ceremonies marked, on the night between years, the complete entry into the Schengen area of Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the European free travel area with land borders too. In Giurgiu-Ruse, representatives of the authorities from both countries, as well as citizens who crossed the Romanian – Bulgarian border for the first time without being controlled, celebrated the moment. ‘A truly historic moment, with special practical consequences for every Romanian citizen, for Romanian companies. Romania’s integration into the European Union is complete and irrevocable’, said the Romanian Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, who attended the event together with his Bulgarian counterpart, Atanas Ilkov. Another short ceremony took place at one of the border crossing points between Hungary and Romania, where the head of the national police of Hungary met with the chief inspector of the border police of Romania.
Members of the European Union since 2007, the two countries have worked together in the Schengen accession process. With the technical criteria met since 2011, Romania and Bulgaria managed to partially join the free travel area only in March last year, with the lifting of controls in airports and seaports. A few months later, in mid-December, the two countries finally received approval from all European partners to enjoy the same privileges at land border crossings. This was possible after Austria gave up its opposition. Vienna had previously invoked an influx of asylum seekers that would worsen in the event of a land expansion of Schengen, but towards the end of 2024 it considered that the measures implemented in recent months allowed “a massive reduction of crossings”.
From January 1, drivers and passengers no longer need to present any identity documents, and cars can pass without control. Road transporters who until now had to wait in line for 20 hours to transit, will now cross the border without control. However, for the first six months at least, random border checks will be carried out to deter criminal activity, with particular focus on large vehicles. At the same time, the surveillance of the Bulgarian – Turkish border, which has become the external border of the Schengen area, will be strengthened. As regards tourism, tourism companies rely on an increase in the number of travelers, including those going to Greece. Following the full accession to Schengen, significant economic benefits are expected, likely to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) by at least 1% in both countries, according to estimates. Created in 1985, the Schengen area now includes 25 of the 27 EU member countries as well as their associated neighbors Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. (LS)
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Full Schengen membership for Romania
After years of waiting, Romania and Bulgaria are becoming full members of the Schengen area. On Thursday, the Justice and Home Affairs Council approved the lifting of the two countries’ land border controls, as of January 1, 2025.
“The benefits of our membership of the free movement area are multiple and have a direct impact on citizens, on the economy and on the image of our country. The lifting of land border controls means faster and simpler movement for those who travel, the time spent at the borders will be considerably reduced, and logistics costs for companies will decrease, which will rapidly improve the competitiveness of Romanian products and services on the European market,” President Klaus Iohannis said.
“It is a historic decision, a victory for justice and national dignity and a clear signal that we will never accept to be second-rate European citizens,” Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in his turn. He explained that, for Romanians, this decision brings concrete and immediate benefits, especially for those in the diaspora, who travel frequently to Romania.
The full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area brings about a number of undeniable benefits for the two countries. First of all, greater freedom of movement towards Western Europe. Similarly, towards the south, Romanians will no longer be stopped either at the border with Bulgaria or at the next one, with Greece. The greatest benefits, however, will be for carriers who will no longer have to wait for hours at the borders, most often in difficult conditions.
There will be, however, a six-month period of partial controls at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria. Such controls have been temporarily initiated on various internal Schengen borders, due to the increase in illegal migration into the Union. The justice minister Cătălin Predoiu provided more details:
Cătălin Predoiu: “Whenever border police notice something wrong with a vehicle carrying individuals or when they receive information that there is a risk in terms of compliance with the law, they step in and carry out checks.”
Bulgaria and Romania, members of the EU since 2007, partially joined the Schengen area in March, with passport controls abolished for those crossing the air and sea borders.
Romania went through several Schengen assessment reports before 2011, the first deadline for joining the area. Subsequently, over the years, countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands or Austria opposed Romania’s accession, citing issues related to corruption, organised crime, judicial reforms or migration.
