Radio România Internațional

Tag: CETA

29.10.2016

Colectiv — Une marche sera organisée dimanche dans la capitale roumaine à la mémoire des disparus dans la tragédie qui s’est produite le 30 octobre dernier dans la discothèque Colectiv de Bucarest, faisant 64 morts et près de 200 blessés. Le gouvernement a prolongé de deux ans le délai de remboursement des frais de soins médicaux à l’étranger pour les victimes. La Justice roumaine a ouvert plusieurs procès visant le drame. Les patrons de la boîte de nuit sont jugés pour homicide involontaire et blessures et pour ne pas avoir pris les mesures légales de santé-sécurité au travail. Les patrons de la société ayant fourni les artifices utilisés lors du concert sont également jugés, pour abus de fonctions. Il en va de même pour des salariés de l’Inspection pour les situations d’urgence, pour n’avoir pris aucune mesure, bien que le club n’avait pas d’autorisation de sécurité incendie. Le Parquet général a ouvert encore une enquête pour déterminer si les victimes de l’incendie avaient été soignées de manière appropriée dans les hôpitaux du pays. Le dossier a été constitué après que les familles des jeunes qui sont morts à cause des infections nosocomiales et non pas des brûlures ont porté plainte. La tragédie a été suivie par d’amples manifestations de rue, qui ont entraîné la démission du cabinet du premier ministre social-démocrate dirigé par Victor Ponta.

Cérémonie — Le ministre roumain des Affaires étrangères, Lazar Comănescu, et son homologue de Kiev, Pavlo Klimkin, participent aujourd’hui, à Sighetu Marmaţiei (nord-ouest, à la frontière avec l’Ukraine) à l’inauguration du buste du poète national ukrainien, Taras Chevtchenko. L’événement est organisé par l’Union des Ukrainiens de Roumanie. Lazăr Comănescu a visité hier le nouveau Consulat de Roumanie de Slatina, dans le pays voisin, qui ouvrira ses portes lundi, et s’est entretenu avec les représentants de la communauté roumaine de Transcarpatie.

Heure — Dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche, la Roumanie passe à l’heure officielle d’hiver. Par conséquent, 4 heures du matin dimanche deviendra 3 heures, dans le fuseau horaire GMT+2. Le dimanche 30 octobre aura donc 25 heures et sera le plus long de l’année. Cette mesure vient corriger le passage en mars à l’heure d’été, afin d’utiliser au maximum la lumière naturelle et réduire la consommation d’électricité. La Roumanie reviendra à l’heure officielle d’été le dernier dimanche du mois de mars.

Sommet — L’UE et le Canada organiseront dimanche un sommet pour signer l’accord de libre échange (CETA), a annoncé, la nuit dernière, le président du Conseil européen, Donald Tusk. La cérémonie de signature aura lieu à Bruxelles. L’accord est devenu possible après son approbation par le Parlement de la Wallonie, qui s’y était d’abord opposé. Rappelons que Bucarest s’était également opposé à l’accord de libre échange avec Ottawa jusqu’au moment où le Canada a accepté la levée progressive des visas pour les Roumains, en 2017. A présent, les Roumains et les Bulgares sont les seuls citoyens de l’UE qui ont besoin de visas pour voyager au Canada.

Météo — Le ciel est nuageux dans l’ouest, le nord et le centre de la Roumanie, avec des ondées par endroits, et variable dans les autres régions. En montagne, surtout dans les Carpates Méridionales et Orientales, des précipitations sont signalées ; ce sont notamment des chutes de neige. Là, le vent souffle en rafales à 60-80 km/h, le blizzard est également présent. Le reste du territoire n’est pas à l’abri du vent on plus, avec des rafales de 50 à 60 km/h. Les maximales, plus élevées dans le sud et le sud-est, iront de 6 à 16°. Nous avons 9° sous le soleil à Bucarest.

29 October 2016
October 29, 2016 UPDATE

COMMEMORATION – A rally will be held in Bucharest on Sunday to commemorate the victims of the tragedy that took place on October 30 last year in “Colectiv night club in the capital city. Sixty-four people died and more than 100 were injured on that occasion. The Government has approved a 2-year extension of the funding for those who undergo treatment abroad. The club owners were sent to court under charges of manslaughter, bodily harm and of failing to ensure workplace safety and health standards, and the owners of the company that supplied the fireworks were also indicted. Abuse of office charges were also brought against some employees of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, who failed to take any measures although the club did not have a fire safety license. The General Prosecutors Office has also been investigating whether the Colectiv victims were treated appropriately in the hospitals in the country, following criminal complaints from the families of the patients who died from hospital acquired infections rather than burns. The Colectiv tragedy was followed by large scale street protests that triggered the resignation of the Social Democrat Victor Pontas Cabinet.

MOLDOVA – In the Republic of Moldova the first round of the presidential election is scheduled on Sunday. Citizens are electing their president through direct voting, after 16 years in which the head of state was designated by Parliament. According to analysts, the vote is crucial for the future geopolitical course of Moldova. The pro-Russian Socialist leader Igor Dodon is seen as the most likely to win in all opinion polls. His main challenger is the former reformist Education Minister Maia Sandu, who pleads for a reform of the state and European integration, and who has the support of other pro-Western candidates having pulled out of the race.

ROSIA MONTANA – The Romanian Culture Minister, Corina Şuteu, has announced that Roşia Montană in the centre of the country has been included in a UNESCO tentative list, which is the first step towards inclusion in the much shorter UNESCO Heritage List. Roşia Montană was the most active mining centre in the Western Carpathians, starting with the Bronze Age, to ancient times, the Middle Ages and down to modern times. Traditional mining, based on family initiatives and small miner associations, was ended by the nationalisation of 1948, and was followed by a form of large-scale industrial mining which came to an end in 2006. Several NGOs have requested international protection for this town in the Western Carpathians, hoping this will prevent the implementation of a controversial gold mining project in the area. Other Romanian sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage List are the Danube Delta, the Sighisoara citadel, the Horezu Monastery, the painted churches in northern Moldavia, the wooden churches in Maramures, the Saxon settlements with fortified churches in Transylvania and the Dacian fortresses in Orastie Mountains.

CETA – The European Union and Canada will hold a summit meeting on Sunday to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the president of the European Council Donald Tusk announced last night. The signing ceremony will take place in Brussels. The deal became possible after it was approved by the Parliament of Wallonia, which had initially opposed it. On Saturday the Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders signed the agreement on behalf of his country. Bucharest, too, had opposed the free trade agreement with Canada until the latter accepted the gradual lifting in 2017 of travel visa requirements for Romanians. At present Romanians and Bulgarians are the only EU citizens who need visas in order to enter Canada.

