Radio România Internațional

Tag: council

  • May 24, 2019

    May 24, 2019

    ELECTIONS Eligible voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic are expected in polling stations today to elect their representatives in the European Parliament. The European elections started on Thursday in the UK and Netherlands, with Latvia, Slovakia and Malta holding the ballot on Saturday and the rest of the EU member states, including Romania, on Sunday. In Romania 13 political parties and 3 independent candidates are running for 33 seats. On the same day, a referendum on the judiciary is scheduled in Romania.




    COUNCIL The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will take part on Tuesday, May 28th, in an informal meeting of the European Council held in Brussels, Bucharest announced on Friday. The participants will look at the results of the elections for the European Parliament, held between May 23rd and 26th. The EU leaders will also have a preliminary discussion regarding the candidates for the top posts in the EU institutions.




    POPE The National Bank of Romania will release on Thursday, May 30th, gold and brass collector coins devoted to Pope Francis visit to Romania, while another brass coin devoted to the same event will be in circulation beginning the same date. The gold coin obverse features images of churches and the localities to be visited by the Pope, along with “Romania, “year of minting 2019 and the monetary value of “500 lei. The reverse, which is common to all the coins, features the portrait and emblem of Pope Francis and inscriptions reading “His Sanctity Pope Francis visit to Romania, “May 31st – June 2nd, and the motto of the visit, “Lets walk together!. The Pope comes to Romania on an invitation from President Klaus Iohannis and of the Romanian Catholic Church. He will visit the capital city Bucharest, the largest city in the east of the country, Iasi, the spiritual capital of Romanian Greek-Catholics, Blaj, where he will beatify 7 bishops killed in communist prisons, and the Marian shrine in Şumuleu Ciuc. In 1999, Romania was the first country with a mostly Orthodox population to have been visited by a Pope, John Paul II.




    MEDAL The Government of Japan awarded Constantin Chiriac, director of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, the Order of the Rising Sun with neck ribbon, the highest awarded by this country to foreign citizens. The medal was handed to Constantin Chiriac in Bucharest by the Ambassador of Japan, Hitoshi Noda, in a press conference that preceded the start of the 26th edition of the Festival, scheduled between June 14th and 23rd. The founder of a cultural event famous around the world, director of the Radu Stanca Theatre in Sibiu and a professor at the Lucian Blaga University, Constantin Chiriac was rewarded by Japan for his contribution to promoting the Japanese culture in Romania and cultural exchanges between the 2 countries.




    BLACKMAIL In Bucharest, the deputy rector of the ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Police Academy, Mihail Marcoci, announced on Friday that he resigned from office, after being placed under court supervision by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. The rector and deputy rector of the Police Academy, Adrian Iacob and Mihail Marcoci, are probed into by the Anti-Corruption Directorate, while under court supervision, for suspicions of having prompted an officer, in April 2019, to send a death threat to journalist Emilia Şercan, in order to force her to halt a journalist investigation concerning the Police Academy rector. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, between March and April this year Emilia Şercan published a series of articles covering the award of Ph.D. titles by the ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Police Academy.




    UK The British PM Theresa May announced on Friday that she will step down on June 7th, in response to calls from the Tories to allow a new leader to try and overcome the Brexit standoff, Reuters reports. The procedures for appointing a new prime minister will most likely begin on June 10th. Depending on the number of candidates, the process might take until autumn, but the Conservative Party is hoping to step up the procedure and to be in a position to announce a new leader by the end of July.




    TENNIS The Romanian Sorana Cîrstea (93 WTA) is playing today against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, no 39 in the world and seed no 1, in the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Nurnberg (Germany). Cîrstea is one of the 4 Romanians taking part in the Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Sunday. She begins with a very difficult match, against the Czech Petra Kvitova (6 WTA). Simona Halep, who won the tournament last year and is currently ranked 3 in the world, plays against the Australian Ajla Tomljanovic (47 WTA), Mihaela Buzărnescu (30 WTA) against Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova (60 WTA), and Irina Begu (118 WTA) against Lin Zhu of China (108 WTA). In the mens competition, the only Romanian in the singles tournament is Marius Copil (81 ATP), playing against Benoit Paire of France (51 ATP).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 14, 2019 UPDATE

    May 14, 2019 UPDATE

    ​REPORT – Direct foreign investment went down in the first three months of 2019 by around 20% as against the same period last year, to 1.24 billion euros, according to data made public by the Central Bank on Tuesday. At the same time, between January and March 2019, the number of new companies running on foreign capital went up by more than 9% as against the same period of 2018, to almost 15 hundred units. On March 31st, 2019, there were over 220 thousand companies running on foreign capital in Romania.




    COUNCIL – Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea on Tuesday presided the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels. The main topic on the agenda was the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy Reform Package. Ministers also exchanged views on the new delivery model set out in the Commission proposal for a regulation on the CAP strategic plans. On the sidelines of the Council meeting, ministers discussed a long-term strategic vision for a climate neutral economy in terms of agriculture, as well as the declaration of cooperation for a smart and sustainable digital future for European agriculture and rural areas.




    EXTRADITION – Romanian interim Justice Minister Ana Birchall announced on Tuesday that the Madagascan authorities approved the extradition to Romania of Radu Mazare, a former mayor of the Black Sea city of Constanta. The authorities in Madagascar detained Mazare last week and placed him under provisional arrest for six days. The former mayor fled to Madagascar at the end of 2017, to avoid trial for corruption. He received a final sentence of nine years in prison in February this year, in a case of illegal allocation of state-owned land along the Black Sea coast and beaches in Constanta.