With a population of almost 420 million people, Schengen is the largest free movement area in the world, covering over 4 million square kilometers and now including 29 countries. (AMP)
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Austria no longer opposes Romania’s Schengen accession
The Austrian Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, has announced his country no longer opposes Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen with their ground borders. A decision in this respect is expected at the meeting of the European Interior and Justice Ministers in Brussels this week, where in order to be adopted, it will have to be voted unanimously by the EU members.
Austria opposed Schengen expansion two years ago in spite of the European Commission recommendations arguing that the EU’s external border wasn’t well-protected against illegal migration by these two countries.
Gerhard Karner explained that Austria’s requests on fighting illegal migration have brought down the number of immigrants close to the Hungarian border, the most preferred entrance route to his country.
This massive reduction in illegal migration wouldn’t have become visible had we not opposed until now – the Vienna official went on to say. We saw 70 thousand interceptions until October last year alone and only 4 thousand in the same period this year, Minister Karner said adding that it wasn’t sure whether those illegal migrants had made it to Austria via Romania.
In December 2023, the EU Council decided to accept in its borders-free area Romania and Bulgaria, two EU members since 2007. However, these two countries’ accession was only partial in March 2024, and only those travelling by air or by sea were exempted from passport checking. The Foreign Ministers of Austria, Romania and Bulgaria, as well as the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council have recently agreed over a new measure package on border security.
Under the document signed in Budapest, even after the two countries’ ground accession, a transition period of 6 months will follow when checking is to continue at the two countries’ borders, a condition imposed by Austria. However, the checking is no longer needed at the Greek-Bulgarian border.
Romania had witnessed several Schengen assessment reports before 2011, the first assumed term for joining the zone. Along the years countries like France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands or Austria opposed Romania’s accession invoking issues such as corruption, organized crime, legal and migration reforms.
In May 2022, the European Commission reiterated the recommendation that Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia be admitted to the Schengen zone. The last, an EU member since 2013, joined on January 1 2023, both the border-free area and the Eurozone, whereas Romania and Bulgaria had to wait.
In October 2024, the European Parliament endorsed a new resolution, the fourth of this kind since 2011 – calling for the immediate accession of Bulgaria and Romania. Schengen is the world’s largest free-movement area covering 4 million square kilometers with a population of 420 million people and includes 27 countries.
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Black Sea – cooperation for neutralizing naval mines in the Black Sea
The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian troops has been causing collateral damage. In almost two years and a half of war, both sides have resorted to the installation of naval mines around their Black Sea ports in order to prevent the other side from attacking them. Many of these mines have left the defensive networks conceived by Ukrainian and Russian strategists and are now adrift around the Black Sea posing a real threat to civilian vessels crossing it.
In December 2023, a Panamanian ship loaded with Ukrainian grain hit a naval mine, which Kyiv says was of Russian origin, and two sailors were wounded in the incident. In October a Turkish cargo ship was slightly damaged after running into one such mine close to Romania’s coasts.
The presence of these mines floating around the Black Sea has prevented the Romanian fishermen from taking to the sea and that led to a slump in the local fish harvest.
According to journalists, restaurants in the area are now mainly relying on imported fish while cruise boats coming down the Danube are now cutting short their trips as neither crew members nor tourists are daring to cross the Black Sea for fear of hitting such a mine.
So, riparian countries and also NATO allies, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey have decided to set up a joint task force for cleaning the Black Sea of mines and ensuring in this way the safety of the maritime transport, including for the vessels loaded with Ukrainian grain and bound for the world markets.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the naval forces of these three countries have discovered and destroyed numerous naval mines adrift in the Black Sea. But now they are doing it in a coordinated manner.
During a ceremony staged in Istanbul, Turkey, Romanian vice-admiral Mihai Panait has given assurances the joint initiative of the three countries is crucial in combating the threat posed by these drifting mines and in ensuring the safety of sea traffic.