DIPLOMACY – The Ukrainian minority in Romania and the Romanian minority in Ukraine contribute to the sustainable development of the relations between the two countries, said the Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazăr Comănescu. He attended on Saturday, together with his Ukrainian counterpart, the Taras Shevchenko bust unveiling ceremony in Sighetul Marmaţiei, on the Romanian-Ukrainian border. Shevchenko is the national poet of Ukraine. The 2 officials reiterated the need to strengthen bilateral relations, as well as the support given by Romania to Ukraines EU accession efforts. Also on Saturday, Lazăr Comănescu visited the new consular office of Romania in Slatina, across the river Tisza, which will open on Monday, and had meetings with representatives of the Romanian community in Transcarpathia.

29 October 2016
October 29, 2016

COMMEMORATION – A rally will be held in Bucharest on Sunday to commemorate the victims of the tragedy that took place on October 30 last year in “Colectiv night club in the capital city. Sixty-four people died and more than 100 were injured on that occasion. The Government has approved a 2-year extension of the funding for those who undergo treatment abroad. The club owners were sent to court under charges of manslaughter, bodily harm and of failing to ensure workplace safety and health standards, and the owners of the company that supplied the fireworks. Abuse of office charges were also brought against some employees of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, who failed to take any measures although the club did not have a fire security license. The General Prosecutors Office has also been investigating whether the Colectiv victims were treated appropriately in the hospitals in the country, following criminal complaints from the families of the patients who died from hospital acquired infections rather than burns. The Colectiv tragedy was followed by large scale street protests that triggered the resignation of the Social Democrat Victor Pontas Cabinet.

DST – Romania falls back from Daylight Saving Time to standard time tonight, with 4 AM local time becoming 3 AM local time (GMT+2). Sunday will thus be the longest day of the year – 25 hours. The measure reverses the switch to DST operated in March, when clocks were advanced by one hour so as to ensure maximum use of sunlight and reduce electricity consumption. Romania will switch back to DST on the last Sunday in March.

MOLDOVA – In the Republic of Moldova the election campaign ended and the first round of the presidential election is scheduled on Sunday. Citizens are electing their president through direct voting, after 16 years in which the head of state was designated by Parliament. According to analysts, the vote is crucial for the future geopolitical course of Moldova. The pro-Russian Socialist leader Igor Dodon is seen as the most likely to win in all opinion polls. His main challenger is the former reformist Education Minister Maia Sandu, who pleads for a reform of the state and European integration, and who has the support of other pro-Western candidates having pulled out of the race.

ROSIA MONTANA – The Romanian Culture Minister, Corina Şuteu, has announced that Roşia Montană in the centre of the country has been included in a UNESCO tentative list, which is the first step towards inclusion in the much shorter UNESCO Heritage List. Roşia Montană was the most active mining centre in the Western Carpathians, starting with the Bronze Age, to ancient times, the Middle Ages and down to modern times. Traditional mining, based on family initiatives and small miner associations, was ended by the nationalisation of 1948, and was followed by a form of large-scale industrial mining which came to an end in 2006. The defining features of the site are the galleries, the over ground landscape and the mining fair. Several NGOs have requested international protection for this town in the Western Carpathians, hoping this will prevent the implementation of a controversial gold mining project in the area.

CETA – The European Union and Canada will hold a summit meeting on Sunday to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the president of the European Council Donald Tusk announced last night. The signing ceremony will take place in Brussels. The deal became possible after it was approved by the Parliament of Wallonia, which had initially opposed it. Bucharest, too, had opposed the free trade agreement with Canada until the latter accepted the gradual lifting in 2017 of travel visa requirements for Romanians. At present Romanians and Bulgarians are the only EU citizens who need visas in order to enter Canada.

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazar Comănescu, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Klimkin, are attending today the Taras Sevcenko bust unveiling ceremony, in Sighetu Marmaţiei, near the Romanian-Ukrainian border. Taras Sevcenko is the national poet of Ukraine. The event is organised by the Ukrainian Union in Romania. Lazăr Comănescu has visited today the new consular office of Romania in Slatina, across the river Tisza, which will open on Monday, and had meetings with representatives of the Romanian community in Transcarpathia.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

29 October 2016
EU-Kanada-Abkommen (CETA) wieder in Gang gesetzt

Das Freihandelsabkommen zwischen der EU und Kanada scheint weiterzugehen, nachdem die Blockade in Belgien überwunden wurde. Bundesministerpräsident Charles Michel hat am Donnerstag angekündigt dass die Führer der belgischen Regionen Einvernehmen über das Freihandelsabkommen zwischen der EU und Kanada (CETA) erzielt haben. Jegliche Vereinbarung, die in Belgien getroffen wird, muss von den weiteren 27 EU-Mitgliedern ratifiziert werden, bevor das Abkommen unterzeichnet werden kann.

Das Dokument, dessen Unterzeichnung für Donnerstag, in Brüssel, geplant war, wurde von der Regierung der belgischen Region Walonien blockiert. Diese widersetzte sich der Unterzeichnung des CETA in der ursprünglichen Fassung. Die Wallonen waren über etliche Klauseln des Abkommens unzufrieden, insbesondere über jene Bezüglich der Schlichtung der Handelsstreite zwischen Gesellschaften und Regierungen, aber auch über die Konsequenzen des betreffenden Abkommens auf die Landwirtschaft. Denn dieser Bereich ist für Wallonien von enormer Bedeutung.

Rumänien und das benachbarte Bulgarien sind die einzigen EU-Mitgliedsstaten, dessen Staatsbürger bei ihrer Kanada-Einreise noch Visa benötigen. Auch diese bedingten die Unterziechnung des Dokuments durch die Aussetzung der Visa. Ottawa war mit einer stufenweisen Aussetzung der Visa für Rumänen einverstanden, aber nur falls das Freihandelsabkommen mit der EU unterzeichnet wird. Nach der Ankündigung Belgiens von Donnerstag, zeigte sich Präsident Klaus Iohannis recht zuversichtlich bezüglich der Unterzeichung des Abkommens, das für Rumänien hinsichtlich der Aussetzung der Kanada-Visa für seine Bürger wichtig ist.

Klaus Iohannis: Allgemein glaube ich, dass die Dinge sich wieder in den Gang gesetzt haben. Wir können recht optimistisch in diesem Belang sein, der für uns sicherlich einen zusätzlichen Ansatz hat. Es handelt sich um die Visa. Wenn das CETA unterzeichnet wird, werden die Rumänen in kurzer Zeit ohne Visa nach Kanada einreisen können“.

Das Dokument soll auch den kanadischen Behörden zugesandt werden. Diese müssen ihre Meinung über die überarbeitete Version äu‎ßern, bevor CETA unterzeichnet werden kann. Davor hatte Kanadas Premierminister Justin Trudeau gesagt, dass sein geplanter Brüsselbesuch von Donnerstag vertagt wurde. Ottawa bleibe aber bereit, dieses wichtige Abkommen zu unterzeichnen, wenn Europa bereit sein wird“.

