Radio România Internațional

Tag: census

April 8, 2024 UPDATE

AID The European Commission has given the green light to reintroducing an approximately EUR 2.5 mln scheme for Romania to support companies in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The aid will be granted as guarantees and direct grants. The measure is designed to ensure that companies affected by the economic disruptions caused by the war are left with enough liquidity. The EC found that Romania’s scheme, as it has been reintroduced, remains in line with the terms of the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework. The aid will not exceed EUR 280,000 for an agriculture company, EUR 335,000 for a company operating in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and EUR 2.25 mln for companies in other sectors.

SEA SHIELD 24 More than 2,200 Allied troops are participating starting this week in a multinational exercise in Romania called “Sea Shield 24”. Until April 21, Romanian soldiers, alongside military from NATO states and the partner states of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, will be training in the coastal area of the Black Sea, the Danube and the Danube Delta, using 27 sea and river ships, 17 aircraft and 91 vehicles and boats. The Ministry of Defence in Bucharest says the exercise is the most complex event conducted by the Romanian Naval Forces in 2024. Also this week, the Royal Air Force of Great Britain begins an air policing mission in Romania. In the next four months, the British units, comprising around 220 troops and 6 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, will perform enhanced air policing missions under NATO command, together with soldiers of the Romanian Air Force.

ELECTIONS The United Right electoral alliance, made up of the Save Romania Union, the People’s Movement Party and the Force of the Right, in opposition, have submitted their list of candidates for the European Parliament elections of June 9. Top of the list is the former USR leader Dan Barna, followed by the former USR health minister Vlad Voiculescu and the PMP president Eugen Tomac. The president of USR, Cătălin Drulă, said the Alliance has the best list of candidates, comprising “people who are going to the European Parliament or carrying on their work at the European Parliament out of belief, and who have results.” On the other side of the political spectrum, the 2 parties in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party submitted on Friday their own joint list of EP candidates. Opening the list is the former Social-Democratic PM Mihai Tudose and the Liberal MEP Rareș Bogdan. The EP elections in Romania will be held concurrently with the local elections on June 9.

ELECTRICITY Romania has the lowest electricity consumption in Europe per capita, the Association of Energy Prosumers and Communities announced. According to the institution, the transition to the green economy requires an increase of this consumption at the expense of fuels such as natural gas and firewood. The organisation says that in this context electrification is the key to full decarbonisation, and the necessary technologies include heat pumps for households and green hydrogen, along with EVs for the industry.

MOLDOVA A population and housing census began on Monday in the Republic of Moldova. Until July 7, reviewers will go from house to house to collect data about where people in the Republic live, the language they speak, their education, occupation, as well as about their homes. The government spokesperson Daniel Vodă has stated that all citizens will be obliged to answer the reviewers’ questions and provide correct answers, and the authorities have to keep the answers received confidential, Radio Chisinau reports. The last population and housing census in the Republic of Moldova was conducted in 2014. At that time, the population stood at 2,800,000 people, of which only 2.5 million lived in the Republic of Moldova. Also, the data do not cover the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria (east), which went, de facto, out of Chisinau’s control in 1992, after an armed conflict involving hundreds of soldiers and ended by the intervention of Moscow’s troops on the side of the secessionist rebels.

ENERGY The close cooperation between Romania and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in developing a civilian nuclear programme and the prospects for strengthening the cooperation in cancer medicine and energy were discussed on Monday by PM Marcel Ciolacu with the Agency’s director, Rafael Grossi. The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu also discussed with Grossi about Russia’s war against Ukraine and the successive attacks on the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia. Luminiţa Odobescu highlighted the important role the Agency plays in the safe and secure use of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes. In turn, Rafael Grossi praised the implementation of new nuclear technologies in Romania, including small scale modular reactors. The AIEA chief also had talks with the energy minister, Sebastian Burduja. The agenda included the revamping on the Cernavodă nuclear power plant Unit 1 and the plans for Units 3 and 4.

8 April 2024
The 2022 Census

At present 7.6 million people in Romania have a job whereas over 11 million are inactive or unemployed. A census conducted last year by the National Institute for Statistics shows that the process of demographic aging has deepened from the previous census and the number of people above 65 years has increased.

The countrys population, which is presently a little over 19 million, has dropped by one million in the past decade. However, data shows an alarming tendency; the number of economically active people is going down whereas the inactive population remains the same.

Out of the all 42 counties, Bucharest included, 39 reported a decrease in the number of inhabitants, with the largest number in the capital city, 166 thousand.

Romania presently boasts an active population of 8.1 million people with 500 thousand unemployed, mostly among men.

Pensioners and social benefit recipients account for 40% of the countrys inactive population, while students roughly 32%. There is good news though: over 43% have graduated from high-school or other types of education such as vocational or technical training as compared to only 37% ten years ago. The number of illiterate is around 143 thousand and experts have foreseen major imbalances on the labour market and in the public pension system in the future. Sociologist Gelu Duminica believes that Romanias future doesnt look too bright against the present phenomenon of demographic aging.

Gelu Duminică: “At present we have a ratio of about 1.4 inactive persons for one active individual and the prediction is this ratio will be around 3.5 to 1 in the next 20 years. And that means an active person will pay taxes and duties to support 3.5 pensioners or people from other inactive categories. Right now we have a pension deficit of 2 billion Euros and imagine how things will be at the 3.5/1 ratio. So, you will no longer be able to sustain the whole thing unless you adjust the pension system. To put it bluntly, my generation will no longer have the pensions that pensioners have now but will see a visible process of pauperization. There is no magical solution for the moment if things keep going like this.”

Gelu Duminică sees two medium and longterm solutions to this situation. The first will be to support young families through various fiscal facilities and the development of kindergartens encouraging them to have children. The second solution would involve incentives for the Romanians abroad, which would convince them to come back. The 2022 census has been the 13th in Romanias history and the first in a digital format.

(bill)

4 January 2023
August 1, 2022 UPDATE

Tax — Part of the amendments made to the Fiscal Code, which were approved in mid-July by the Romanian Government, came into force on Monday. Among them – the increase in excise duties for cigarettes and tobacco, as well as for alcohol and alcoholic products, higher taxes on gambling winnings and lower ceilings for granting tax exemptions for salaries in constructions, agriculture and the food industry. Other changes to the Fiscal Code, most of which have already been adopted, will be applied as of January 1, 2023.

Exercise — The city port of Constanţa (south-east) is hosting as of Monday a multinational exercise organized by the Romanian Naval Forces. The exercise takes place in maritime districts off the Romanian Black Sea Coast and in the military port of Constanţa. 240 Romanian soldiers and 60 foreign soldiers from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, the United States and Turkey are participating in the exercise. The exercise contributes to increasing the level of training in the combat against makeshift bombs and against mines, as well as to strengthening interoperability between the participating forces.