The main goal of the MCM Black Sea naval group is to ensure the safety of traffic on the Black Sea through activities of monitoring, reconnaissance and the neutralization of these naval mines, as well as through related search & rescue operations at sea.
Until July 16, the aforementioned naval group will be operational in the national maritime spaces of the three countries.
The ships are going to get involved in joint drills, recon and surveillance missions, in removing naval mines and improving interoperability. The command of the operative MCM Black Sea group will be assured in the following six months by Turkey and taken over in the first half of the next year by the Bulgarian partners. Romania will take over command in the second half of 2025.
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Less than two weeks until the European Football Championships
The Romanian footballers met Bulgaria in a friendly in Bucharest on Tuesday. The match ended in a goaless draw and the Romanians managed a better first half with a series of interesting combinations, which sadly they were unable to capitalize on.
In the second half of the game, the visitors put on a couple of bold attacks and tested the abilities of the Romanian goalie who managed to promptly intervene several times during the game.
Romania even benefitted a penalty shot half into the game after a challenge on skipper Stanciu. Dennis Man tried to fire home but his shot was saved by the Bulgarian goalkeeper.
The match ended nil-all and Romania hasn’t defeated Bulgaria for the past 35 years. Their last victory was in May 1989, when Romania managed a one-nil win in Bucharest which counted towards the 190 World Cup qualifiers.
On Friday, the team coached by Edward Iordănescu will be having the last friendly before the aforementioned prestigious tournament. They will be playing in Bucharest the selection of Lichtenstein, which can prove to be a redoubtable opponent, allowing our side to hone their attack and defence skills.
In Germany, Romania will be playing in Group E together with Ukraine, Belgium and Slovakia. Their first match at EURO 2024 will be on June 17 in Munich against Ukraine. Ukraine ended in a goaless draw their latest training match, against Germany in Nuremberg on Monday. Our footballers will be up against Belgium in Cologne on June 22 and take on Slovakia in Frankfurt four days later.
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Romania on Its Way to Full Schengen Accession
“Obviously, they will monitor us carefully, and any error will be speculated by the Austrians to delay things, to justify what they argued. Of course, we know that their arguments regarding migration do not hold. The institutions of the European Union, Frontex first of all, through the data they publish, show that the Austrian accusations have no basis. On the contrary, Croatia, whose entry they allowed in 2023, is more on the Balkan migration route than Bulgaria and Romania.”
‘I think the most complicated problem we have is with legal migration from Romania, which has increased a lot – 100,000 migrants coming from Asian countries, especially in 2022-2023, which should increase to 250,000 this year’, says political scientist Cristian Pârvulescu
“They will have to be watched very carefully, because they can get on a plane at any time and go to Western countries. If they are no longer subject to controls at Romanian airports, we will really have a problem, and this temptation exists. They come to Romania, of course, because it is a slightly more open market, but also because they hope to be able to go to the West, and now they have an opportunity.”
However, the Romanian authorities have provided assurances that there will continue to be border police patrols in airports, which will ID all those who might violate the legislation, because those who come to work in Romania do not benefit from the right to free movement in the Schengen area, Cristian Pârvulescu reminds us.
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EPP – support for full Schengen accession
The European People’s Party unanimously adopted, on Wednesday, on the first day of its Congress in Bucharest, an electoral manifesto in which it demands that Romania and Bulgaria fully join the Schengen area. The document was approved by the more than 2 thousand participants in the Congress. In other words, the manifesto surprisingly also received the vote of the representatives of the People’s Party from Austria, a country whose chancellor, Karl Nehammer, from the same political family, has, until now, vehemently opposed this perspective, despite the fact that Romanians and Bulgarians have been, for many years, technically prepared to fully enter the free travel area and despite the repeated appeals from EU officials at the highest level.
In fact, in Bucharest, the president of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, reiterated, on Wednesday, that Romania and Bulgaria meet all the criteria, not forgetting to mention, however, the challenge from Vienna. He said that he also wanted to ask the socialists in Austria to reconsider their position, because they are also against Romania and Bulgaria having full access to Schengen, so there is an Austrian challenge and they have to convince all the parties there to give the green light, said Manfred Weber.