    CANNES FESTIVAL – The 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival kicked off on Tuesday and will run until May 25. Romania is represented in the official and alternative film sections. Corneliu Porumboiu this year competes for the Palme dOr with his latest feature “La Gomera / The Whistlers”, his first film produced abroad, on La Gomera island in Spain and in Singapore. The short reel program entitled Romanian Short Waves will also be featured in the Short Film Corner devoted to short reels and young talent. Among the 13 short reels selected are Bogdan Muresanus “Christmas Gift”, Adi Voicus “The Last Trip to the Seaside” and “Today Artist, Tonight Taximetrist” by Dumitru Grosei. Also representing Romania is filmmaker, screen writer and producer Catalin Mitulescu as a jury member for the Cinefondation and short reel section.




    MILITARY – An Italian military unit is deployed by NATO at the Mihail Koglniceanu base in southeastern Romania, charged with carrying out air policing missions for the first time in Romania. Over the next four months, 130 Italian military, pilots and technical crew and four Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft will join Romanian Air Force military and MiG-21 Lancer jets to carry out these missions under NATO command. The joint air policing missions are aimed at developing the reaction and deterrence capacity and consolidate interoperability between the two countries Air Forces. The deployment of the Italian unit to Romania is part of the action plan for ensuring NATO operational capacity in response to security challenges on the Alliances eastern flank.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu (29 WTA) defeated the former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia (27 WTA) 6-2, 5-4, in the opening round of the WTA tournament in Rome. In the second round world no. 2 Simona Halep will play the winner of the match pitting Merketa Vondrousova against Barbora Strycova, both from the Czech Republic.


    (Translated by E. Enache)

  • Proposal for “Sibiu Declaration”

    Proposal for “Sibiu Declaration”

    Located in the heart of Romania, the city of Sibiu will gain added significance this week, thanks to the summer summit of the European Union leaders, which it will host on May 9, Europe Day. The summit will be held in a EU27 format, in which the UK will not be represented given the uncertainties surrounding the Brexit.



    Seen in the context of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this summit may be regarded as the highpoint of Bucharests half-year term. But at the same time, years of reflection on the future of the EU will come together in political instruments in Sibiu. Because this summit, convened by the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in his 2017 State of the Union address, may decide what the Europe of the forthcoming years will look like.



    A stronger, more united and more democratic Union, is what the European leaders are aiming for, and to this end they are expected to adopt the Sibiu Declaration. As the President of the European Council Donald Tusk writes in the invitation letter posted on Monday night on the home page of the European Council, “We will gather in Sibiu on Europe Day to discuss strategic plans for the Union in the years ahead. In this context I will propose we adopt the Sibiu Declaration, sending a message of unity and confidence in our joint actions. I enclose an outline of the Strategic Agenda for the next five years. Following the discussions in Sibiu we will formulate the 2019-2024 EU Strategic Agenda, to be adopted at the European Council in June.



    Ahead of the summit, the European Commission has already come up with a number of political recommendations regarding the future of Europe. There are 5 dimensions on which the Union should focus in the years to come. One of them is protecting the EU borders by a pro-active management of migration. Another one is related to Europes competitiveness, while a third is the close cooperation of Member States in order to ensure social inclusion and equality, by tackling regional disparities and promoting the shared values on which the European Union is based, such as the rule of law. The Union also needs a fair and modern taxation policy, as well as concrete policies to protect the environment in the context of climate change. And, not least, Europe should play a major role in the international community and develop strong relations with all its neighbours.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Week in Review, 13-19 April 2019

    The Week in Review, 13-19 April 2019

    The May 26 referendum


    The Romanian Parliament, convened in joint session on Wednesday, approved President Klaus Iohanniss request to hold a referendum on May 26, at the same time with the European Parliament elections. The point of the referendum is to ban amnesty and pardon for corruption offences and to prevent the government from passing emergency decrees related to criminal offences, convictions and judicial organisation. The head of state also wants to know the voters opinion as regards allowing public authorities, other than the Ombudsman, to notify the Constitutional Court directly, about emergency decrees. The Presidents move comes against the background of numerous legislative changes in the field of the judiciary, contested at home and criticised by Romanias European partners.




    Reshuffling of Dancilas cabinet


    Prime Minister Viorica Dancila sent president Klaus Iohannis proposals for the appointment of new ministers for the Ministry of European Funds, the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad and the Justice Ministry. The previous holders of these positions have resigned – Rovana Plumb and Natalia Intorero in order to run for the European elections, and Tudorel Toader after the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the main party in the ruling coalition, withdrew its political support and the PM asked for his resignation. Toader was left without the Social Democrats support for having delayed the adoption of some controversial emergency decrees modifying criminal codes. President Klaus Iohannis will announce early next week his decision about the appointment of the new ministers, but he has pointed out that, in his opinion, the new government reshuffle is aimed at strengthening what he calls “the PSD siege on justice. Romania must urgently get back on the track of reforms and continue the battle against corruption, European Commissioner for Justice, Vera Jurova, said at a European Parliament debate on the rule of law in Romania.