Statistics – In Romania, the unemployment rate in the month of June slightly decreased as compared to the previous month, from 5.4% to 5.3%. The National Institute of Statistics – INS estimates that the number of unemployed people was almost 440,000, down both from May 2022 and from June 2021. The unemployment rate for men slightly exceeded that of women, and many young people do not have a job – almost 23 % – the INS also announced. On the other hand, according to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in the European Union countries remained stable at the level of 6% as recorded in May, which was a historic low. The labor market is benefiting from the relaunch of the European economy, which is recovering from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The member states with the lowest unemployment rates are the Czech Republic and Poland. At the opposite pole are Spain and Greece, the only EU countries with a double-digit unemployment rate.

Covid – More than 5,200 new cases of SARS-CoV—2 infection were registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, out of 14,900 tests, the authorities announced on Monday. At the same time, 12 deaths were reported. Currently, in specialized health units, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is over 4,150. Also, about 260 patients are in Intensive Care.

Chişinău — The Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliţa on Monday met with the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Cristian-Leon Ţurcanu, in the context of the start of his mission in Chişinău. According to a press release of the Moldovan government, Natalia Gavriliţa thanked the Romanian Government for supporting Moldova’s European integration and for the constant support offered in overcoming multiple crises. During the talks, the Romanian official reiterated Romania’s support for strengthening national energy security and its readiness to provide the necessary assistance in overcoming logistical challenges. Cristian-Leon Ţurcanu has recently ended his mandate as Ambassador of Romania to Kyiv.

Cereals – The European Union and NATO welcomed, on Monday, the departure of the first ship carrying cereals from Ukraine and demanded the “full application” of the agreement concluded in Istanbul for the resumption of Ukrainian exports — AFP reports. A first ship left the Ukrainian port of Odessa on Monday with 26,000 tons of corn on board, heading for Lebanon. Before arriving there, however, it is to be inspected in Istanbul, under the authority of the Joint Coordination Center (CCC), inaugurated last Wednesday. The agreement was signed on July 22 by Russia and Ukraine, with the mediation of Turkey and the United Nations. Turkey and the UN allow the resumption of Ukrainian exports under international supervision. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated that, following the Russian invasion, this years cereal crops in Ukraine could be diminished by half. Before the launch of the Russian invasion on February 24, Ukraine held 46% of the worlds sunflower exports, 9% of the wheat exports, 17% of the barley exports and 12% of the corn exports, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Census – 18.15 million people, i.e. more than 95% of the estimated targeted resident population of Romania on December 1, 2021, were counted, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) informed on Monday. Sunday was the last day, after the INS had already extended twice the review period, to give additional time to those who could not do it for various reasons. The capital and the big cities had the lowest review percentages. The final data of the census will be made public at the end of next year. This was the first census in Romania organized entirely in digital format, the 13th census in history and the 4th after the 1989 Revolution.

Airport — Băneasa Airport, in the north of Bucharest, reopened on Monday. For nine years, the airport was closed to commercial flights and underwent a program of modernization of buildings and equipment. On Băneasa airport, the time required for the formalities will be less than an hour, unlike Otopeni Airport, where passengers must go at least two hours before boarding. Băneasa Airport was inaugurated in 1920, but its history begins on August 1, 1912, when the Romanian Aviation League, led by Prince George Valentin Bibescu, establishes, in Băneasa, a flight school for military pilots.

1 August 2022
July 31, 2022 UPDATE

TAXATION On 1 August, some of the
fiscal measures introduced recently by the coalition government made up of the
National Liberal Party, Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians in Romania take effect. On Monday the tobacco excise duty is
to increase, as is the tax on gambling gains. Changes are also operated as
regards salaries in the construction industry, agriculture and foodstuffs, where
the ceiling for certain tax rebates will be lowered. Further changes to the
Fiscal Code will take effect early next year. For example, in the hospitality
industry VAT will be raised from 5 to 9%, while the VAT for non-alcoholic beer
and for sugary drinks will be raised to 19%. Sales of houses bigger than 120
sqm or for prices of over EUR 120,000 will also carry increased VAT. According
to government estimates, these changes will bring the state budget an
additional EUR 243 million this year and some EUR 2.1 billion in 2023.

FESTIVAL Transylvania is a model of inter-ethnic harmony and
tolerance at European level, the PM Nicolae Ciuca said at the Haferland Week
Festival, devoted to the Saxon culture. The PM highlighted that Romania is a
democratic state, where diverging or even opposing views and ideas may be
expressed, but that these views must not become radical and any expression of
authoritarianism, extreme nationalism or populism must be prevented. Also
attending the Haferland Week, president Klaus Iohannis said it was very
important for each of us to be aware of the threat entailed by climate change,
and added that we have a responsibility towards protecting our planet and
resources. In this context, he emphasised, education remains the key to a
greener future and a sustainable society.

DIPLOMACY In the context of Romania’s strong show of solidarity
during this war in Ukraine, with our management of the over 1.75 million
Ukrainian refugees who have entered Romania since the start of the war, a
situation which we have managed successfully, I believe we can hope for
consistent and firm support from Germany for Romania’s Schengen accession as
soon as possible, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said. This is
important among other things for the inter-human relations between Romania and
Germany, between the ethnic Germans in Romania and Germany and conversely,
between the Romanian community in Germany and Romania, Aurescu emphasised upon
opening on Sunday the Romanian-German Bilateral Cooperation Forum, on the
sidelines of the 10th edition of the ‘Haferland Week’ cultural
festival in Romania.

CENSUS Sunday was the
last day of the official population and housing census in Romania, after
several extensions. According to the National statistics Institute, over 90% of
the process had been completed by early this week. The purpose of the census was
to establish the number of people living on Romanian territory, as well as the
living standards in each locality. Based on the data collected, the
authorities will create public policies and earmark funding for each town or
village. At EU level, the number of people
living in Romania is a criterion in the distribution of EU funds. The census was
compulsory for all Romanian citizens.

COVID More than 4,000 new
SARS-CoV-2 infections out of over 13,000 tests, as well as 13 COVID-related
deaths were reported on Sunday in Romania, the authorities announced. The
number of COVID patients in hospitals is over 3,900, of whom more than 260 are
in intensive care. The authorities estimate that next week Romania could see
10,000 new cases per day. Although spreading very quickly, this variant of the virus causes less
severe forms of the disease.