Romanians who live and work abroad are waiting for Romania to enter Schengen with land borders as well, said the president of the National Liberal Party – PNL, in the governing coalition in Romania, Nicolae Ciucă.
And the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, stated that postponing Romania’s full accession will harm Europe: “The political tango around accession to the Schengen area can neither be assumed nor continued. We must say this loud and clear here as well, in our political family. We can and we will protect the external borders of the Union. We are prepared to do so. All sorts of excuses and pretexts can be invented to delay full accession to the Schengen area, but this will do enormous damage in the short term. I’m asking all those who had reservations about Romania’s accession to the Schengen area to put our common interests in the medium and long term first, not the immediate political gain.”
Last December, the Council of the European Union voted for the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen, with controls at air and sea borders being lifted from March 2024. In order to accept their full accession to the free travel area, with controls lifted also at land borders, which is the most important component actually, Vienna set conditions. Will these conditions fade away in front of the need to obtain a good score in the June election for the European Parliament or, on the contrary, will they be strengthened? (LS)
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February 28, 2024 UPDATE
CONGRESS The European People’s Party (EPP) congress will be held in Bucharest next week, on March 6th and 7th. Over 2,000 delegates from more than 40 countries will take part, including the president of the European Commission, the president of the European Parliament, heads of state as well as European Commissioners affiliated to the EPP. The agenda will focus on the party’s preparations and strategy for the European Parliament elections. The meeting is hosted by the National Liberal Party (a member of Romania’s ruling coalition), jointly with the EPP. Bucharest last hosted an EPP congress in October 2012.
MOLDOVA The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu had a meeting in Bucharest on Wednesday with Moldova’s deputy PM for integration, Oleg Serebrian. The two officials reviewed the regional security developments and Russia’s destabilising actions, with a focus on their impact on the Republic of Moldova. In this context, minister Luminiţa Odobescu praised Chişinău’s efforts to curb the effects of the hybrid war and reconfirmed the support Romania is prepared to extend in this process. She also reiterated Romania’s support for a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable solution for the issue of Transnistria, in compliance with international law and in line with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, within its internationally recognised borders and without affecting its European future. Since 1992 Transnistria has been de facto independent from Moldova, following an armed conflict in which Russian troops backed the separatists.
NAVALNY The European Parliament Wednesday condemned the killing of the Russian activist Alexei Navalny in prison, and called for an international independent investigation to establish the circumstances of his death. The EP honoured to the life and legacy of the Russian activist in Strasburg, in the presence of his widow, Yulia Navalnaya. The meeting was opened by the EP president, Roberta Metsola, who spoke about Alexei Navalny’s courage of fighting against an authoritarian regime. She emphasised that Alexei Navalny had dedicated his life to the fight against corruption and for a democratic Russia.
CONCERT The Children’s Choirs of Radio Romania and Radio Bulgaria will give a joint concert at the Radio Hall in Bucharest, on Thursday. It will be the first time when these choirs perform together, and the concert programme is spectacular, as both choirs can easily perform difficult works, adding set design elements that will impress the audience. The event is part of an international cooperation programme between the two public radio broadcasters. On the same day, the Bulgarian Children’s Choir will open a reception hosted by the Bulgarian Embassy in Bucharest, on the occasion of Bulgaria’s National Day, celebrated on March 3rd.