    Report on the first 100 days of Romanias presidency of the Council of the EU


    During the first three months of Romanias presidency of the Council of the EU, 90 difficult legislative dossiers have been closed, with Bucharest having coordinated over 1,100 events and meetings in the last three months, the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila said. Speaking about some of the dossiers finalised recently, Dancila welcomed the Councils formal adoption, as a final stage of the legislative procedure, of rules for the natural gas market, copyright and contracts for the sale of goods and the provision of online digital content. Bucharest has also been actively involved in the Brexit negotiations, Dancila went on to say. She also spoke about the importance of the elections for the European Parliament, held in Romania on the 26th of May, and pointed out that Romania has worked towards creating an environment in which free and fair elections can be held. Clearer rules were established for the protection of personal data, including penalties for the use thereof to manipulate the running and the outcome of the elections.




    Conference on security challenges on the eastern flank of NATO


    A conference on security challenges on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance, organised in Bucharest, has once again highlighted the need to strengthen NATOs capacity in the Baltic and Black Sea areas. Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has pleaded for a unitary, consolidated and coherent allied presence along the entire eastern flank. The president has stated that the Black Sea area is still marked by frozen conflicts and dormant tensions, and that is reason enough for such a presence, which is needed to ensure an effective defence and deterrence posture. At the conference, the US and Germany hailed the way in which Bucharest fulfils its commitments within NATO.




    The Romania-France Cultural Season


    The 2019 Romania-France Cultural Season has opened this week in Bucharest. Meetings, exhibitions, festivals and concerts will be held as part of this event in the capital Bucharest and many other cities across Romania. The French Ambassador in Bucharest, Michele Ramis, has mentioned that this is the first time her country organises the Season jointly with another EU country, which clearly reflects the nature of the Romanian-French relationship. In turn, the Romanian Culture Minister, Daniel Breaz, has evoked aspects related to the cultural connection between the two countries, and pointed out that for generations France has been a model, mirror and trustworthy friend of Romanians. The first part of the Cultural Season was held in 100 cities in France over the course of 5 months, and enjoyed great success, with the French people rediscovering Romania and its artists. The event is meant to consolidate economic, scientific, cultural and social ties between the two countries.



    (translated by: Elena Enache)

  • March 5, 2019 UPDATE

    March 5, 2019 UPDATE

    JUDICIARY The Government of Romania Tuesday passed changes to the controversial Emergency Order 7 on the justice laws, which had triggered protests across the country. Under the changes announced by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, only prosecutors with at least 15 years of seniority may hold top positions in the Public Ministry, and only the prosecutors division of the Higher Council of Magistrates, instead of the entire body, is required to give an advisory opinion on appointments. Also, good reputation will no longer be a criterion in dismissing magistrates, and the salaries of IT experts in the judicial system remain unchanged. Tudorel Toader made no comments on the controversial provisions regarding the new division investigating magistrates, which stay in place. The new changes have been operated despite the negative opinion of the Higher Council of Magistrates. Last Sunday in Bucharest and other major cities nearly 8,000 people protested against Emergency Order 7 modifying the justice laws. The prosecutors and judges in some 80 courts and prosecutors offices in half the country have also protested these days, by suspending work or by picketing court buildings.




    VISIT The Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă announced a working visit to Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, when she will attend 2 events devoted to equal opportunity and promoting womens rights and will have meetings with senior EU officials, including the European Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans and the Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier. This years edition of the Womens European Council is held in a partnership with the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU, and will focus on better representation of women in politics and on promoting women into leadership positions, Viorica Dăncilă said. The second event will be organised by Romanias permanent representation to the EU, and will also be devoted to gender equality. The Romanian PM also added that on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, the Justice and Home Affairs Council will convene, chaired by Interior Minister Carmen Dan and Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. The agenda includes EU-wide cooperation in the field of the judiciary and border security, the Common European Asylum System and the Unions response to migration and terrorism.




    FLU Two more people died in Romania because of the flu, the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control confirmed on Tuesday. The 2 women were over 80 and also suffered from other, chronic conditions, and only one of them had been immunised against the flu. The total number of deaths caused this season by the flu has reached 165. According to the latest data, over 1.3 million people have been vaccinated so far.




    VOLLEYBALL The Romanian womens volleyball team CSM Alba Blaj Tuesday defeated Ştiinţa Bacău 3-0, in the return leg of the Romanian semi-final of the CEV Cup, the second top official competition in Europe. Alba Blaj had also won the first leg, in Bacau, 3-0, a week ago. Last year, Alba also played the Champions League final, which they lost in Bucharest to the Turkish club VakifBank Istanbul. The other semi-final of the CEV Cup pits Hungarian team Swietelsky Bekescsaba against Yamamay e-work Busto Arsizio of Italy.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The EU and cyber-security

    The EU and cyber-security

    The minister delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, on Tuesday chaired the General Affairs Council meeting held in Brussels under the auspices of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.



    According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, a focal point on the agenda of talks was the post-2020 Multi-annual Financial Framework. The Romanian official gave details on the stage of talks on this file as well as on the process and the provisional work programme until April 2019. George Ciamba recalled that the main objective of the Romanian presidency is to continue talks at a fast pace, in order to make available a streamlined and balanced document for negotiations in the European Councils June meeting.



    Also, cracking down on misinformation is a very important topic for the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the conclusions adopted in Brussels on Tuesday do not come too late for the EP elections due in May.



    The ministers for European affairs who attended Tuesdays meeting in Brussels also discussed the agenda of the Spring Council and underlined the importance of talks on the internal market, the Digital Single Market, the EU industrial policy, laying emphasis on the role of these talks in preparing the future Strategic Agenda. At the summit held on March 21 and 22, the European leaders will focus mainly on issues related to employment, growth and competitiveness, climate change, preparations for the EU-China Summit due on April 9, cracking down on misinformation, protecting the integrity of European and national elections.