Wir erinnern daran, dass die Verhandlungen zwischen der EU und Kanada über das Freihandelsabkommen über sieben Jahre gedauert haben. Dieses wird von Rechtsexperten als eines der wichtigsten Handelsabkommen der Welt bewertet. Das Finanzblatt Financial Times kommentiert unterdessen, dass die Verspätung dieses Prozesses die Kapazität der EU in frage stelle, komplexe Abkommen abzuschlie‎ßen, die die Genehmigung aller Parlamente des Gemeinschaftsblocks benötigen. Au‎ßerdem würden die europäischen Führer hoffen, ein Erfolg des CETA, würde die Weichen für ein noch umfangreicheres Abkommen, mit den Vereinigten Staaten, stellen.

28 October 2016
28.10.2016

Partis – Les partis et les candidats indépendants de Roumanie ont déposé leurs candidatures aux élections législatives du 11 décembre. La majorité des partis politiques propose des candidats pour tous les départements du pays et affirment que sur ces listes se retrouvent tant de nouveaux noms, que des parlementaires chevronnés. La campagne électorale se déroulera du 11 novembre au 10 décembre.

Colectiv – Le premier ministre roumain Dacian Ciolos a rencontré vendredi des victimes et les familles des blessés dans l’incendie d’il y a une année de la discothèque bucarestoise Colectiv, qui avait fait 64 morts et près de 200 blessés. Mercredi, le gouvernement a adopté un décret d’urgence permettant de prolonger de deux ans le délai pendant lequel les victimes de la tragédie peuvent se faire rembourser les frais de traitement à l’étranger. La Justice roumaine vient d’ouvrir un procès dans le dossier visant le drame qui a eu lieu dans le club bucarestois. Les trois patrons sont accusés d’homicide et de blessures involontaires et de ne pas avoir pris les mesures légales de sécurité au travail. Les patrons de la société ayant fourni les artifices utilisés lors du concert ont également été traduits en justice, tout comme un de ses salariés. Deux autres sociétés font l’objet de ce procès. La tragédie a été suivie d’amples manifestations de rue, qui ont entraîné la démission du premier ministre social-démocrate Victor Ponta et l’installation d’un gouvernement de techniciens, dirigé par l’ex commissaire européen Dacian Ciolos.

Moldova – Aujourd’hui c’est le dernier jour de campagne électorale avant le premier tour du scrutin présidentiel, prévu pour ce dimanche. Les citoyens moldaves sont appelés aux urnes pour élire directement leur président, après une pause de 16 ans, durant laquelle le chef de l’Etat a été élu par le Parlement. De l’avis des analystes, l’enjeu du scrutin est l’orientation géopolitique même de la république, puisque le leader socialiste pro-russe Igor Dodon est un des favoris des les sondages d’opinion. Son principal adversaire est l’ancienne ministre réformatrice de l’Education Maia Sandu, qui plaide pour la réforme de l’Etat et l’intégration européenne. Elle bénéficie aussi de l’appui des autres candidats pro-occidentaux, qui s’étaient retirés de la course électorale. L’ambassadeur de la République de Moldova à Bucarest, Mihai Gribincea a annoncé que sur le territoire de la Roumanie voisine des bureaux de vote avaient été ouverts aux sièges de l’ambassade et du consulat, dans les villes de Iasi, Galati, Bacau et Suceava, dans l’est du pays, près de la frontière commune, ainsi que dans d’autres villes roumaines : Timisoara, Brasov, Cluj, Constanta et Croiova. Le gouvernement de Bucarest a décidé d’offrir des billets de train aller-retour gratuits aux élèves et étudiants moldaves en Roumanie pour le déplacement dans les localités où se trouvent les bureaux de vote.

CETA – Les parlements régionaux belges doivent approuver aujourd’hui le texte révisé de l’Accord de libre échange UE – Canada. Hier, le chef du gouvernement fédéral Charles Michel a annoncé que les leaders des régions belges avaient scellé un accord au sujet de l’accord CETA. Le document révisé doit être approuvé par les 27 membres de l’UE et par le Canada avant la signature proprement-dite de l’accord. Le pacte, dont la signature était prévue pour jeudi à Bruxelles a été bloqué par le gouvernement de la région de Wallonie, mécontent surtout des articles relatifs à l’arbitrage des disputes commerciales entre les sociétés et les gouvernements. La Roumanie avait, elle, aussi conditionné la signature du document à la libéralisation du régime des visas auquel sont soumis ses ressortissants. Ottawa a accepté une élimination graduelle des visas à partir de l’année prochaine, mais uniquement si le traité de libre échange avec l’UE était signé.

Heure – La Roumanie passe dans la nuit de de samedi à dimanche à l’heure officielle d’hiver. Par conséquent, 4 heures du matin dimanche deviendra 3 heures. Cette mesure vient corriger le passage en mars à l’heure d’été, afin d’utiliser au maximum la lumière naturelle et réduire la consommation d’électricité. Cette mesure a été appliquée pour la première fois durant la Première Guerre Mondiale en 1916 dans plusieurs pays européens et adoptée par la Roumanie en 1931.

Handball – Le club champion de Roumanie de handball féminin, CSM Bucarest, doit affronter aujourd’hui l’équipe hongroise Gyor, dans le Groupe C de la Ligue des Champions. Dans les deux premiers matchs du groupe, les sportives roumaines se sont imposées face aux Russes de Rostov Don, mais elles ont dû s’incliner devant les sportives danoises de FC Midtjylland. Au classement officiel, Gyor se retrouve en première position, avec quatre points, suivi par le CSM et le Midtjylland, les deux avec deux points, alors que Rostov n’a réussi à accumuler aucun point.

Meteo – Temps instable et températures assez réduites pour cette période de l’année, notamment sur la moitié sud-est du pays. Des pluies sont signalées sur le sud-ouest et l’est du pays. Les températures vont de 6 à 13 degrés. 9 degrés en ce moment à Bucarest.

28 October 2016
The EU-Canada Agreement unblocked

The Belgian PM Charles Michel announced Thursday that the leaders of the Belgian regions reached a common stand on CETA. Any agreement concluded in Belgium has to be approved by all the other 27 EU members before being signed. The document, whose signing was scheduled for Thursday in Brussels, was blocked by the Wallonian government, which was opposed to the signing of CETA in its initial form.

The Walloons were not content with several provisions of the treaty, mainly those related to the arbitration of commercial disputes between companies and governments, and also with the consequences of the respective agreement on agriculture, which was of key importance for this region. Romania alongside neighboring Bulgaria, the only EU members whose citizens still need visas to travel to Canada, also conditioned the signing of the agreement on the visa waiver for their citizens. Ottawa agreed with lifting visas for the Romanian citizens gradually, as of next year, on condition CETA was signed.