HANDBALL Romania defeated Croatia, on Wednesday, 26 – 24 at home, in Group I of the European Women’s Handball Championship qualifiers. The away leg will be held on Sunday, in Koprivnica. The two teams are competing for the top spot in the group, currently having the same number of points, 4, but being separated by goal difference (43 vs. 24). They are followed by Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina, without any points. Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, CS Dinamo Bucharest beat CSM Constanţa 33-25, in main group IV of the men’s EHF European League. The Romanian champions thus secured a spot in the playoffs, with the group winner going straight into the quarter-finals. (AMP)
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February 15, 2024
CONFERENCE The Romanian Minister of Culture, Raluca Turcanu, who is these days participating in the World Conference on Cultural and Artistic Education in Abu Dhabi, has underlined the commitment of the institution that is heading to supporting cultural and education programmes contributing to the construction of a sustainable, equitable and resilient future. The Minister has mentioned the steps taken by Romania in this respect such as the process of reinvigorating libraries, museums, theatres or other cultural institutions, increasing the equitable access to education and culture, the institutionalization and valorization of the ecosystems of cultural and artistic education including by means of digital technologies, the importance of funding education and culture, the foundation for cultural and educational policies with a view to training the new generation, the Ministry of Culture says in a communiqué. The Conference, which ends today in the United Arab Emirates, has been the first UNESCO event dedicated to this subject. The event has brought together roughly 90 ministers and deputy-ministers of culture and education from around the world, who endorsed a joint statement presenting international desiderata in terms of education through culture and art.
MEETING The Italian capital Rome is today seeing the third meeting of the governments of Romania and Italy, under the leadership of the two Prime Ministers, Marcel Ciolacu and Giorgia Meloni. The event has taken place 13 years since the previous inter-government meeting. Earlier this morning, the Romanian Prime Minister was received by Pope Francis at the Vatican, upon which he talked with the state secretary of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Romanian delegation’s visit to Italy will end with a Romania-Italy economic forum. On Wednesday, in the first day of the visit in Italy, the head of the Executive in Bucharest, held talks with the mayor of Rome and representatives of the community of Romanians in Italy. Italy is Romania’s second major trade partner, the second market for the Romanian exports, and the second major source for Romania’s imports. The two countries last year reached a record high of their bilateral trade, which stood at over 20 billion Euros. Italy comes sixth in the ranking of foreign investment in Romania.
NATO In 2024, 18 NATO member countries are to hit the target of earmarking at least 2% of their GDP for defence, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg announced on Wednesday ahead of the meeting of NATO defence ministers. According to the high NATO official, the European NATO members will be investing a total of 380 billion dollars in defence this year. At the same time, Stoltenberg said that last year saw an unprecedented 11% rise in defence expenses in countries like Canada and the European members. NATO members agreed in 2006 to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defence, but only some of them, Romania included have reached this objective. However, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the NATO members, especially Germany, have reiterated the pledge.
CALL Romania’s transporters have called on the Romanian government to intervene and put an end to the checking procedures initiated by the Bulgarian customs officers, which they consider abusive and which have been causing huge delays at the border between the two countries. The National Union of the Road Transporters has called on the Romanian Prime Minister, the Ministers of Transport and the Foreign Minister asking for support in this issue. Even in the absence of measures for solving the situation, the transporters have called for a decoupling of the two countries in the process of their Schengen accession. They argue that if they still have to wait for days at the Bulgarian border, at least the Schengen accession without Bulgaria would reduce the delays at the border with Hungary. Romania and Bulgaria are to be joining Schengen in March this year but only with their air and maritime borders.
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Bulgaria: Avertizare meteo de vânt puternic
Institutul de Meteorologie și Hidrologie din Bulgaria a emis un cod de atenționare meteorologică pentru vreme severă, valabil pentru perioada 5 – 6 februarie 2024, transmite MAE. Astfel, 20 regiuni din teritoriul Republicii Bulgaria vor fi afectate de intensificări ale vântului.
A fost emis un cod galben pentru regiunile: Vidin, Montana, Vrața, Pleven, Ruse, Târgoviște, Șumen, Sofia-regiune, Loveci, Gabrovo, Veliko Târnovo, Plovdiv, Pazardjik, Haskovo, Sliven, Silistra, Stara Zagora, Razgrad, Varna și Dobrici. Rafalele de vânt vor atinge o viteză de 50-69 km/h, pe alocuri cu intensificări de până la 90 km/h.