    During Tuesdays meeting, the European officials also talked about the progress of procedures started under Article 7 of the EU Treaty, triggered by the EC against Poland for having failed to observe the rule of law and against Hungary for failure to observe community values. The conclusions of the EU Council on free and correct elections were also formally adopted, thus sending a political signal of special relevance at European level, ahead of the election campaign for the European Parliament, which will be held in the EU Member States between May 23 and 26. The Council has also adopted conclusions on the relations between the EU and Switzerland. They are adopted by the Council every two years and are meant to assess the stage of relations between the two partners and represent a political declaration on boosting cooperation in the future.



    (translated by: Diana Vijeu)

  • February 18, 2019

    February 18, 2019

    EU The Romanian Economy Minister, Niculae Bădălău, is chairing in Brussels today the first meeting of the internal market and industry section of the Competitiveness Council (COMPET), under the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. The agenda of the Council meeting includes matters concerning the internal market and industry, the strategy for the single market for goods and services, while seeking to improve the competitiveness of the European economy. The Council will also exchange opinions on the single market overview process, and will hold a public debate on the impact of artificial intelligence on EU industry. Participants will also adopt conclusions on promoting development and the use of artificial intelligence.




    JUDICIARY The High Court of Cassation and Justice has once again postponed, to March 18th, the appeal filed by the Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea against a 3-and-a-half-year prison sentence he had received from the court of first instance in a corruption-related case. In June 2018, the Supreme Court sentenced Dragnea for instigating abuse of office, in a case involving the fictitious employment of 2 individuals who were on the payroll of the Teleorman Directorate General for Social Assistance and Child Protection, but who actually worked exclusively for the Social Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea, who was the head of the County Council at the time, was accused of having ordered the hiring. He claims to be innocent and has appealed the initial ruling, but the trial has been repeatedly postponed, amid controversies regarding the membership of the 5-judge panels at the Supreme Court. In 2016, Dragnea also received a suspended 2-year prison sentence for attempted election fraud, but last summer the Supreme Court reversed the decision to suspend his sentence.




    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu is taking part today in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The agenda includes an assessment of the situation in Ukraine, ahead of this years presidential and parliamentary elections. The EU foreign ministers will also discuss Syria, the latest developments in Venezuela and the outcomes of the first meeting of the international contact group for Venezuela. Decisions and conclusions are also expected as regards the situation in Yemen, diplomacy in the context of climate change, as well as the Unions human rights priorities as part of the United Nations this year.





    STATISTICS 1.6% of Romanian employees were working in culture-related fields in 2017, as against the 3.8% the EU average, according to data made public by the European Statistics Bureau, Eurostat, on Monday. Around 8.7 million EU citizens were working in culture-related fields or had professions in this field. The highest rates were reported in Estonia (5.5%) and Sweden (4.8%). According to Eurostat, in 2017 EU households allotted an average 8.5% of their total expenses to entertainment and culture, with Denmark and Sweden spending as much as 11.5% and 11% respectively, compared to Greece with 4.6% and Romania with 5.8%. The total expenses for entertainment and culture across the EU in 2017 reached 710 billion euros, accounting for 4.6% of the Unions GDP.




    FLU In Romania, the number of deaths caused by the flu has reached 131. According to the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control, the last victims are a woman and 2 men. They had previous conditions and had not been immunised against the flu. Romania is currently struggling with a flu epidemic.




    EUROVISION Romanias representative in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Tel Aviv in May, is Ester Peony with a song called On a Sunday. Twelve songs competed in the national final last night. For the first time, the winner of the Romanian final was decided by an international jury and the public. The semi-finals in Israel are scheduled to take place on May 14th and 16th, and the final on May 18th. Romania will compete in the second semi-final, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia. The countrys best performances so far were 2 third-places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem – Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi – Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu – Athens, 2006).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romania’s outlook on the European project

    Romania’s outlook on the European project

    “Europe has always been able to overcome obstacles and to emerge revitalized after less fortunate periods in history. Even the European project in its current form has been shaped by the successive crises it has been through, Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila underlined in the presentation she delivered in Strasbourg on the four main action pillars Bucharest has established for its first term at the helm of the Council of the EU: Europe of Convergence, A Safer Europe, Europe – a stronger global actor and Europe of common values:



    Viorica Dancila: “The Romanian presidencys outlook on the European project has been structured around the idea of ‘cohesion as a common European value in all its dimensions: political cohesion, illustrated by the need for unity among the member states; economic and territorial cohesion in view of reducing development gaps between member states and between regions; social cohesion, important for the preservation of the four liberties of the EUs domestic market.



    There are over 500 million European citizens waiting for an answer about the future of their homeland, Europe. I think it is important to show the citizens of the Union that European institutions are working for them and, more importantly, that they produce results that improve their living standards and future prospects, Prime Minister Dancila added.



    Europe of convergence is the first action pillar of the Romanian presidency. Starting from the fact that the single market represents the core of the European construction, Bucharest intends to pay increased attention to the legislative agenda in the field of the internal market, with a view to completing the framework needed for its good functioning.



    “We must consolidate the scientific and technological foundations of the European industry, through which we can also boost our competitiveness internationally and generate economic growth and new jobs, the Romanian Prime Minister has said, adding that the consistent pace of efforts towards the digital economy will be maintained, with a special focus on developing functional links between the East and the West, the North and the South, aimed at facilitating connections of any kind. Last but not least, attention will also be paid to the process of regulating the Energy Union.