After Thursday’s announcement in Belgium, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis expressed optimism as to the signing of the agreement, which is important for Romania: “Things have started to move and we can be optimistic about the signing of CETA which for Romania has a special significance related to the visa waiver for its citizens. If CETA is signed, the Romanian citizens will be able to travel to Canada without visas quite soon.”

The document will be sent to the Canadian authorities, which have to give their opinion on the revised version of CETA before it is signed. Previously, the Canadian PM, Justin Trudeau, had said that, despite the postponement of his visit to Brussels on Thursday, Ottawa remained willing to sign this important agreement when Europe was ready. We recall that the negotiations between the EU and Canada on CETA have lasted for more than 7 years. CETA is considered by experts as one of the most important trade agreements of the world.

In another development, the daily Financial Times wrote that the delayed signing of CETA raised questions about the EU’s capacity to conclude complex agreements that need the approval of all parliaments in the community bloc and that the European leaders hoped the successful signing of CETA would prepare the ground for a more comprehensive trade agreement with the US. (translation by L Simion)

28 October 2016
October 28, 2016 UPDATE

CETA Parliament in Belgium’s region of Wallonia has endorsed a revised text of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement CETA, a document, which it blocked earlier amid discontent with some of its provisions. The move will allow Belgium’s federal government to sign CETA. The document has to be approved by all 27 EU members and by Canada. Romania has also conditioned the signing of the agreement by a visa waiver for its citizens. Ottawa has agreed with the gradual lifting of visas starting 2017 but only if CETA was signed.

DRILL Over November 1st and 12th troops of a Romanian brigade of surface-to-air missiles will be participating together with their US counterparts in an exercise called Patriot Shock V held at Capul Midia, southern Romania. Patriot Shock V is an exercise involving surface-to-air structures of the Romanian Air Forces, a Hawk PIP lll battery and a Patriot one with a view to training the Hawk crews to engage air targets by also integrating the Patriot battery.

STRIKE A strike mounted by Romanian Post Office employees has spread all over the country. Postal offices in several other counties have joined the protest that began on Wednesday. Hundreds of employees are refusing to work in offices or distribute the correspondence. This state-owned company has incurred significant losses as a result of the strike. The protesters have asked for pay rises of up to 45 euros, whereas the employer offers them only half the sum. According to trade union leaders, the strike is going to continue until the board of directors meets the employees’ claims.

COLECTIV Romanian prime minister Dacian Ciolos on Friday met survivors and relatives of people wounded in the fire that broke out a year ago at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest in which 64 people were killed and more than 100 injured. On Wednesday, the government decided to prolong by two years the reimbursement of the expenses incurred by the victims of the tragedy for their treatment abroad. The court has recently begun a trial in the case. The three owners of the nightclub are accused of manslaughter, bodily harm and for failing to take the required legal health and safety measures. The owners of the company that supplied the pyrotechnics, an employee and two legal persons will also stand trial. The tragedy was followed by large-scale street demonstrations that led to the resignation of the Social Democrat prime minister Victor Ponta and the appointment of Dacian Ciolos’s technocratic cabinet.

ELECTION Independent parties and candidates in Romania have submitted their candidate lists for the parliamentary elections of December 11th. Most political parties have candidates for all counties and say they propose many new names alongside experienced parliamentarians. The election campaign takes place between the 11th of November and the 10th of December.

28 October 2016
October 28, 2016

Romanian prime minister Dacian Ciolos on Friday met
survivors and relatives of people wounded in the fire that broke out a year ago
at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest in which 64 people were killed and more
than 100 injured. On Wednesday, the government decided to prolong by two years
the reimbursement of the expenses incurred by the wounded for their treatment
abroad. The court has recently begun a trial in the case. The three owners of
the nightclub are accused of manslaughter, bodily harm and for failing to take
the required legal health and safety measures. The owners of the company that
supplied the pyrotechnics, an employee and two legal persons will also stand
trial. The tragedy was followed by large-scale street demonstrations that led
to the resignation of the then Social Democrat prime minister Victor Ponta and
the appointment of Dacian Ciolos’s technocratic cabinet.

Independent
parties and candidates in Romania have submitted their candidate lists for the
parliamentary elections of December 11th. Most political parties
have candidates for all counties and say they propose many new names alongside
experienced parliamentarians. The election campaign takes place between the 11th
of November and the 10th of December.

Today is the final day of the election campaign ahead of
the first round of the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova, an
ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population. The country’s
president will be elected by direct vote instead of Parliament for the first
time in 16 years. Commentators say these elections are crucial for Moldova’s
geopolitical orientation, given that the pro-Russian Socialist leader Igor
Dodon is leading in all opinion polls. His main rival is the former reformist
education minister Maia Sandu, who campaigns for a reform of the state and
accession to the European Union and who enjoys the support of other pro-western
candidates, who pulled out of the race. Moldova’s ambassador to Bucharest Mihai
Gribincea said polling stations have been set up in neighbouring Romania at the
Moldovan embassy and the consulate in Bucharest, in Iasi, Galati, Bacau and
Suceava, all of which are in the east, close to the Romanian-Moldovan border,
as well as in Timisoara, in the west, Brasov, in the centre, Cluj, in the
north-west, Constanta, in the south-east and Craiova, in the south. The
government in Bucharest has decided to provide free railway transportation to
and from polling stations for Moldovan students in Romania wishing to cast
their votes.

Belgium’s regional parliaments are today to sign the
revised text of the EU-Canada free trade agreement. Yesterday, the federal
prime minister Charles Michel said the leaders of the Belgian regions reached
an agreement on CETA. The revised document must also be approved by the other
27 EU member states and Canada before being signed. The agreement, initially to
be signed on Thursday in Brussels, has been blocked by the regional government
of Wallonia, who was unhappy with a number of provisions, in particular the
rules of trade arbitration between private companies and governments. Romania
also made the signing of the agreement conditional on Canada’s lifting of visas
for Romanian citizens. Canada agreed to a gradual lifting of visas starting
next year, but only if the free trade agreement with the European Union is
signed.

On Saturday
night, Romania will turn the clocks back, with 4 am becoming 3 am. The 30th
of October will thus have 25 hours, being the longest day of the year. The move
corrects for summertime changes, when clocks turned forward to make full use of
natural light and reduce electricity consumption. Romania will return to
summertime on the last Sunday in March. The practice was initiated in 1916,
during World War One, by several countries in Europe and adopted by Romania in
1931.

The Romanian women’s handball
champions CSM Bucharest today face the Hungarian side Gyor in the Champions
League Group C. The two sides last met in the competition’s final in May in a
dramatic match eventually won by the Romanian side after overtime and 7-m
throws. This is the fourth time CSM Bucharest face Gyor, with the latter
leading their head-to-head meetings 2-1. In the first two group matches, CSM
defeated the Russian side Rostov Don and lost to the Danish side FC
Midtjylland. Gyor currently top the group with 4 points, followed by CSM and
Midtjylland, each with two points, while Rostov are yet to collect a single
point.