UKRAINE The Romanian foreign ministry condemns the shelling of the
Olenivka prison and the killing of Ukrainian POWs, reads a message issued on
Sunday. These heinous crimes committed by Russia call for international
investigation and sanctioning. Condolences to the families and full support for
Ukraine, the foreign ministry’s Twitter post also reads. A prison in Olenivka was
attacked on Friday, with most of the 193 Ukrainian prisoners of war there
killed or wounded, according to the Russian defence ministry, which Saturday
released the names of 50 dead and 73 wounded. Russia claims the strike came
from a HIMARS system provided by the US to Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks to recover
the territories controlled by pro-Russian separatists in the east of the
country. Ukraine replied it would never attack civilian sites, especially one
housing its own people, and accused Russia of organising the attack in
retaliation against the Ukrainian nationalists among the prisoners brought
there from Mariupol several weeks ago. (AMP)

31 July 2022
July 31, 2022

TAXATION On 1 August, some of the fiscal measures introduced
recently by the coalition government made up of the National Liberal Party,
Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
Romania take effect. On Monday the tobacco excise duty is to increase, as is
the tax on gambling gains. Changes are also operated as regards salaries in the
construction industry, agriculture and foodstuffs, where the ceiling for
certain tax rebates will be lowered. Further changes to the Fiscal Code will
take effect early next year. For example, in the hospitality industry VAT will
be raised from 5 to 9%, while the VAT for non-alcoholic beer and for sugary
drinks will be raised to 19%. Sales of houses bigger than 120 sq.m. or for prices
of over EUR 120,000 will also carry increased VAT. According
to government estimates, these changes will bring the state budget an
additional EUR 243 million this year and some EUR 2.1 billion in 2023.

FESTIVAL Medieval
Sighişoara Festival in central Romania comes to a close today with a
concert by the rock band Cargo and a spectacular fireworks show. Currently in
its 28th year, the festival recreated the medieval feel with the
help of the over 100 participating artists. Events included medieval music and
dance performances, theatre plays, animation, and arts and crafts workshops. The
festival was organized under the patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, custodian of the Crown of Romania. Sighişoara is the
only inhabited medieval citadel in south-eastern Europe.

MILITARY The world’s
strongest air assault force, the US 101st Airborne Division, started
its mission in Romania, following a decision in this respect taken at the
recent NATO summit in Madrid. PM Nicolae Ciucă Saturday took part in the
ceremony in which the US unit presented its colours at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase
57 and welcomed the presence of this force, which contributes to strengthening
NATO’s eastern flank. The Romanian official thanked the US troops deployed to
Romania for their effort and contribution to the country’s security. Civilians,
airport personnel and their families then watched an impressive demonstration
showcasing the firepower of the Romanian and US armed forces. Created in 1942 to free Europe from the Nazi
occupation, the US 101st Airborne Division has 2,400 troops
deployed in Romania, 4,700 in Europe and nearly 20,000 around the world. In one
night alone, it can mobilise a brigade of 4,000 troops and hundreds of military
vehicles, equipment and weapon systems, an assault force able to overwhelm any opponent.

CENSUS Sunday is the
last day of the official population and housing census in Romania, after
several extensions. According to the National Statistics Institute, over 90% of
the process had been completed by early this week. The purpose of the census is to
establish the number of people living on Romanian territory, as well as the
living standards in each locality. Based on the data collected, the
authorities will create public policies and earmark funding for each town or
village. At EU level, the number of people
living in Romania is a criterion in the distribution of EU funds. The census is
compulsory for all Romanian citizens.

COVID More than 4,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections out of over 13,000
tests, as well as 13 COVID-related deaths were reported on Sunday in Romania, the
authorities announced. The number of COVID patients in hospitals is over 3,900,
of whom more than 260 are in intensive care. The authorities estimate that next
week Romania could see 10,000 new cases per day. Although spreading very
quickly, this variant of the virus causes less severe forms of the disease.

TENNIS
The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan (108 WTA) plays today against Caroline
Garcia of France (45 WTA), in the Warsaw WTA tournament finals. They only
played against each other once before, at Wimbledon
in 2017, when the French player won. On Saturday, Ana Bogdan, currently
at her first WTA final in her career, defeated Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine (190
WTA), 7-5, 7-5. (AMP)

31 July 2022
The pandemic and its aftermath in Romania

2022 is, among
other things, the year of the housing census of the population in Romania. Initially,
the housing census was scheduled for 2021, but it was postponed because of the
pandemic. We are still waiting for the final data, to be compared with the data
collected in the previous housing census carried in 2011. Meanwhile, we have
had a look at the current statistics which sadly point to a worrying condition
of the country’s birth and mortality rates.

According to statistics, the number
of the newly-born has stayed relatively constant during the pandemic. It was
small, anyway. However, the mortality rate has soared. In 2021, irrespective of
the death cause, the total number of the deceased Romanians went over 334
thousand, that is 27% more than for the timeframe previous to the pandemic. All
told, the mortality rate’s exceeding figure during the two years of the
pandemic went over 100 thousand people. Concurrently, in Romania, in 2020, the reported
number of the newborn accounted for 40 thousand less infants than in 2019.

Dr Vasile
Ghetau is a sociologist and demography expert. He told us that in that period
of time the fewest children in the last hundred years were born. Which means
that the natural growth rate, made of the difference between the number of the
newborn and the number of the deceased, is still negative and only speeds up
the natural decline.

Dr Vasile Ghetau: The
natural decline of the population before the pandemic, in 2019, accounted for
71 thousand inhabitants. In 2020, the natural decline went up to 120,000, while
the data for the first 11 months of 2021 point to a significant increase in the
number of deaths, with the natural decline reaching almost 150,000 inhabitants.
If we also take the month of December into account, last year we’re highly likely
to have witnessed an appalling natural decline, of 160-170 thousand people in
one year alone. It is an appalling figure as compared to the country’s
population, accounting for 19 million people.

Here
is Dr Vasile Ghetau once again, this time speaking about the causes of the high
mortality rate across the country.

Dr Vasile Ghetau: The increase in the number of deaths in 2020
and mostly in 2021 has the COVID-19 infection as its cause only in a moderate
proportion. The deaths have been on the rise, specifically, because of the circulatory
system conditions and of the respiratory system conditions other than COVID. This
increase did have something to do with the pandemic, nonetheless. However,
research studies on that are still in progress. For instance, it has been
unanimously acknowledged that in the case of the circulatory system diseases, social
isolation under quarantine circumstances led up to a reported growing number of
deaths among the elderly, against the backdrop of the pandemic. As for the
respiratory system conditions other than COVID, if we examine some of the data,
we can see the mortality rate has grown because of pneumonia. Perhaps the general
context of the pandemic has something to do with the characteristics of that
virus, yet the final data, when they are provided, will offer a very accurate
image of the mortality as a whole, in keeping with the specific causes of deaths.
Then we can accurately measure where the COVID-generated mortality stands,
against the backdrop of mortality as a whole.

Until
then,
we can measure the immediate aftermath of mortality in recent years.