    The second pillar of the Romanian presidency will be a safer Europe, Viorica Dancila has also said:



    Viorica Dancila: “We are facing security challenges that could threaten citizens safety. The European Union is facing a wide range of risks and threats, which could undermine the values and prosperity of our open societies. In a world of accelerated digitization, we must also advance in providing cyber-protection for our citizens. It is necessary to strengthen the EUs capabilities to respond to cyber-attacks. So, cyber-security will represent a prerequisite for any project concerning the information society. Also in relation to the EU security, we will treat with all seriousness the negotiation and completion of initiatives concerning the coherent management of migration inflows, strengthening the unions external borders, emergency response, the counter-terrorist fight, citizen cyber-protection, the operability and even expanding the European prosecutors mandate to cover terrorism-related offences, as well as the consolidation of judicial cooperation in civil and criminal files.



    During its term in office, Romania seeks to contribute to finding viable solutions to migration-related issues and to promote cooperation between origin and transit countries, including in terms of combating human trafficking.



    “Europe, a stronger global actor is the third pillar announced by Bucharest. The main line of action in this field must start from the joint commitments made under the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy (EUGS), Romanian authorities have said.



    Viorica Dancila: “In terms of security policy, we will promote the strengthening of the EUs defense and security capabilities, which are complementary to the similar processes within NATO. At the same time, we must focus on our close vicinity, which means continuing the EU enlargement policy. This years celebration of 10 years since the launch of the Eastern Partnership will be an important moment in this respect. Special attention must also be paid to the Western Balkans. Also, we will support the implementation of the Unions commitments at international level. The key elements are promoting the Unions trade interests, modernising the multilateral trade system and expanding economic partnership and free trade agreements.



    The fourth pillar of Romanias presidency of the Council of the EU is Europe of common values. Racism, intolerance, xenophobia, populism, anti-Semitism and hate speech must be firmly combated, while at the same time promoting the equal treatment to which all member states and their citizens aspire.



    (translated by: Daniel Bilt, Elena Enache)

  • The Romanian presidency of the EU – the first completed dossier

    The Romanian presidency of the EU – the first completed dossier

    The European Parliament and the member states have reached a provisional accord on the protection of personal data in view of the upcoming EU parliamentary election in May. In keeping with the new regulations, political parties that abusively use personal data in order to influence voters will be fined. The new regulations are aimed at protecting the election process from online disinformation campaigns based on the abusive use of the voters’ personal data. Several months ahead of the European election an amendment was agreed upon to allow for the introduction of financial sanctions for the parties or European political foundations that are deliberately breaking protection data regulations in order to influence the outcome of the election.



    The sanctions would account for 5% of the annual budget of the respective political party or foundation. Furthermore, those who break the rules will not be allowed to apply for funds from the EU’s general budget in the year in which they are fined. The text must be formally endorsed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in the following weeks so that it would be in force for the European election in May. Minister for European Affairs, George Ciamba, has hailed the conclusion of this dossier, the first under Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU:



    George Ciamba: “It is an amendment to a regulation on the financing of political parties and foundations, which is in fact addressing personal data protection, saying that a political party cannot ask an operator to provide information or get involved in a certain type of action that may result in the use of unprotected information. Political forces and foundations have employed the services of a certain company and this directive includes some obligations, such as to notify the authorities in charge of data protection and election authorities in case of such violations.”



    The agreement is part of a larger package of measures launched by the European Commission aimed at ensuring a free and fair election process. They also include increased transparency of the online advertising materials of political nature, protection against cyber-fraud and fighting disinformation campaigns. According to the Commission, national authorities, political parties and the media should also take measures to protect their information systems and networks against cyber threats.

  • January 6-12, 2019

    January 6-12, 2019

    Romania officially takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union


    On January 10th, Romania officially took over for the first time the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, in a ceremony held at the Romanian Athenaeum and attended by Romanian and EU leaders.


    Twelve years since its accession, Romania undertakes a key role at European level, with the stated goal of contributing to the consolidation of a more cohesive, more united and stronger Europe, the Romanian head of state Klaus Iohannis said in his address. Romania will head the Council of the European Union with dignity, PM Viorica Dancila said in her turn, and added that she would like the Union to be more robust, more united and more interconnected at the end of the Romanian term in office.


    The president of the European Council Donald Tusk gave a poignant speech in Romanian. Among others, he said that it was up to Romania to prove whether its politics may be a good example or a harsh warning for a European Union struggling with the rise of populism and nationalism. He also urged Romanians to safeguard the foundations of political civilisation, freedom, integrity, respect for truth in public life, the rule of law and Constitution, in Romania and in Europe.


    Romania takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union at a crucial time, the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said. He mentioned that the Union would not be complete without Romania, and that Romania also belongs in the Schengen area. I am counting on the energy and unity of the Romanian nation, in order to decide what we must do and what we can do in the months to come, Juncker concluded.


    The launch of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union was celebrated with a concert at the Romanian Athenaeum given by the European Union Orchestra, which performed George Enescus Romanian Rhapsody no 1 and Beethovens Ode to Joy, which has been the anthem of the European Union since 1985.


    On Friday in Bucharest, the European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker had talks with president Klaus Iohannis, PM Viorica Dancila and other Romanian officials. The European officials had meetings with the Romanian Cabinet ministers who will chair working meetings with their EU counterparts in the next 6 months, both in Bucharest and in Brussels.