28 October 2016
Nachrichten 27.10.2016

Brüssel: Belgien kann dem europäisch-kanadischen Freihandelsabkommen Ceta zustimmen. Vertreter von Föderalregierung und Regionen fanden am Donnerstag eine Einigung zu umstrittenen Punkten. Das sagte am Donnerstag der belgische Regierungschef Charles Michel in Brüssel. Auf Twitter sprach er von einem wichtigen Schritt für die EU und Kanada“. EU-Ratspräsident Donald Tusk begrüßte die innerbelgische Einigung als gute Nachricht“. Sobald alle Verfahren zur Unterzeichnung von Ceta durch die EU beendet sind, werde ich (den kanadischen) Premierminister Justin Trudeau kontaktieren“, teilte er auf Twitter mit. Um das Abkommen auf den Weg zu bringen, muss Belgien seine Klärungswünsche zu Ceta an die Slowakei übergeben, die derzeit den Vorsitz unter den EU-Staaten hat. Dabei ging es zuletzt um ein Zusatzdokument, das erklärt, wie der Vertragstext zu verstehen ist. Der ausgehandelte Ceta-Vertrag selbst sollte nicht verändert werden. Bukarest macht die Unterzeichnung des Freihandelsabkommens vom künftigen Visafreiereisen rumänischer Bürger nach Kanada abhängig. Ottawa zeigt sich für die stufenartige Aufhebung der Visumpflicht ab 2017 unter der Bedingung, dass das Freihandelabkommen von allen EU-Regierungen unterzeichnet wird.

Brüssel: Die jetzigen Herausforderungen im Sicherheitsbereich fordern eine solide Verbindung zwischen der NATO und der Europäischen Union. Dies betonte der rumänische Verteidigungsminister Mihnea Motoc am letzten Tag des NATO-Treffens in Brüssel. Der NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg hatte am Mittwochabend erklärt, dass immer mehr Länder angesichts der russischen Bedrohung an der Ostsee und am Schwarzen Meer zur Stärkung der Ostflanke der Allianz beitragen wollen. 13 Länder werden sich an der Mobilmachung an der Ostsee beteligen, während 6 NATO-Staaten Land-, See-und Luftstreitkräfte zur Stärkung der Nato-Präsenz am Schwarzen Meer entsenden werden, gab Stoltenberg ferner bekannt. Einen Themenschwerpunkt bildete bei dem Treffen der Verteidigungsminister der NATO-Saaten in Brüssel auch die multinationale Brigade, die auf rumänischem Territorium aktiv werden soll. Großbritannien kündigte bereits an, Typhoon-Flugzeuge für Patrouille-Missionen nach Rumänien entsenden zu wollen.

Bukarest: Der neue Minister für EU-Fonds, Dragos Cristian Dinu, hat am Donnerstag abend vor dem Statspräsident Klaus Iohannis den Amtseid abgelegt. Rumäniens Präsident Klaus Iohannis hatte am Donnerstag den Erlass über die Ernennung von Dragos Cristian Dinu als Minister für EU-Fonds unterzeichnet. Der ehemalige Staatssekretär im Ministerium für EU-Fonds, Dragos Cristian Dinu folgt im Amt auf Cristian Ghinea, der seinen Rücktritt erklärte, um bei den Parlamentswahlen anzutreten.

Bukarest: Das Gesetz über die Abschaffung von mehr als 100 Gebühren, darunter die Radio-TV-Gebühr wurde am Mittwoch vom Staatschef Klaus Iohannis und vom Premier Dacian Cioloş kritisiert. Der Gesetzentwurf der Sozial-Demokraten war am Vortag von der Abgeodnetenkammer, die in diesem Fall beschlussfähig ist, angenommen worden. Demnächst soll das Gesetz vom Staatschef promulgiert werden. In einem berechenbaren Land wissen die Investoren, wie die Gebühren sich in den kommenden 10 Jahren entwickeln, so der rumänische Präsident. Es sei zudem falsch, vor den Parlamentswahlen, die für den 11. Dezember angesetzt sind, die ganze Gebührenstruktur ohne Absprache mit Vertretern des Geschäftsumfelds, der Gewerkschaften und der Zivilgesellschaft zu ändern. In Bezug auf die Abschaffung der Radio-und TV-Gebühr, sagte Klaus Iohannis, dass dieses Anliegen nicht innerhalb einer Woche ohne einen langfristigen Plan erledigt werden kann. Ministerpräsident Dacian Cioloş sagte seinerseits, er schließe die Möglichkeit nicht aus, das Gesetz vor dem Verfassungsgericht anzufechten.

27 October 2016
October 27, 2016 UPDATE

MILITARY – A Patriot missile defense system will be temporarily moved from Germany to Romania by rail, for a joint exercise to be carried out in early November with 100 Romanian soldiers, Major General Timothy McGuire, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe, told Reuters. According to Major General Timothy McGuire, leaders of 38 European armies took this decision during a meeting in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Wednesday. The move comes shortly after Russia has stationed nuclear-capable Islander missiles in Kaliningrad, its enclave between Poland and Lithuania.

BILL – On Wednesday, President Klaus Iohannis and PM Dacian Ciolos criticized the bill passed by Parliament removing over 100 non-fiscal fees, including the radio and TV fees. The bill introduced by the Social Democrats passed the lower chamber of Parliament a day before, and awaits endorsement by the head of state. However, the latter believes that, in order to develop a predictable Romania, investors need to know how taxation would evolve in the next 10 years. Klaus Iohannis believes that it is wrong to change the architecture of taxation ahead of the Parliament elections of December 11, with no consultation with the businesses sector, trade unions and civil society. Speaking of the radio and TV tax, the president said that this issue couldn’t be settled within the span of a week and without long-term evaluation and planning. Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said he is considering challenging the bill in the Constitutional Court.

ACCORD – Belgiums regions agreed to a free trade pact with Canada on Thursday, thus putting an end to weeks of uncertainty, Reuters and France Press report. Belgiums Prime Minister Charles Michel said the regions and linguistic communities in his country had drafted a four-page addendum to the pact that answered their concerns. The region of Wallonia held a veto over Belgium’s ability to back the trans-Atlantic trade agreement. And the EU, in turn, needed unanimity among all its members. In its turn, Romania had conditioned its approval on the entry visas to Canada being lifted for its citizens. Ottawa has agreed to the gradual lifting of visas as of next year, on condition that the free trade agreement is signed.