MAE recomandă cetățenilor români să urmărească cu atenție situația zborurilor de pe aeroporturile bulgare și prognoza meteorologică, iar șoferilor să conducă preventiv, cu viteză adecvată și să aibă autovehiculele echipate pentru circulație pe drumurile publice în condiții de iarnă, să respecte strict semnalizarea rutieră temporară montată și indicațiile/semnalele organelor de control aflate la fața locului. În perioada instituirii codurilor de atenționare meteorologică este posibil ca, prin decizia autorităților bulgare competente, unele categorii de drumuri să fie închise circulației rutiere și cursele aeriene să fie perturbate față de orarul de zbor.
Informații suplimentare pot fi accesate astfel: cu privire la situația zborurilor pe aeroportul Sofia — www.sofia-airport.euwww.weather.bgwww.lima.api.bg, de pe pagina de internet a Agenției “Infrastructura Rutieră” — www.api.bg și la numărul de telefon 070013020, accesibil în regim non-stop; cu privire la regimul vamal, la intrarea în Bulgaria dinspre Turcia, pe site-ul www.mae.ro/travel-conditions/3677 (Condiții de călătorie în Bulgaria, titlul Reglementări vamale) și pe site-ul Agenției Vămi” din Bulgaria — www.customs.bgwww.bgtoll.bgwww.mvr.bg.
Cetățenii români pot solicita asistență consulară la numerele de telefon ale Ambasadei României la Sofia: +35929712858 și +35929733510, apelurile fiind redirecționate către Centrul de Contact și Suport al Cetățenilor Români din Străinătate (CCSCRS) și preluate de către operatorii Call Center în regim de permanență. De asemenea, cetățenii români care se confruntă cu o situație dificilă, specială, cu caracter de urgență au la dispoziție telefonul de permanență al misiunii diplomatice a României în Republcia Bulgaria: +359879440758.
Ministerul Afacerile Externe recomandă consultarea paginilor web http://sofia.mae.ro, https://ec.europa.eu/consularprotection/content/travel-advice_ro, www.meteoalarm.org și www.mae.ro.
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Vreme severă în Bulgaria
Ministerul Afacerilor Externe informează cetățenii români care se află, tranzitează sau intenționează să călătorească în Bulgaria că, pentru perioada 20 – 21 ianuarie 2024, Institutul Național de Meteorologie și Hidrologie local a emis coduri portocaliu și galben pentru vreme severă, conform cărora întregul teritoriu al Republicii Bulgaria va fi afectat de precipitații abundente sub formă de ninsoare însoțită de vânt puternic, astfel:
– cod portocaliu pentru regiunile Montana, Vrața, Sofia-regiune, Sofia-capitală, Loveci, Gabrovo, Veliko Târnovo, Plovdiv, Kjustendil, Pernik, Blagoevgrad, Pazardjik, Smolyan și Kârdjali (stratul de zăpadă va atinge 10-30 cm, prezența viscolului va duce la formarea de troiene de zăpadă și apariția poleiului);
– cod galben pentru regiunile Vidin, Pleven, Târgoviște, Ruse, Razgrad, Haskovo, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Yambol, Șumen, Burgas, Varna, Dobrici și Silistra (stratul de zăpadă va atinge 10 cm, condiții de formare a viscolului și apariție a poleiului. Rafalele de vânt vor atinge o viteză de 14-19 m/s (50-69 km/h), pe alocuri cu intensificări de până la 24 m/s (90 km/h).
MAE le recomandă cetățenilor români să urmărească cu atenție situația zborurilor de pe aeroporturile bulgare sau prognoza meteorologică din Bulgaria, iar șoferii să aibă autovehiculele echipate pentru circulație pe drumurile publice în condiții de iarnă și atenționare meteorologică specifică, să respecte strict semnalizarea rutieră temporară montată și indicațiile/semnalele organelor de control aflate la fața locului. Pe perioada instituirii codurilor de atenționare meteorologică este posibil ca, prin decizia autorităților bulgare competente, unele categorii de drumuri să fie închise circulației rutiere și cursele aeriene să fie perturbate față de orarul de zbor.