Dr Vasile
Ghetau: Mortality
rate in October and November was on the rise, and its outcome was a decline in the
level of life expectancy at birth, which was something predictable. So, for a
whole year, life expectancy at birth for the entire population, male and
female, in Romania, stands at almost 76 years. Data for the first 11 months of
the last year point to a life expectancy rate which is three years shorter, therefore
standing at 73 years. And, if to all that we add the month of December, life expectancy
is highly likely to stand at 72 years. A four-year decline in life expectancy,
that is whopping. Of course, other countries are also very likely to experience
a rather high rate of pandemic-generated mortality that may lead to a setback
in life expectancy. Yet we’re speaking about much smaller values than those
reported for Romania in 2020 and those that have been quite clearly outlined
for 2021.

Here
is sociologist Dr Vasile Ghetau once again, this time proving that these
figures only make an even clearer representation of a phenomenon that has
been ongoing for quite some time now: the new generations that have been born
in Romania no longer provide the replacement level for the population as a
whole.

Dr Vasile Ghetau: In order for the population to grow or at least stay the same, for a simple
replacement, one single woman will have to give birth to two children, in her
life. It only takes two children for a primary population replacement process to occur.
If, on average, more than two children are born, the population is likely to
grow, so we’re going to have more than the numerical replacement level. However,
in Romania, the last generation to have provided for itself the genetic
replacement is the one born in 1961. All the subsequent generations had a final
descendance rate lower than two children for one single woman. The more such
generations are reported to occur, the more obvious is the fact that, in time, the
population will be on the wane because it is unable to provide its own
replacement.

Further data and, implicitly, a more detailed picture of the demographic
evolution and involution, we are going to have all that as soon as the housing census
is completed. The online self-census of individuals begins on March 14, 2022.
The field housing census carried through a face-to-face interview kicks off on May 16,
2022.

(EN)

27 July 2022
July 17, 2022

PROGRAMME A third edition of the Start-Up Nation
programme, which is aimed at developing entrepreneurial abilities among the
young people and facilitating their access to financing, is to kick off on July
19. Candidates must submit their applications until September 1st
and the budget is expected to be around 440 million euros. Grants of up to 20
thousand Euros will be available for the creation of new jobs and this edition comes
with a first; grants also available for the Romanians abroad. The scheme will
be valid until December 2027 and pays will be done by December 31st
2028.

CENSUS The census of population and houses in Romania has been
extended with a week, until July 24th in order to reach a degree
close to 100%. Romanians can wait for a reviewer or can go to the special
points operated by district halls, which have lately been visited by a large
number of people, the head of the National Institute for Statistics Tudorel
Andrei has announced. People unwilling to participate in the census are to be subjected
to fines up to 600 euros.

WEATHER The heat wave that continues to intensify
in southern Europe has caused large bush fires on the Croatian coast and in
Crete. Wildfires have also been affecting Spain and firefighters have been
deployed to Extremadura, the west of the country. 3 thousand people have been
evacuated from the southern region of Malaga. Emergency services are fighting
the fires affecting the French region of Gironde. Temperatures are on the rise
and wildfires have destroyed several forest areas in Morocco and are presently
threatening residential areas in south-western Turkey.

IRRIGATIONS The Ministry of Agriculture in
Romania has earmarked 1.5 billion Euros for streamlining the country’s infrastructure
of irrigations and drainage. The funds are to be made available until the year
2027. The Ministry has launched the project for public debates as it is aimed
at adjusting the agriculture to the latest climate changes and curbing their
effects over farm production and the environment. Under the law, the number of
new irrigation networks is to increase from 89 to 150. The surface covered by
the new irrigation network is also expected to increase from 1.8 million to 2.6
million hectares.

ATHENS A large cargo plane An-12 crashed in northern Greece on Saturday
night killing all eight crew on board, the Greek public television has
announced. According to the same sources, the plane was being operated by a
Ukrainian air company. Citizens in the area have been advised to keep windows
closed and refrain from using air conditioning as the plane was carrying 12
tons of toxic military products. The plane took off from the Serbian city of
Nis and was bound for Amman in Jordan. Witness reports suggested the Antonov
An-12 plane caught fire while still in the air.

(bill)

17 July 2022
May 27, 2022 UPDATE

Summit. President Klaus Iohannis will attend the European Council summit on May 30-31, which will focus on the security situation and the consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. European leaders will discuss ways to further provide political, economic and financial support to Ukraine, including the EUs involvement in post-war reconstruction efforts, the Romanian presidents office announced on Friday. The EU Council summit will also address the need to help Moldova consolidate its resilience. The EU heads of state and government will also examine approaches to ensure continuous food exports from Ukraine in order to maintain food safety at global level. Another topic on the summits agenda is streamlining the EU single electricity market in order to keep volatile prices in check and to protect vulnerable categories, the Presidents office also said in a statement.

Trilateral. The security architecture in Europe and the Euro-Atlantic area was seriously affected by Russias illegal war against Ukraine, said Romanias foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu in Istanbul, where he attended the trilateral meeting between Romania, Poland and Turkey. “This is an unprecedented threat. I emphasised that the most important thing we must do now, as allies, is to consolidate Euro-Atlantic security in the long term”, said the Romanian minister. He also spoke about supporting Ukraine, recalling that over one million people fleeing war in this neighbouring country have crossed the border into Romania, and that the humanitarian assistance has been substantial. Aurescu also said Romania was willing to help with the transport of goods from Ukraine, including grain, via its Danube ports and the Black Sea port of Constanţa.

PNRR. Next week, Romania is expected to submit to the European Commission the first funding request under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) worth 3 billion euros, after the government adopted the last piece of legislation required, namely a mechanism that will help prevent the mismanagement of funds. This was the third prerequisite Romania had to fulfil before submitting its funding request. The first referred to verification procedures for completing its milestones, while the second prerequisite was to upload evidence of having fulfilled the 21 milestones by the end of 2021.

Radio. The Romanian foreign ministry said in a statement it regrets the decision of the municipal council of the capital of the Republic of Moldova, which it describes as “unjustified and unfounded” to ban the use of the Chişinău place name by Radio Chişinău, a station that forms part of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. The ministry hopes the necessary measures will be taken to address the situation of the station from an administrative and legal point of view as soon as possible. Radio Chişinău has been present on the media market in the Republic of Moldova since 1 December 2011 and has stood out from the beginning for the quality and fairness of its reporting and editorial content and the professionalism of its team, the statement by the Romanian foreign ministry also reads.