APPOINTMENT – Dragos Cristian Dinu was sworn in as Minister of European Funds on Thursday, in the presence of President Klaus Iohannis, who had signed the decree appointing him on Wednesday. Dinu, formerly an undersecretary with the ministry, replaces Cristian Ghinea, who resigned in order to be able to run for parliamentary elections in December.

SENTENCE – Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice on Thursday sentenced two Israeli citizens to prison, for cyber attacks on the Romanian banking system. Iahr Giora received a definitive prison sentence of 9 years and 8 months while Azouri Oren Avraham got 9 years, in a case in which they were also charged with attempted espionage. In the same case, George Tohaneanu, the Israelis’ accomplice, received a suspended prison sentence of 9 months and 120 days of community service.

NATO – The present security challenges require a strong and sustainable relationship between NATO and the EU, Romanian Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc said on Thursday in Brussels. On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking at the Alliance’s meeting, said that several countries would contribute to strengthening NATOs eastern flank against Russian threats. He specified that 13 countries would take part in military concentrations in Poland and the Baltic states, while six countries would contribute with land, sea and air forces in the Black Sea region. Discussed at the meeting in Brussels was also the multinational brigade to be hosted and led by Romania. The UK announced it would send Typhoon fighter jets to Romania for patrol missions.

TENNIS– Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, 4th seeded in the WTA, was defeated on Thursday in two sets by Slovakian player Dominika Cibulkova, 8th seeded, in the Red Group of the 2016 WTA Finals in Singapore. In the other game in the group, world’s no. 1, Angelique Kerber of Germany defeated 7th seeded Madison Keys of the US, in two sets. In the White Group, Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, 6th seeded, was defeated by Agnieszka Radvanska, 3rd seeded, who was the winner last year. Also part of this group, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, 9th seeded, defeated Czech player Karolina Pliskova, 5th seeded. The Russian player has already two victories under her belt, and is technically qualified for the semi-finals already.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

27 October 2016
27 October, 2016

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke in Brussels at the Alliance meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, saying that several countries would contribute to strengthening NATOs eastern flank against Russian threats. He specified that 13 countries would take part in military concentrations in Poland and the Baltic states, while six countries would contribute with land, sea and air forces in the Black Sea region. Also under discussion at the meeting was the multinational brigade to be hosted and led by Romania. The UK announced it would send Typhoon fighter jets to Romania for patrol missions. Bucharest was represented by its defense minister, Mihnea Motoc.

On Wednesday, President Klaus Iohannis and PM Dacian Ciolos criticized the bill passed by Parliament removing over 100 non-fiscal fees, including the radio and TV fees. The bill introduced by the Social Democrats passed the lower chamber of Parliament a day before, and awaits endorsement by the head of state. However, the latter believes that, in order to develop a predictable Romania, investors need to know how taxation would evolve in the next 10 years. Klaus Iohannis believes that it is wrong to change the architecture of taxation ahead of the Parliament elections of 11 December, with no consultation with businesses, trade unions and civil society. Speaking of the radio and TV tax, the president said that this issue cannot be settled within the span of a week and without long term evaluation and planning. Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said he is considering challenging the bill in Constitutional Court.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis signed on Wednesday the decree appointing Dragos Cristian Dinu Minister of European Funds. According to the presidency, the new minister will be sworn in the same day. Dinu, formerly an undersecretary with the ministry, replaces Cristian Ghinea, who resigned in order to be able to run for parliamentary elections in December.

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, 4th seeded in the WTA, was defeated on Wednesday in two sets by Slovakian player Dominika Cibulkova, 8th seeded, in the Red Group of the 2016 WTA Finals in Singapore. In the other game in the group, world leader Angelique Kerber of Germany plays against 7th seeded Madison Keys of the US. The German player needs only a single set to qualify for the semifinals, considering she won the first two encounters. In the White Group, Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, 6th seeded, was defeated by Agnieszka Radvanska, 3rd seeded, who was the winner last year. Also part of this group, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, 9th seeded, defeated Czech player Karolina Pliskova, 5th seeded. The Russian player has already two victories under her belt, and is technically qualified for the semifinals already.

The summit dedicated to the negotiation of CETA, the EU- Canada free trade agreement, scheduled for Wednesday in Brussels, has been canceled, without a rescheduled date, according to European Union sources, quoted by AFP. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had canceled his trip to Brussels ahead of the announcement. The agreement was blocked by the Belgian Walloon region. The Canadian government said it is ready to sign the agreement as soon as Europe is ready. Romania said it would agree to the accord as soon as Canada removes visa requirements for Romanian citizens traveling to that country.

27 October 2016
October 25, 2016 UPDATE

CELEBRATION – On October 25, King Mihai I turned 95 and the Royal House of Romania is organizing a series of events, until October 28, to mark his anniversary. Medals and distinctions are being offered, concerts and book launches are held and Radio Romania broadcasts a radio drama written by King Mihai and Queen Ana. Mihai I is Romanias last king and the only surviving head of state from WWII. He ruled the country two times, between 1927 and 1930, and between 1940 and 1947, respectively. Forced by the communists to abdicate, on December 30, 1947, the former monarch lived in exile. After the Anti-communist Revolution of 1989, he returned to his native Romania. Also on Tuesday the Romanian Army Day was observed at home and abroad. Military and religious ceremonies were organized in all garrisons and theatres of operation across the country. Floral tributes were also paid at the cemeteries and memorials, in honour of the Romanian heroes in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Russia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. A reburial ceremony was held at Rossoshka, in the Russian Federation, for 594 Romanian military who died in the line of duty in the battle of Stalingrad (todays Volgograd) during WW II. At present, 780 Romanian military are taking part in international missions around the world, 629 of them in Afghanistan.

NON FISCAL FEES– The Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday approved the draft law initiated by the Social Democratic Party to abolish over 100 non-fiscal taxes, including the radio and TV license fee, which covers most of the public broadcasters financing. On Monday, the Social-Democrats announced they gave up the idea of cancelling the radio and TV license fee, against the backdrop of harsh criticism voiced by the political class, civil society, representatives of public media institutions, who said the absence of such a fee would significantly impact the autonomy of the public radio and TV broadcasters. On Tuesday, however, Social-Democrat Liviu Dragnea made a comeback and called again, in the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies, for the elimination of the public radio and TV license fee. The draft law has been endorsed by the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies is the decision making body on the issue.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – Romanias Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled that the law on giving in payment, challenged by banking institutions, is partially against the Constitution. The law was enforced on May 13th. Also, the bill allowing the conversion of Swiss-franc loans into the local currency at below-market rates has also reached the Constitutional Court. The Government contested the law because, in their opinion, the form under which it was endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies has come to be more than a form of social protection. Under this bill debtors can ask banks to convert their outstanding debt to local currency loans at the exchange rate prevailing when the loan was extended.