Informații suplimentare privind starea drumurilor din statul vecin pot f accesate pe aplicația gratuită LIMA www.lima.api.bg, de pe pagina de Internet a Agenției Infrastructura Rutieră” – www.api.bg și la numărul de telefon 070013020, accesibil în regim non-stop.
Alte informații privind sutuația în punctele de frontier și starea vremii pot fi obținute din următoarele surse:
– cu privire la e-vigneta și sistemul e-TOLL: pe site-ul www.bgtoll.bg
– cu privire la situația circulației prin punctele de trecere a frontierei bulgare: pe site-ul www.mvr.bg
– cu privire la situația zborurilor pe aeroportul din Sofia: www.sofia-airport.eu
– cu privire la starea vremii: pe site-ul www.weather.bg
– cu privire la regimul vamal, la intrarea în R. Bulgaria dinspre R. Turcia, pe site-ul www.mae.ro/travel-conditions/3677 (Condiții de călătorie în R. Bulgaria, titlul Reglementări vamale) și pe site-ul Agenției Vămi” din R. Bulgaria: www.customs.bg.
Cetățenii români pot solicita asistenţă consulară la numerele de telefon ale Ambasadei României la Sofia: +35929712858 şi +35929733510, apelurile fiind redirecționate către Centrul de Contact și Suport al Cetăţenilor Români din Străinătate (CCSCRS) şi preluate de către operatorii Call Center în regim de permanență. De asemenea, cetăţenii români care se confruntă cu o situaţie dificilă, specială, cu un caracter de urgenţă, au la dispoziţie telefonul de permanență al misiunii diplomatice a României în Republica Bulgaria: +359879440758.
Ministerul Afacerilor Externe recomandă consultarea paginilor web http://sofia.mae.ro, https://consular-protection.ec.europa.eu/travel-advice_en?prefLang=ro, www.meteoalarm.org, www.mae.ro și reamintește faptul că cetățenii români care călătoresc în străinătate au la dispoziție aplicația Călătorește în siguranță” (http://www.mae.ro/app_cs), care oferă informații și sfaturi de călătorie.
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Key Priorities of the EU’s Belgian presidency
Although partial, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Europes border-free area, Schengen, is a good thing, Alexander De Croo, the Prime Minister of Belgium, whose country is holding the EUs half-yearly presidency, has said. De Croo says that the two countries accessions with their air and maritime borders on March 31st, are major steps and he expects the next stages to follow soon (Quote): “I know both countries have made great efforts, steps forward to answer all the questions asked by so many countries concerning Schengen and wed like to really applaud all the efforts made. I think those partial steps made are a good sign and a first step, but I expect, if things go as planned, the next steps to follow.
The consequences of an incomplete Schengen accession are significant from the economic point of view. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in the autumn of 2023 that the prejudice would be at least 2 % of the GDP and the former minister of the Economy, Florin Spataru says that Romanias annual loss stays around 10 billion euros. The losses incurred by Romanias transport companies are huge, Romanian MEP Dan Nica has also said. He added the Romanian transporters are being humiliated because they have to spend hours and even days at border checkpoints and he believes these drivers must get compensations for the losses.
Dan Nica:” We must find funds for this and made them available immediately so that transport companies and transporters get compensations for their huge losses. They have done nothing wrong and deserve compensations for the huge financial losses incurred.”
Although Romania and Bulgarias complete Schengen accession is important for the Belgian presidency of the EU, others are its key priorities. In the context of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas and the growing tension in the Red Sea region, the EU focuses its attention onto the presidential election in the USA, a country that has played a key role in Europes security since the end of WWII.