Tennis. Romanias Irina Begu will be playing Frances Leolia Jeanjean on Saturday in the third round at Roland Garros. She defeated Russias Ekaterina Alexandrova in three sets on Thursday and is the only Romanian player still in competition in the womens singles. In the womens doubles, the Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk defeated the all-British pair Samantha Murray Sharan and Heather Watson to reach the next round and will next be facing the American-Chinese pair Catherine McNally and Shuai Zhang. (CM)

27 May 2022
May 27, 2022

SUMMIT – President Klaus Iohannis
will attend the European Council summit on May 30-31, which will focus on the
war in Ukraine. European leaders will discuss ways to continue providing
political, economic and financial support to Ukraine, including the EU’s
involvement in post-war reconstruction efforts, the Romanian presidency
announced on Friday. The EU Council summit will also address the need to help
Moldova build up its resilience. EU heads of state and government will also
examine approaches to ensure continuous food exports from Ukraine in order to
maintain food safety at global level. Another topic on the summit’s agenda is
streamlining the EU single electricity market in order to keep volatile prices in
check and to protect vulnerable categories, the President’s Office also
announced.

MEETING -
Romania’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is today meeting his Turkish
counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoglu, hoping to convince him to vote in favor of the
NATO accession of Sweden and Finland. Minister Aurescu is attending the
Romania-Poland-Turkey trilateral meeting in Istanbul, and has previously
discussed with the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Finland about their
countries’ NATO accession process. The trilateral format was launched 10 years
ago in order to consolidate regional and NATO security. According to a Foreign
Ministry release, in today’s meeting Minister Aurescu is expected to highlight
Romania’s firm support for NATO’s open doors policy and for a swift accession
of Sweden and Finland. Turkey has accused the two countries, Sweden in
particular, of harboring a large number of Kurdish militants of the breakaway
PKK party, which it officially considers a terrorist organization. Hailed by
the overwhelming majority of NATO states and backed by the population of the
two countries, the NATO accession of Finland and Sweden was determined by
security concerns sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

PNRR – Next
week, Romania is expected to submit to the European Commission the first
funding request under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) worth 3
million EUR, after the government adopted the last piece of legislation
required, namely a mechanism that will help prevent the mismanagement of PNRR
funds. This was the third prerequisite Romania had to fulfill before submitting
its funding request. The first referred to verification procedures for completing
PNRR milestones, while the second prerequisite was to upload evidence of having
fulfilled the 21 milestones by the end of 2021.

CENSUS – Friday
is the last day when the self-enumeration online platform is available. Public
sector employees who’ve completed the online process will receive a day off.
Starting Monday, the census will move to the second stage, spanning over May 31
– July 17, when censors will collect data in the field. Two weeks ago, the
authorities decided to extend the deadline for self-enumeration by an
additional two weeks, against a large number of online registrations. According
to the National Statistics Institute, some 10.2 million online forms were
submitted by May 24, the largest numbers being reported in Bucharest (1
million), followed by the counties of Cluj (440 thousand), Prahova (400
thousand), Brașov and Timiș (380 thousand each). Census participation is
mandatory under the law, while anyone refusing to take part will receive fines
of up to 600 EUR.

EPPO – Three Romanian
citizens are being investigated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office
(EPPO) for community funds fraud, which caused an estimated prejudice of some 3
million EUR. Prosecutors ordered searches in 15 locations in the Danube Delta
area, Bucharest, as well as Gorj and Giurgiu counties. The individuals are
suspected of having used seven companies, one registered in neighboring
Bulgaria, to access funds addressing the Danube Delta, which they subsequently
put to use outside the scope of the funding. The three had arranged overvalued
auctions to embezzle large amounts of EU funds. Bail is set at 1.7 million EUR.

OVERVIEW – The
Liberal and Social-Democratic Parties on Thursday presented an overview of the
first six months in office. In separate events, the leaders of PNL and PSD
spoke about economic growth, measures to curb the compounded effects of a
several crises facing Romania right now and the package of social measures
addressing vulnerable categories. USR and AUR in opposition said Romania is on
the verge of bankruptcy, with soaring inflation, few investments and no
recovery programs.

REFUGEES – The number of
Ukrainian refugees who entered Romania yesterday dropped by 0.9% compared to
the previous day, the Border Police announced on Friday. Within the space of 24
hours, some 93 thousand people entered Romania, of whom some 9,000 were
Ukrainian nationals. Of these, over 4,000 crossed from Ukraine while 937 from
the Republic of Moldova. After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, a little
over 1 million Ukrainians entered Romania.

ROLAND
GARROS – Irina Begu is today playing Leolia Jeanjean of France in the
third round at Roland Garros. Yesterday, Begu ousted Ekaterina Alexandrova of
Russia, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. Begu is the last Romanian in the main draw, after Simona
Halep was knocked out by Qinwen Zheng of China in the second round. Halep won
the tournament in 2018 and played the final in 2014 and 2017. On Wednesday,
Sorana Cîrstea lost to Sloane Stephens of the United States. Another four
Romanian tennis players, Gabriela Ruse, Ana Bogdan, Irina Bara and Mihaela
Buzărnescu, were knocked out in the opening round. Irina Begu, Gabriela Ruse
and Monica Niculescu have advanced to the second round in the women’s doubles.
(VP)

27 May 2022
March 14, 2022

WAR IN
UKRAINE – Russia has expanded its attacks westwards, to the Polish
border, as well as to the south of Urkaine. According to British intelligence,
Russia has now imposed a blockade of the entire Ukrainian Black Seacoast, with
a view to mounting an attack on Odessa. Russian forces destroyed a military
base a few kilometers from the Polish border, killing 35 people and wounding
another 130, local authorities say. The base was used prior to the war by NATO
staff to train Ukrainian security forces, although the Alliance claims no staff
was on the ground at the time of the attack. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr
Zelensky, has condemned Russia’s unjustified attack, again calling on Western
countries to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. NATO and the United States have
so far ruled out this possibility, US president Joe Biden arguing this might
lead to the outbreak of WWIII. According to American officials, Russia has
called on China to deliver military equipment and support for the war in
Ukraine, as well as additional financial support to counter the negative
effects of international sanctions. US officials have so far refused to discuss
Moscow’s specific requests or China’s response. On the other hand,
Russian-Ukrainian negotiations will resume today in videoconference format.
According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, Moscow sources say a number of
documents could be signed over the coming days. On Sunday, the first foreign
journalist was killed north of Kyiv.

REFUGEES – Romanian authorities have
launched an interactive map for refugees, mapping out transit corridors to
border checkpoints. The application can be accessed on the website of the
Ministry of Transport, and is available in Romanian, English and Ukrainian.
Refugees who need to reach other countries can find information about road and
rail connections. The application also provides information about border
checkpoints, international airports and connections to the nearby airports and
border crossing points. Since the start of the Russian invasion in neighboring
Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of people have crossed into Romania, most of
them in route to other countries. Yesterday, president Klaus Iohannis assured
his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, that Romania will take great
care of all Ukrainian citizens crossing into Romania.