SMEs– Private small and medium sized enterprises in Romania, which got prizes in the 24th edition of the National Top of the Private Companies in Romania, reported a turnover of 2.2 billion Euro and employed over 26,000 people, Florin Jianu, the President of the National Council of SMEs has today said. According to him, the business environment in Romania should be supported by the state, by measures aimed to cut red tape, encourage the work force and grant funds to SMEs. Jianu has also said it is very important to attract investment, be it local or foreign.

CETA – The European leaders say the summit scheduled for Thursday and devoted to the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada (CETA) is “still possible, in spite of Belgiums finding it impossible to approve it at the moment, as it announced. Attending the meeting will also be Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, government officials from Ottawa have announced. On Tuesday, the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, the Canadian trade minister, Chrystia Freeland, and the head of the Belgian region of Wallonia, Paul Magnette, held talks in an effort to breathe new life into the negotiations on this agreement. All EU member states have expressed their agreement on the conclusion of a treaty, with the exception of Belgium, which needs the agreement of all its five federal entities. The region of Wallonia, displeased with several provisions of the treaty, particularly those referring to the arbitration of trade disputes between companies and governments, has rejected the agreement.

NATO – US Ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, said in Brussels that NATO would consolidate its presence in Romania and neighboring Bulgaria. The US official said that Romania would host a multinational brigade, with the participation of Bulgaria. The brigade will coordinate the efforts of allied partners, including the United States, who will be deploying military for organizing military exercises in the two countries. Ambassador Lute said that, for the time being, plans on consolidating the presence of NATOs air and naval forces in the Black Sea region are still being discussed. In another development, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO Defense Ministers will discuss NATOs presence in the Black Sea region as part of their meeting scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (WTA no. 4) lost on Tuesday to the worlds number one player Angelique Kerber of Germany, 4-6, 2-6 in the Red Group at the WTA finals in Singapore. Simona won the first match against Madison Keys of the United States, and will take on Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia (WTA no. 8) in the last match. In the White Group, the Czech player Karolina Pliskova (WTA no.5) defeated the Roland Garros defending champion, Spanish Garbine Muguruza (WTA no.6), and Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (WTA no.9) defeated last years winner of the title, Polish Agnieszka Radwanska (WTA no.3). Simona Halep is participating for the third time in the WTA Finals, after in 2014 she met Serena Williams in the finals, and last year failed to go past the group stage.

(Translated by D. Vijeu and V. Palcu)

25 October 2016
24.10.2016

Armée – Les manifestations consacrées à la Journée de l’Armée roumaine commencent aujourd’hui au comté de Satu Mare (nord-ouest), par deux marches de commémoration des soldats roumains qui ont lutté pour la réintégration territoriale du pays. Le président Klaus Iohannis et le ministre de la Défense Mihnea Motoc participent, à l’occasion, à la table ronde « L’Armée – institution fondamentale et source de confiance nationale ». Les cérémonies se poursuivront demain, à Carei (nord-ouest), devant le Monument au Soldat roumain, où a eu lieu, voici 72 ans, la dernière étape de libération du territoire roumain. La Journée de l’Armée roumaine sera marquée tant au pays qu’à l’étranger. Des événements seront organisés dans toutes les localités accueillant des unités militaires, dans les pays où des attachés de défense sont accrédités et dans les bases militaires sur les théâtres d’opérations dans lesquels des militaires roumains sont disloqués. A l’occasion, des dépôts de couronnes de fleurs seront organisés aux cimetières et monuments aux héros roumains d’Autriche, de Bosnie, d’Herzégovine, de Bulgarie, de Tchéquie, de Russie, de République de Moldova et d’Ukraine. A Rossochka, dans la région de Volgograd en Russie, aura lieu la cérémonie de ré inhumation des militaires roumains tombés dans les combats de Stalingrad.

Plan directeur – Le Premier ministre Dacian Cioloş a annoncé aujourd’hui qu’un plan directeur d’actions prioritaires pour préparer, du point administratif et technique, la reprise par la Roumanie de la présidence tournante du Conseil de l’UE en 2019 était presque finalisé. Présent à Bucarest à la Conférence « Start 2019 : La Roumanie à la Présidence du Conseil de l’UE », M Cioloş a déclaré que l’évaluation des ressources humaines de l’administration publique avait commencé pour trouver des professionnels avec une formation solide, qui seront chargés de former le corps d’élite de l’administration roumaine sur la problématique européenne. Il a souligné que plusieurs milliers de réunions de groupes e travail et de différentes commissions techniques de spécialité devront être gérées dans le cadre du Conseil de l’UE durant la présidence roumaine. Le premier ministre a ajouté que des débats sur ce thème seraient organisés très bientôt.

Audiovisuel – Le projet de loi qui prévoit la suppression de certaines taxes, dont celle sur l’audiovisuel est avancée aujourd’hui à la Chambre des députés de Bucarest, l’assemblée décisionnelle. L’initiative des sociaux-démocrates est passée au Sénat et doit être examinée par la Commission de budget, et sera votée mardi par les députés. Le document a généré de nombreuses réactions de la classe politique, de la société civile, des représentants de médias publics qui considèrent essentiellement que l’élimination de la taxe sur l’audiovisuel affecterait de manière significative l’autonomie et l’indépendance de la Radio et de la Télévision publiques. Nous reviendrons à ce propos.

CETA – Aujourd’hui c’est la date limite de l’ultimatum fait par l’UE au Canada et à la Belgique pour décider s’ils soutiennent le partenariat UE-Ottawa, sinon la signature de l’accord sera annulée. Le traité, dont les négociations se déroulent depuis plus de 7 ans, est bloqué par le Parlement Wallon, qui demande des clauses censées visant la protection des droits de l’homme et de l’environnement, ainsi que des fermiers européens, y compris le maintien de l’interdiction de la viande de bœuf aux hormones, qui pourrait être importée du Canada. Le gouvernement fédéral belge a besoin de l’avis de toutes les entités régionales pour signer l’accord de libre-échange avec le Canada. Le document avait été longtemps bloqué aussi par la Roumanie et la Bulgarie qui le conditionnaient par la levée des visas pour leurs ressortissants. Récemment, le Canada a accepté de lever graduellement les visas pour les Roumains et les Bulgares à partir de l’année prochaine.

Tennis – La joueuse de tennis roumaine Simona Halep est leader du Groupe Rouge du Tournoi des championnes de Singapour, après une première victoire décisive contre l’Américaine Madison Keys. Simona Halep est suivie par Angelique Kerber d’Allemagne (nr 1 mondiale) qui a vaincu la Slovaque Dominika Cibulkova. Mardi, Simona Halep jouera contre Angelique Kerber. C’est la 3e participation de la Roumaine au Tournoi des Championnes. Rappelons-le, en 2014, elle a disputé la finale contre Serena Williams, alors qu’en 2015 elle n’a pas dépassé la phase des groupes.