A day after the former US president, Donald Trump, consolidated its status as the Republicans favourite candidate for the November election, the Belgian Prime Minister says that Europe should not fear Trumps return to the White House, in spite of his America first promoted principle.
Alexander De Croo believes the EU must embrace the prospect in order to put Europe on a more solid footing – stronger, more sovereign, more self-reliant.
De Croo has pledged the EUs Belgian presidency will contribute to the protection of its citizens, strengthening the economy and preparing the common European future.
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Priorităţile preşedinţiei belgiene a Consiliului Uniunii Europene
Aderarea României şi Bulgariei la spaţiul Schengen, deşi parţială,
este un semn bun, a spus prim-ministrul Belgiei, Alexander De Croo, a cărui
ţară a preluat preşedinţia semestrială a Consiliului Uniunii Europene. El a
apreciat că intrarea celor două state în spaţiul european de liberă circulaţie,
la 31 martie, cu frontierele aeriene şi maritime reprezintă paşi importanţi
înainte şi că se aşteaptă să fie îndeplinite şi etapele următoare. Alexander De
Croo:Ştiu că
ambele ţări au făcut mari eforturi, paşi înainte pentru a răspunde la toate
întrebările care au fost puse de atâtea ţări legate de Shengen şi vrem să
aplaudăm cu adevărat toate eforturile făcute. Cred că acei paşi parţiali care
au fost făcuţi sunt un semn bun şi un prim pas, dar mă aştept ca, dacă
lucrurile vor continua, să meargă conform planului, să se facă şi următorii
paşi. Consecințele neaderării complete la spațiul Schengen sunt
semnificative din punct de vedere economic.Premierul român, Marcel Ciolacu,
declara în toamna lui 2023 că prejudiciul se ridică la cel puțin 2 procente din
Produsul Intern Brut, iar fostul ministru al Economiei, Florin Spătaru, estima
că România pierde anual 10 miliarde de euro. Daunele provocate companiilor de
transport din România sunt uriaşe, a declarat şi eurodeputatul român Dan Nica.
El a spus că transportatorii români sunt umiliţi pentru că trebuie să piardă
ore sau chiar zile la punctele de trecere a frontierei şi consideră că aceştia
trebuie despăgubiţi. Dan Nica:Trebuie găsite acele fonduri
care să fie puse la dispoziţie imediat şi firmele de transport şi
transportatorii să fie compensaţi. Aceştia nu au făcut nimic greşit şi merită
ca să fie compensaţi pentru pierderile financiare uriaşe. Deşi aderarea integrală
a României şi Bulgariei în Schengen este importantă pentru preşedinţia belgiană
a Consiliului UE, altele sunt adevăratele priorităţi ale acesteia.În contextul
agresiunii Rusiei în Ucraina, al conflictului dintre Israel şi teroriştii Hamas
şi al creşterii tensiunilor militare în regiunea Mării Roşii, privirile
blocului comunitar sunt atrase de începutul procesului pentru alegerea
preşedintelui Statelor Unite ale Americii, ţară care joacă un rol-cheie în
asigurarea securităţii Europei încă de la sfârşitul celui de-al Doilea Război
Mondial. La o zi după ce fostul preşedinte al SUA, Donald Trump, şi-a
consolidat statutul de candidat favorit al republicanilor pentru alegerile
prezidenţiale din noiembrie, premierul belgian a declarat că Europa nu trebuie
să se teamă de revenirea acestuia la Casa Albă, în ciuda politicilor sale
subsumate principiului America, pe primul plan. Alexander De Croo
este de părere că Uniunea Europeană trebuie să profite de ocazia de a deveni
mai solidă, mai puternică, mai suverană şi mai rezistentă, pentru
că riscă să rămână singură. El s-a angajat că preşedinţia belgiană a
Consiliului UE va contribui la protejarea cetăţenilor, la consolidarea
economiei şi la pregătirea viitorului european comun