TALKS – Romania’s Foreign Minister,
Bogdan Aurescu, is today having a new round of talks with his Italian
counterpart, Luigi Di Maio. Talks will focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
and on Italy’s interest to support the refugee relief effort. High on the
agenda will also be efforts to put an end to the conflict, sanctions against
the Russian Federation and measures to consolidate NATO’s eastern flank. The
two officials will also discuss ways to boost the Consolidated Strategic
Partnership between the two countries. The Italian official will also meet with
president Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciucă.

DEFICIT – Romania’s
trade deficit was by 945 million Euro higher in January compared to the same
period last year, and now stands at 2.126 billion Euro, the National Statistics
Institute reports. In January, exports stood at 6.76 billion Euro, while the
total value of imports was 8.88 billion Euro. Vehicles, transport equipment and
other manufactured goods account for the largest share of trade.

CENSUS – Delayed by a year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the census of population and households has started in
Romania. For the first time, citizens will be able to use an online application
for self-enumeration. People with limited digital skills can get guidance in
special centers, where trained staff will guide them every step of the way. The
form stipulates four categories of information: data about the household and
home ownership, the official place of residence, members of the household and
secondary place of residence. Citizens who complete the self-enumeration form
online will be awarded a day off, whether they work in the public or private
system. An enumerator will be visiting homes that were not enumerated online.
The whole process is digitized. The previous census dates back to 2011, when Romania
had a population of over 20 million.

TOURISM -
Tourism was one of the sectors that started to recover after the Covid pandemic
last year, the latest Eurostat reports reads. In 2021, accommodations in
tourist units totaled 1.8 billion, up by 27% compared to 2020. The biggest
increase was reported in Greece, Spain and Croatia (70%), compared to Romania
(43%).

TENNIS -
The best-ranked Romanian tennis players, Simona Halep (WTA 26) and Sorana Cîrstea (WTA 27) will play each other in the Indian Wells
round of 16. The WTA 1000 tournament in the United States this year totals some
8.6 million USD in prizes. Halep, who won the trophy in 2015, yesterday
defeated Cori Gauff of the United States in straight sets, whereas Cîrstea ousted Anna Kalinskaya of Russia in three sets.
Simona Halep and Sorana Cîrstea last played each other 12 years ago, in the
Cincinnati preliminaries. Cîrstea leads
2-1 head to head. (VP)

14 March 2022
March 13, 2022 UPDATE

VISIT The Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid thanked Romania, during a
visit to Bucharest on Sunday, for the assistance given to Ukrainian refugees,
especially Israelis, and praised the long-lasting Israeli-Romanian friendship.
He called on the Russian Federation to resolve the conflict with Ukraine
through negotiations. We will do everything in our power to reach a solution
for peace. We are working together with our allies-the US and European
partners-to try to end this tragedy as soon as possible, the Israeli foreign
minister said. In turn, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu reiterated
Romania’s commitment to providing continuing assistance for the evacuation of
Israeli citizens and Jewish people from Ukraine. The severe multidimensional
crisis caused by Russia’s illegal military aggression against Ukraine is not
just a regional problem, not only a European problem, but has effects on a
global scale, Bogdan Aurescu said. During his meeting with the Israeli
official, the Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucǎ firmly condemned Russia’s unprovoked,
unjustified and illegal aggression in Ukraine, and praised the EU’s and NATO’s
strong and unified response to consolidate the eastern flank and to guarantee
security.

CONSULTATIONS The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is having political
consultations in Bucharest on Monday with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di
Maio. The visit takes place in the context of Russia’s illegal military
aggression in Ukraine and of Italy’s interest in supporting the management of
the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Bogdan Aurescu and Luigi Di Maio will discuss
means to manage the multiple effects of the Russian invasion, on efforts to
stop the conflict, on sanctions against Russia and on consolidating NATO’s
eastern flank. On the other hand, the 2 foreign ministers will discuss means to
develop and deepen the Romanian-Italian consolidated strategic partnership and
the bilateral and sectoral economic cooperation.

FOODSTUFF The agriculture minister Adrian Chesnoiu once again promised on
Sunday that Romania does not run the risk of a foodstuff crisis. In a meeting with
representatives of retail chains and Romanian sunflower oil producers, he said
Romania produces enough food to cover the national demand. He also recommended
that people refrain from buying more than they need, so that everybody may have
access to basic food stuffs. The statements come after substantial amounts of
sunflower oil were purchased in recent days for fear that shops would run out
of this product. Speculations on the topic are fuelled by the fact that
war-affected Ukraine is the world’s biggest sunflower seed exporter. Romanian
authorities promised that Romania has sufficient foodstuff stocks, including
sunflower oil. Just days before, for fear of skyrocketing fuel prices,
unprecedented queuing was reported in petrol stations. The previous weekend,
foreign currency was heavily purchased in Romania, amid rumours that the
national currency would plummet. Romanian authorities warned once again that
such fake news is designed to create panic among people.

CENSUS Beginning on March 14, for 4 months, data will be collected for a
population and household census in Romania. The operation is conducted every 10
years and is necessary for the production of official national and European
statistics. The census was originally scheduled to take place last year, but
was postponed over the COVID-19 pandemic. This year brings a novelty, in that
self-census options are available. Self-census is done online, based on a
simple procedure, according to the authorities. Citizens are to fill in an
online pre-registration form at www.recensamantromania.ro, followed by the
questionnaires for each member of the household. Those who do not want or
cannot fill in those forms will be assisted by census operators in door-to-door
visits.

REFUGEES The Romanian transport ministry launched an app for the Ukrainian
refugees. The app includes information in Ukrainian, English and Romanian on
the green transport corridors in Romania, covering areas like the road, railway
and air network, customs, train stations, petrol stations and airports. Ukrainian
refugees may travel free of charge in Romania, based on a government resolution
in this respect. Moreover, the emergency number 112 and the special children
emergency number, 119, are available for calls in Ukrainian as well. Additional
measures were taken in border checkpoints to prevent human trafficking. As of
Friday, another online platform has also been available, centralising
assistance offers for displaced Ukrainians. On Saturday, several cities in
Romania saw various solidarity actions with Ukraine. In Bucharest, the National
Arena hosted a charity concert for refugees, with over 35 Romanian and foreign
artists taking part, which raised some EUR 800,000. Solidarity events were also
organised in Constanţa, Iaşi, Cluj-Napoca, Piatra Neamţ and Roman. Around 400,000
Ukrainian nationals have entered Romania since the start of the Russian
invasion. Many of them have already left for Western Europe.

UKRAINE Russian shelling continued in Ukraine on Sunday. NATO expects the
fighting and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine to get worse in the coming days.
The Alliance’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has once again called on
Vladimir Putin to stop the war, to pull out all troops and accept
diplomacy. In Vatican, Pope Francis voiced on Sunday his harshest
condemnation yet of the war in Ukraine, saying that the unacceptable
armed aggression must end. Pope Francis added that bombing hospitals and
other civilian targets is barbaric and has no valid strategic reason.