Météo – Le temps est morose en ce début de
semaine en Roumanie notamment dans les régions extra-carpatiques, où des pluies
faibles sont signalées. Sur le reste du territoire il fait un peu plus chaud
que la normale saisonnière. Le vent est plus fort sur le sud-ouest et le
sud-est. Les températures maximales de ce lundi vont de 6 à 20 degrés. 11
degrés et un ciel couvert à midi à Bucarest.

24 October 2016
October 24, 2016 UPDATE

ARMY DAY – Marked every year on October 25, the Romanian Army Day is being observed this year both at home and abroad. On Tuesday events will be held in all towns and villages hosting military units, in countries where defense attaches are accredited and in military bases and theatres of operations where Romanian military are deployed. Floral tributes will be paid at the cemeteries and monuments devoted to Romanian heroes in Austria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Russia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. A memorial service for the re-burial of the Romanian military killed in the battle of Stalingrad will be held at the Rossoshka Military Memorial in the Volgograd region.

PRESIDENCY – The Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş announced on Monday that the government almost finalized the master plan including the priority administrative and technical actions to be taken in the run up to Romanias taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2019. Attending, in Bucharest, the conference “Start 2019: Romania at the presidency of the Council of the EU, Prime Minister Cioloş added that the Government started assessing the human resources in the public administration in order to identify well-trained people that will make up the elite body of the Romanian administration to deal with European issues. He underlined that during Romanias presidency several thousand working group meetings will have to be managed as well as various specialized experts committees within the Council of the EU. The prime minister also announced that a number of debates on this topic would be launched in the coming period.

CETA – Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said his country couldnt reach a consensus for the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement between the European Union and Canada. The EU had given Belgium an ultimatum to take a domestic decision on this matter by Monday evening, after the Wallonia region expressed discontent with certain provisions in the document. Romania and Bulgaria had blocked the agreement for a while, demanding the lifting of Canadian visas for their citizens as a prerequisite to signing the agreement. The Canadian side reached an agreement with Bucharest authorities for the gradual lifting of visas as of next year. With Belgium vetoing the CETA agreement, President Iohannis said Romania would continue negotiations with Canada, irrespective of the fate of the agreement. Romania and Bulgaria are the only EU member states whose citizens still require a visa to travel to Canada presently.

RADIO AND TV LICENCE FEE – The budget and finance committee in the Chamber of Deputies gave its positive opinion on a draft law spearheaded by the Social-Democrats, allowing for the elimination of some non-fiscal fees. The Committee established, however, that the radio and tv licence fee, originally included in the draft law, would not be eliminated. Previously representatives of the political class, civil society and public media institutions said that eliminating the fee would seriously affect the autonomy and independence of the public radio and television. Already passed by the Senate, the law will be voted on Tuesday by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (4 WTA) is leader in the Red Group at the WTA finals in Singapore. On Tuesday, Halep will take on Angelique Kerber of Germany in the eighth direct encounter with this player. In the other fixture in the Red Group, Madison Keys will play Domonika Cibulkova. The White Group includes Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, Svetlanta Kuznetsova of Russia, Karoline Pliskova of the Czech Republic and Garbine Muguruza of Spain. This is Haleps third participation in the WTA Finals, after in 2014 she played the final against Serena Williams of the US and last year was knocked out in the group phase.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

24 October 2016
October 24, 2016

ARMY DAY – The manifestations devoted to the Romanian Army Day will start on Monday in the northwestern Romanian county of Satu Mare, with two marches commemorating the Romanian soldiers who fought for the country’s reunification. On the occasion, the president Klaus Iohannis and the defense minister Mihnea Motoc are participating in a round table discussion entitled “The Army – a fundamental institution and a source of national confidence”. Ceremonies will continue on Tuesday in Carei, in front of the Monument to the Romanian Soldier, where 72 years ago the last stage in the process of Romania’s territory liberation took place. The Romanian Army Day will be marked both in the country and abroad. Manifestations will be held in all towns and cities hosting military units, in the countries where military attaches are accredited as well as in the military bases in various theaters of operations across the globe where Romanian military are stationed.

ROMANIAN GOV MASTER PLAN – The Romanian PM Dacian Cioloş announced on Monday that the government almost finalized the master plan including the priority administrative and technical actions to be taken in the run up to Romania’s taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2019. Attending, in Bucharest, the conference “Start 2019: Romania at the presidency of the Council of the EU” PM Cioloş added that they started assessing the human resources in the public administration in order to identify well trained people that will make up the elite body of the Romanian administration to deal with European issues. He underlined that during Romania’s presidency several thousand working group meetings will have to be managed as well as various specialized experts’ committees within the Council of the EU. The prime minister also announced that a number of debates on this topic would be launched in the coming period.

RADIO AND TV LICENSE FEE – The draft law on the cancellation of several charges including the radio and TV license fee will today reach the Chamber of Deputies, the decision making body on this matter. The Social Democrats’ legislative initiative has passed the Senate and will be analyzed by the Budget Committee, and on Tuesday the draft law will receive the deputies’ final vote. The draft law has triggered off numerous reactions by the political class, civil society and representatives of several public media institutions, which consider that the elimination of the radio and TV license fee would significantly affect the autonomy and independence of the public Radio and Television Corporations. uncil of the EU. The prime minister also announced that a number of debates on this topic would be launched in the coming period.

CETA – Monday expires the deadline given by the EU and Canada to Belgium, to decide whether or not it supports the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). If Belgium says NO, the agreement signing ceremony will be cancelled, France Press reports. The treaty, which has been negotiated for more than 7 years, has been blocked by the Parliament of Wallonia, which asks for certain provisions meant to protect human rights and the environment as well as the European farmers, and for maintaining a ban on beef injected with hormones, that might be imported from Canada after the treaty is signed. Belgium’s federal government needs the approval of all regional entities in order to sign the agreement. The free trade agreement with Canada has been for a long time blocked by Romania and Bulgaria that conditioned the signing of the document on the visa waiver for their citizens. Recently the two countries have reached an agreement with Canada on the gradual lifting of visas as of 2017.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (4 WTA) is the leader of the Red Group of the Singapore Tournament after the first round, as she qualified to the semifinals following her victory on Sunday when she defeated the American Madison Keys 6-2, 6-4. Simona is followed in the group classification by world leader Angelique Kerber (Germany) who defeated the Slovak Dominika Cibulkova (8 WTA). Tuesday’s match will be pitting Halep and Kerber, with the Romanian player having a 4-3 lead in direct matches. Also in Singapore, in the White Group, the Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska will take on today the Russian Svetlana Kuzneţova, while the Czech Karolina Pliskova will play against the Spanish Garbine Muguruza. Halep is participating for the 3rd time in the Champions Tournament after in 2014 she played against Serena Williams in the final. In 2015 Halep did not manage to pass the group stage. (translation by L. Simion)

24 October 2016