    Romania chairs first General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels


    The Romanian minister for European affairs George Ciamba took part in Brussels in the General Affairs Council meeting, the first chaired by Romania since the start of its presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1. Ciamba presented Romanias priorities for its 6-month term in office, highlighting the 4 main directions: Europe of convergence, a safer Europe, Europe – a stronger regional actor, and Europe of shared values.


    Talking about the European context in which Romania holds the rotating presidency, which is marked by a number of complex processes such as Brexit, the negotiations on the next multi-annual financial framework, the European Parliament elections due in May 2019, and the reflection on the future of the Union, Ciamba said that now more than ever the Union needs unity and cohesion.



    Tension between the Presidency and the Government over appointments


    The conflict between the president and the government in Romania carries on. President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday rejected again, for the 2nd time, the appointment of Adina Florea as chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) and Anca Jurma, the interim chief prosecutor, announced she no longer wanted an extension of her term, which led the prosecutor general to make a new nomination. Thus he appointed the deputy chief prosecutor of the DNA Calin Nistor as interim chief prosecutor.


    The position remained vacant after Laura Codruta Kovesi was dismissed by a presidential decree issued on July 9, 2018 by president Iohannis who had to enforce a decision of the Constitutional Court.


    Also this week, the PM Viorica Dancila forwarded to president Iohannis the same nominations for the positions of deputy prime minister and minister of regional development and public administration and minister of transports, namely Lia Olguta Vasilescu and Mircea Draghici. According to the PM, the two nominations comply with the conditions stipulated by law and the two persons are compatible with the respective positions.


    On Thursday the Romanian president had sent the PM the motivation explaining the reasons why he had previously rejected the two persons nominated.



    Romanian economy reported very good results in 2018


    Last year Romania reported very good economic results, the PM Viorica Dancila announced in the first government meeting of 2019. She said that in the first 9 months of 2018, Romania reported a 4.2% economic growth rate, two times more than the rate reported by the EU, which was due mainly to industry. The PM also mentioned a drop in the unemployment rate in 2018 as well as an increase in the absorption rate of European funds, of more than 26%.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Lacramioara Simion)

  • Romania chairs first GAC meeting

    Romania chairs first GAC meeting

    Romania undertakes to be an honest mediator that preserves the unity and cohesion of the European Union during its presidency of the EU Council, said the minister for European affairs, George Ciamba, at the first meeting of the General Affairs council chaired by Romania.



    Ciamba presented the priorities of this six-month presidency, highlighting its 4 pillars: Europe of convergence, a safer Europe, Europe – a stronger regional actor, and Europe of shared values. Speaking about the European context in which Romanias term in office takes place, and which is marked by a number of complex processes, such as Brexit, the negotiations on the forthcoming multiannual financial framework, the elections for the European Parliament, and the reflection on the future of the Union, the Romanian official said the Union needs more unity and cohesion, today more than ever:



    George Ciamba: “Convergence is very important to Romania, as illustrated by our motto, ‘Cohesion, a shared European value. Cohesion is a process that not only strengthens the single market, but also generates benefits for citizens. We are talking about creating jobs, about generating economic growth for our country as well as for the rest of Europe. So it is very important for us that no discrimination exists between the citizens of Europe.



    Romania also seeks to achieve concrete results and to reach political agreements on as many topics as possible, so as to pave the way for the adoption of the new EU budget this autumn.



    The EU ministers also discussed the issue of disinformation as a threat to European democracy. The topic was proposed by Romania, and Minister Ciamba said coordinated efforts and actions are required of Member States in this respect, particularly ahead of the European parliamentary elections due in May.



    Back to the cohesion policy, one of the key elements of the Romanian presidency, Bucharest may be earmarked, as proposed by the European Commission, 8% more funds under the cohesion policy in the EU 2021-2027 budget than in the current framework. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu announced in a social media post that the Commission requested Parliament to approve the highest allocation so far under the cohesion policy, namely 373 billion euros, of which 31 billion for Romania.



    In turn, the Minister for European Funds Rovana Plumb says Romania has not lost any money earmarked by Brussels. She explained that the absorption rate is close to the EU average, and that at the end of the year Bucharest filed several disbursement applications to the Commission, which should bring another 355 million euros into the country.



    Rovana Plumb: “We should not forget that Romania started out from zero absorption, and since 2017 we have reached 26%. The European Commissions website confirms this. In absolute figures, we are talking about nearly 8 billion euros in investments that benefit millions of Romanians, local authorities and also the business environment.



    Rovana Plumb also added that during the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, the cohesion budget will be managed by the Ministry for European Funds.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 27, 2018 UPDATE

    December 27, 2018 UPDATE

    DEFENCE The Supreme Defence Council convenes in Bucharest on Friday to review the request made by the Defence Minister, Gabriel Leş, regarding the filling of high-level vacancies in the Romanian Army, the Presidency announced. The Defence Minister had previously announced he would not extend Gen. Nicolae Ciucăs term in office as Chief of Staff, due to conclude on December 31st. The latest Supreme Defence Council meeting was held on December 19th, when the Armys procurement plan for 2019 – 2028 was approved, along with the forces and equipment that Romania will deploy next year for missions and operations abroad. 1902 Romanian troops will take part in international operations, which is 127 more than this year, while the Interior Ministry will contribute 759 troops and police to EU, OSCE, NATO and UN missions. Romania will continue to take part in NATOs Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan and will maintain its contribution to Allied operations in the Western Balkans. Also, for the first time, a transport and evacuation helicopter unit will participate in the UN mission in Mali.