COVID-19 1,626 new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were reported in Romania for
the past 24 hours. According to the health ministry, 26 related deaths were
also registered on Sunday, 5 of them from a previous date. Over 3,700 patients
are hospitalised, 580 of whom are in intensive care. On March 9th Romania
lifted all Covid-related restrictions, and no more rules are in place to
prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (A.M.P.)

13 March 2022
March 13, 2022

VISIT The Romanian foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu is having talks in Bucharest today with his Israeli counterpart
Yair Lapid, focusing on the management of the effects of the Russian military
aggression in Russia. According to a news release issued by the foreign
ministry, Mr. Yair Lapid’s visit to Romania takes place at the invitation of
the Romanian minister, prompted by the deepening crisis in Ukraine and in the
context of the excellent cooperation with the Romanian authorities in the
evacuation of Israeli citizens from Ukraine. Israel is one of Romania’s main
partners in the Middle East, and strategic bilateral relations have developed
steadily over the past few years. According to the foreign ministry, talks will
also touch on the development of bilateral relations between the 2 countries,
with a focus on the political, economic and security areas. The 2 officials
will also assess preparations for the 3rd Romania-Israel joint government
meeting (G2G) scheduled to take place this year. During his visit to Romania,
the Israeli foreign minister will also have talks with PM Nicolae Ciucǎ.

UKRAINE The Romanian transport ministry launched an app for the Ukrainian
refugees. The app includes information in Ukrainian, English and Romanian on
the green transport corridors in Romania, covering areas like the road, railway
and air network, customs offices, train stations, petrol stations and airports. Ukrainian
refugees may travel free of charge in Romania, based on a government resolution
in this respect. Moreover, the emergency number 112 and the special children
emergency number, 119, are available for calls in Ukrainian as well. Additional
measures were taken in border checkpoints to prevent human trafficking. As of
Friday, another online platform has also been available, centralising
assistance offers for displaced Ukrainians. On Saturday, several cities in
Romania saw various solidarity actions with Ukraine. In Bucharest, the National
Arena hosted a charity concert for refugees, with over 35 Romanian and foreign
artists taking part, which raised some EUR 800,000. Solidarity events were also
organised in Constanţa, Iaşi, Cluj-Napoca, Piatra Neamţ and Roman. Around 400,000
Ukrainian nationals have entered Romania since the start of the Russian
invasion. Many of them have already left for western Europe.

FOODSTUFF The agriculture minister Adrian Chesnoiu has a meeting today with
representatives of retail chains and Romanian sunflower oil producers, to
assess stocks and reserves. The meeting comes amid substantial amounts of
sunflower oil were purchased in recent days for fear that shops would run out
of this product. Speculations on the topic are fuelled by the fact that
war-affected Ukraine is the world’s biggest sunflower seed exporter. Romanian
authorities promised that Romania has sufficient foodstuff stocks, including
sunflower oil. They also recommend that people refrain from buying more than
they need, so that everybody may have access to basic food stuffs. Just days
before, for fear of skyrocketing fuel prices, unprecedented queuing was
reported in petrol stations. The previous weekend, foreign currency was heavily
purchased in Romania, amid rumours that the national currency would plummet. Romanian
authorities warned once again that such fake news is designed to create panic
among people.

CENSUS Beginning on March 14, for 4 months, data will be collected for a
population and household census in Romania. The operation is conducted every 10
years and is necessary for the production of official national and European
statistics. The census was originally scheduled to take place last year, but
was postponed over the COVID-19 pandemic. This year brings a novelty, in that
self-census options are available. Self-census is done online, based on a
simple procedure, according to the authorities. Citizens are to fill in an
online pre-registration form at www.recensamantromania.ro, followed by the
questionnaires for each member of the household. Those who do not want or
cannot fill in those forms will be assisted by census operators in door-to-door
visits. (A.M.P.)

13 March 2022
February 1, 2022

Covid-19 update. With over 40,000
new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, Romania today set a new daily record
since the start of the pandemic. 97 related fatalities were also reported,
including two from an earlier date. The fortnightly incidence rate in Bucharest
is nearing 22 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, the highest level to be recorded in
the capital city so far. Health minister Alexandru
Rafila says the infection rate may slow down between 10th and 15th February. In
other news, travellers to Romania will only have to isolate for five days irrespective
of their country of origin unless they can produce a Covid vaccine pass, proof
that they have recovered from the infection or a negative Covid test result
from the previous 72 hours. Also, the National Committee for Emergency
Situations has established that contacts of people infected with Covid will
have to isolate for five days, irrespective of whether they are vaccinated or
not.

Parliament. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are today holding the
first ordinary parliamentary session this year. The priorities of the current
session include legislation in areas such as energy, justice, healthcare and
the economy. The number one priority right now is establishing the caps and
compensations for electricity and natural gas bills, with Parliament to pass an
emergency order recently issued by the government on a new support scheme for
the population. During the new session, Parliament may also discuss the
amendment of the offshore law, which would unblock projects to extract
hydrocarbons from the Black Sea. Another priority on Parliament’s agenda is the
dismantling of a special department investigating crimes in the judiciary, as
also requested from Brussels.

Census. The first stage of a new
population and housing census is getting under way today in Romania. Lasting
until 13th of March, this stage involves collecting data from
administrative sources and creating the needed data bases. The second stage, to
take place between 14th March and 15th May, will consist
in a self-census, while in the third stage, between 16th May and 17th
July, data will be collected through face-to-face interviews. As a first,
citizens will have the possibility to conduct a self-census from their mobile
phones, tablets and computers. Because of the pandemic, the new census, which
was due to take place last year, was postponed for this year, but a simulation
did take place last March. A population and housing census is conducted in
every EU member state.

Ukraine crisis. The United States
has ordered the family members of its government employees in Belarus to leave
this country which has close ties with Russia and warned against travel to the
region amid tensions between Washington and Moscow on the Ukraine crisis,
Reuters said today. According to the US State Department, the decision was
prompted by unusual and worrying intensification of Russian military activity
near the border with Ukraine. The US had already instructed families of US
diplomats in Kiev to leave Ukraine, on 23rd January. The West
accuses Russia of massing over 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine in
preparation for a possible invasion. The Kremlin says it has no intention to
attack Ukraine, but is requesting official security guarantees, including
assurances that Ukraine will never join NATO and a return to NATO’s positions
of 1997. The US and NATO rejected Russia’s demands. (CM)

1 February 2022
January 31, 2022

Covid-19 update. In Romania, children are driving the
transmission of the novel coronavirus, with new cases rising exponentially from
one day to the next. In the last seven days, infections among children rose by
almost a half compared with the previous week. This situation is also reflected
in the number of new hospital admissions, with almost 800 minors now in
hospital. A total of over 20,000 new cases and 41 deaths were reported on
Monday. Health minister Alexandru Rafila warns
of a further rise in cases, with daily infections to pass 40,000. He expects
the already dominant Omicron variant to fully replace Delta in Romania in about
two weeks, with a drop in hospital admissions being expected as a result.