    JUDICIARY The Prosecutor General of Romania, Augustin Lazar, says his dismissal as requested by the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader disregards the law and the EU recommendations, and is of a strictly political nature. Lazar argues that Minister Toaders statements and measures are liable to undermine the public confidence in the ability of the judicial system to perform its constitutional role. The Justice Minister had announced he would send President Klaus Iohannis the documents to complete Lazars removal from office, initiated in October. The head of state described the measure as a mistake, and the prosecutor section of the Higher Council of Magistracy did not agree with the dismissal. Lazar, accused by the Justice Minister of professional and managerial underperformance, filed a lawsuit against the decision, which is to be tried by the Supreme Court. The Opposition in Bucharest says that the attempt to dismiss Lazar, after this summer the National Anti-Corruption Directorate chief Laura Codruta Kovesi was also sacked, is a form of political retaliation and a move designed to hinder the fight against corruption.



    BORDER Border police from Romania and the Republic of Moldova will set up joint teams to monitor the common state line. The joint patrols will help improve cooperation in view of combating cross-border crime, the authorities of the 2 states explain. A protocol in this respect was signed on November 22nd in Bucharest, during a joint meeting of the 2 national governments. The Republic of Moldova has a similar agreement signed with its other neighbour, Ukraine.



    HANDBALL Romanias mens handball team is playing against the Czech Republic on Friday, in the semi-finals of the “4 Nations Cup held in Poland. In the other semi-final, the host country is facing Japan. On Saturday the 2 winners will play against each other, and so will the other 2 semi-finalists. After New Years the national team, coached by Spains Manuel Montoya and the Romanian Eliodor Voica will be on a training session in Slovakia, followed by a tournament with Croatia and Netherlands also taking part. The Romanians failed to qualify to the World Championship due in Germany and Denmark next month. The Romanian womens team however has already booked its ticket to next years World Championship in Japan, after finishing 4th in the European Championship in France this month.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 14, 2018 UPDATE

    December 14, 2018 UPDATE

    EU SUMMIT – The EU long-term budget, the single market, migration and foreign relations, the Eurozone and Brexit were the key topics discussed in the winter European Council in Brussels, which ended on Friday. In the summit conclusions, the European Council says more needs to be done to ensure that the Single Market provides a solid underpinning for an outward-looking, confident and more autonomous European Union in a challenging global environment. With respect to migration, the EU leaders plead for vigilance on all existing and emerging routes, in particular in view of recent increases on the Western and Eastern Mediterranean routes. President Klaus Iohannis, who represented Romania in the summit, emphasised the importance of the cohesion policy and of the common agricultural policy in the new multi-annual budget framework. On the sidelines of the meeting, the President of Romania held talks with the British PM, Theresa May, to discuss the Brexit deal and the situation of the Romanian community in the UK. Klaus Iohannis mentioned that the withdrawal agreement would be a major element in guaranteeing the rights of those who live, work or study in that country. In turn, Theresa May appreciated the dialogue with President Klaus Iohannis, considering Britains prospective withdrawal from the EU during Romanias presidency of the EU Council, in the first half of 2019.




    SWINE FEVER – African swine fever cases are currently reported in over 300 villages in 18 counties in Romania. The over 1,000 outbreaks affect 18 pig farms, and 500 other cases involve wild pigs. According to the National Veterinary Authority, 12 outbreaks have been closed so far in Satu-Mare County in the north-west, where the virus was first reported in Romania, last July. Veterinary authorities remind citizens that in order to prevent the virus from spreading, all susceptible animals must be culled, and owners will be compensated for their losses in keeping with the relevant legislation. African swine fever is not transmitted to humans, but it has major economic consequences.




    ATTACK – A 4th victim of the shooting in Strasbourg, who had been in a critical state since Tuesday night, died on Friday, Paris prosecutors announced. The perpetrator of the Strasbourg Christmas market attack was shot dead by the police on Thursday night. More than 700 police took part in the extensive manhunt operation.




    SPORTS – Romania Friday night lost the semi-finals of the European Womens Handball Championship to defending Olympic champions Russia, 22-28. The teams star player and leader Cristina Neagu, who is the highest scoring player in the history of the European championships, did not play on Friday, because of an injury in the match against Hungary on Wednesday, which Romania lost. The match for the European bronze is scheduled for Sunday. The national womens handball team has nonetheless ensured their ticket to the World Championship in Japan next year.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • November 17, 2018 UPDATE

    November 17, 2018 UPDATE

    VISIT The president of the European Court of Auditors, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, will be on an official visit to Romania on November 19 and 20, in the context of Romania taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. Klaus-Heiner Lehne will have meetings, among others, with the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, PM Viorica Dăncilă, the speakers of the 2 chambers of Parliament, the Minister for Public Finances Eugen Teodorovici, and with the Minister Delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba. Several top-level EU officials will also be in Bucharest next week, including the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. They will discuss topics of interest for the future of the Union and for the proper management, during Romanias EU Council presidency, of several major dossiers, such as the multi-annual financial framework, the post-Brexit situation of the European bloc and the security policy. The Romanian PM reiterated that Bucharest is prepared to take over the EU presidency and said the action plan is ready, the operation mechanisms are in place and the means of implementing the action plan has been defined.