Parliament. Romania’s two-chamber Parliament this week begins a new
session with an emergency discussion of the reduction in energy bills. Senators
and deputies are expected to pass an emergency order issued recently by the
government on a new compensation and capping scheme. Another priority for
Parliament is the dismantling of the special department to investigate
magistrates. Another bill, which was already rejected by the Senate but is still
under debate in the Chamber of Deputies, is about making the use of the Covid green
certificate mandatory in the workplace.

Protest. Police
and prisons trade unions are planning a large-scale protest on Wednesday, with
5,000 participants, outside the government and Parliament headquarters. They
are demanding a rise in pay. The media say the situation may become tense,
after trade union leaders said the Senate speaker and the Liberal leader Florin Cîţu promised them that government will discuss their
demands in its regular Tuesday meeting and adopt a decision in that respect.

Census. The government is meeting today to establish the conditions for
a new population and housing census postponed last year because of the
pandemic. The government is expected to approve three bills regulating the
organisation of the census, including from a financial point of view. The new
census is to take place in February and March. As a first, citizens will be
able to take part directly in the process by mid-May, through self-census.
Employees using this procedure will be granted one day of paid leave.

Tennis. Romanian
no. one Simona Halep drops to no. 23 in the tennis world ranking. Sorana Cîrstea,
who had a great run at the Australian Open, went up to no. 32, Irina Begu
climbs 8 places to no. 56, while Jaqueline Cristian and Gabriela Ruse climb 11
places to 58 and 61, respectively. Ana Bogdan, who won an ITF title in France
on Sunday, is close to returning to top 100, currently being at 101. In the
doubles ranking, Raluca Olaru went up to no. 30, the highest position in her
career. Monica Niculescu climbs to 31, with four other Romanian players in the doubles
top 100: Irina Begu (55), Irina Bara (81), Gabriela Ruse (98) and Andreea Mitu
(99). (CM)

31 January 2022
July 28, 2021 UPDATE

HEAT WAVE Meteorologists have issued a code orange alert against extreme heat and thermal discomfort in seven counties in the south and the capital Bucharest, in place until Saturday. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Centigrade locally. A code yellow alert against extreme heat is in place until Saturday for all other regions, with highs ranging from 34 to 39 degrees. Passenger and freight trains will travel at reduced speeds during this period. Road traffic authorities have also warned some
restrictions will be introduced due to the extreme heat, on Thursday, Friday
and Saturday, between noon and 8 pm in most of the country.

COVID-19 The number of COVID-19 infections in Romania remains low, although it has gone up in recent days. The authorities announced 159 new cases on Wednesday, one new COVID-related casualty and 47 patients in intensive care. According to the head of the vaccination campaign, medical doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, nearly 90% of the people currently diagnosed with COVID-19 are not vaccinated, while over 91% of related fatalities were people who hadn’t taken the anti-COVID jab. At present, some 30% of Romania’s total population is immunised. Starting August 2, young people aged 12-17 can also receive the Moderna vaccine, Valeriu Gheorghiţă said. The Romanian official went on to say that, by mid-September, Romania might start administering the third dose of the vaccine for at-risk categories, such as health workers, chronically ill and people over 65 years of age. So far, 4.8 million people have been fully vaccinated in Romania.

GOVERNMENT The Government Wednesday approved plans to further ease COVID-related restrictions starting August 1. PM Florin Cîţu mentioned, among others, that outdoors cultural and entertainment events may be attended by a maximum of 75,000 people, in places where the COVID-19 infection rate is under 2 per thousand, on condition that participants are vaccinated, recovered from the disease or have tested negative for it. For indoor and outdoor sports events, crowd attendance is limited to 75% of the venue’s full capacity, provided a physical distance of at least 1 m between viewers is ensured. In areas with an infection rate below 2 per thousand, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and gambling venues will also be open between 5 am and 2 am.

IMF The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday maintained its 6% economic growth estimate for the world economy this year and upgraded its outlook on the United States and other developed economies, while downgrading its forecast for a number of developing countries affected by the fallout of COVID-19. In the case of Romania, in October last year the IMF estimated a growth rate of 4.6% this year. The new outlook expects Romanias economic growth rate to reach 6% this year. Additionally, the IMF has upgraded its forecast for 2022, from 3.9% as originally estimated, to 4.8%. According to the new report, Romania’s economic growth rates for 2021 and 2022 will stand above the European average.

INFRINGEMENT The European Commission decided to start infringement procedures against 12 Member States, including Romania, for failure to transpose EU rules banning unfair trade practices in the agricultural and food supply chain. The deadline for transposing the regulations into national law was May 1, 2021. The Commission sent letters of formal notice to Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, requesting them to adopt and notify relevant measures. The Member States have now two months to reply.

BEAR CENSUS A bear census worth 11 million euro was launched on Wednesday in Romania. The Minister for Investments and European Projects Cristian Ghinea explained the project is funded under the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme. There will be two lines of investment, one focusing on the bear census itself, while the other will help implement state-of-the-art technologies aimed at limiting the interaction of bears with humans. Last week the Government had passed an order regulating human intervention in situations involving bears, under which bears can be driven away in low-risk cases, and tranquilized and relocated or even shot if they attack people or livestock.

OLYMPICS Romania won two medals in Wednesday’s rowing finals at the Tokyo Olympics: Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona Radiş won gold in the women’s double scull event, while Romania’s four crew, made up of Mihăiţă Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari scooped the silver. Adding to the two medals is Ana-Maria Popescu’s silver medal in the women’s epee event. Romanian fighter Maria Claudia Nechita Wednesday failed to qualify into the 57 kg boxing semi-finals, after losing to Japans Sena Irie, 3-2. A victory would have secured her an Olympic medal. Also on Wednesday, Romanias under-23 football team drew with New Zealand, in its last Group B match, and failed to move forward into the quarter-finals. The Romanians came out 3rd in the group, after South Korea and New Zealand and ahead of Honduras.

FESTIVAL The 2021 edition of the largest cinema event in Romania, the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF) continues in Cluj-Napoca (north-west), until Sunday. Over 170 films are screened in this years festival. Concerts and meetings with film industry representatives are also organised as part of the event. TIFF aims to promote cinema by presenting some of the most important contemporary works which reflect the originality of their authors, less common forms of cinematic expression and new cultural trends. This years special guest in the festival is international star Sergei Polunin, regarded as the most talented ballet dancer of his generation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

28 July 2021