    FINANCIAL Fitch agencys announcement regarding Romanias country rating is a confirmation of the fact that Romania has a sustainable economic growth, and contributes to strengthening investors confidence in the national economy, said the Minister for Public Finances Eugen Teodorovici, after Fitch confirmed the “BBB minus rating for Romanias long-term foreign currency debt, with a stable outlook. The expansionist fiscal policy launched in 2016 has weakened Romanias public finances, Fitch experts say, adding that in the first 9 months of this year revenues stand at only 69% of the revised annual targets, and the budget deficit is one percentage point above the figure in January – September 2017. However, Fitch expects the Government to meet its 2.96% deficit target for this year, so as to avoid the excessive deficit procedure. The international financial rating agency estimates a 3.5% economic growth rate for Romania this year, 3.2% in 2019 and 3% in 2020, reflecting the slow-down in the EU, a tightening monetary policy and a reduction in tax incentives.




    GAUDEAMUS Book launches continued on Saturday, as part of the Gaudeamus Book and Education Fair organised by Radio Romania in Bucharest. Until the end of this 25th edition of the Fair on Sunday, visitors will be able to attend various events and benefit from substantial discounts offered by the over 300 participating publishers. The central theme of the current edition is the Romanian Union Centennial, illustrated by a stand hosting around 600 volumes devoted to this historic event and by scores of launches, debates, film screenings and public lectures. The stand also enables the public to meet and talk to some of the most important Romanian writers, literary critics and historians.




    WESTERN BALKANS Romanias deputy PM Ana Birchall reiterated Bucharests commitment to the EU enlargement process, in the 3rd Thessaloniki Summit, devoted to European prospects, connectivity, industrial development and cooperation in the Western Balkans. According to a news release, the Romanian official said Romania would ensure the continuity of this process and would pay special attention to the topic during its EU Council presidency in the first half of 2019. On the sidelines of the Summit, Ana Birchall had talks with top-level officials attending the event, such as the PM of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, the PM of Bulgaria Boiko Borisov, the PM of Serbia Ana Brnabic, the governor of the Central Macedonia Region Apostolos Tzitzicostas, and the mayor of Thessaloniki Yannis Boutaris.




    JUDICIARY The constitutional court of Costa Rica dismissed the requests filed by the former Romanian tourism minister Elena Udrea and the former chief prosecutor of the anti-mafia directorate Alina Bica, who have been imprisoned in that country in early October. Elena Udrea and Alina Bica, sentenced for corruption in Romania, were arrested following an Interpol request. Long seen as one of the most powerful aides of the ex-president Traian Basescu, Udrea received a 6-year final sentence for bribe-taking and abuse of office. In turn, Bica was sentenced to 4 years behind bars for aiding an offender.




    IMMIGRATION The Romanian community remains the largest foreign group in the Madrid region, with nearly 200,000 members, according to the latest immigration barometre. Commissioned by the Madrid regional government, the immigration barometre is released every 2 years and measures, among other things, the integration level of foreigners. This rate has grown by 12% since 10 years ago, according to Radio Romanias correspondent in Spain. Statistics also show that around 70% of the locals in the Community of Madrid see immigration as positive for the economy.




    BREXIT The British PM Theresa May Saturday rejected counter-proposals to her Brexit deal negotiated with the EU, saying they would not solve the problems, France Press reports. On Wednesday May announced a draft agreement on Brexit, but it triggered 4 resignations from her Cabinet, chiefly over the fate of Northern Ireland after UKs exit from the Union, scheduled to take place on March 29th, 2019.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • From State of the Union to Article 7

    From State of the Union to Article 7

    With over two thirds of the vote, the European Parliament on Wednesday decided to call on the European Commission to trigger sanctions against Hungary under Article 7, which include temporary loss of voting rights in the European Council.



    The vote is the effect of a report debated the previous day, accusing Hungary of corruption, breaching minority rights, perpetrating abuses against immigrants, eroding press, social and academic liberties. The author of the document, the Dutch MEP Judith Sargentini with the European Greens, claims Hungary failed to uphold European principles and is not a fully functional democracy. Over the last eight years Hungary has been on a downward trend, its citizens finding it increasingly difficult to express their opinion, the report shows. At the same time, Sargentini argues the election law was changed, preventing the opposition from campaigning for fair and unbiased elections.



    This is the first time the European legislative body has chosen to notify the Council over rule of law irregularities in a member state. In the case of Poland, the European Commission launched a similar procedure in December 2017. On the day of the vote, Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said, in his state of the union address, that the Commission opposes any systemic threat to the rule of law, which will automatically lead to activating Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union. The vote against Hungary shows that Conservatives and Christian-Democrats have grown tired of protecting Viktor Orban, whom many consider to be Central Europes troublemaker.



    During Tuesdays debate prior to the vote, Viktor Orban delivered a defying speech, stigmatizing the report which led to the sanctioning procedure. Prime Minister Orban labeled the report an insult to Hungary, grounded on double standards. Hungary cannot be condemned for wanting to be a country free of illegal immigrants, Orban went on to say. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry said the vote was a “petty revenge of pro-immigration politicians.



    Article 7 is considered to be the EUs “nuclear weapon, as it may lead to suspending a member states right to vote in the European Council, and it has never been activated since the EU was founded. Sanctioning Hungary is yet highly unlikely, as this would require the unanimity of Member States, with Poland already making it clear it would oppose any sanctions brought against Budapest.



    Wednesdays decision nevertheless stands as a warning for leaders and governments toying with what political scientists have termed “illiberal democracy, where election winners use their comfortable majorities in Parliament to legitimise discretionary actions going against the principles of the rule of law. The controversial modifications brought to the justice laws and the criminal codes as well as the unwarranted forceful intervention of the gendarmerie during the August 10 protest have made Bucharest a target of the most vocal advocates of the rule of law and the EU principles.


    (translated by: Vlad Palcu)