Radio România Internațional

Tag: customs

February 17, 2024

Navalny – On Friday evening, hundreds of people gathered in Europe and the USA, in front of the Russian embassies, to pay tribute to Alexei Navalny, the number one opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow announced, on the same day, the death of Navalny, at the age of 47, in a penitentiary colony in the Arctic, where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence. In Russia, a human rights organization said that more than 100 people were detained at rallies in memory of the Russian dissident. Most of those arrested are from St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown. At political level, dignitaries from all over the world, including Romania, expressed their sadness and concern over the death of Alexei Navalny. The international community has lost a brave fighter for freedom and rights, said the Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, who asked Russia for a transparent and comprehensive investigation. The Romanian Foreign Ministry condemned the repeated violations of international law by the Russian regime and reiterated the importance of observing fundamental human rights and freedoms without delay.

Munich – The G7 countries’ foreign ministers are discussing today, under the Italian presidency, the international crises: the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the situation in the Red Sea and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the continuation of the support given by the G7 countries to Kyiv. The meeting is organized as part of the Munich Security Conference (February 16-18). The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, is also attending the conference in southern Germany. Romania and Estonia share common values and similar concerns regarding regional security, said Minister Tîlvăr, who met, on the sidelines of the Conference, with his Estonian counterpart, Hanno Pevkur. He also had a meeting with James Mattis, former American Secretary of Defense, an opportunity for the two to reiterate the need to continue bilateral efforts in order to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security and deepen the Romania-US Strategic Partnership. In Munich, on Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister, Ms. Luminiţa Odobescu, pleaded, in turn, for maintaining the multidimensional international support granted to Ukraine.

Paris – The Ukrainian and French presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron signed, on Friday evening, a security agreement between their countries, which also provides for the supply of ammunition. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, France will support Ukraine not only to defend itself, but also in the fight against external interference, in the protection of civil infrastructures, in counterintelligence and espionage, in cyber security and in the fight against organized crime. In the press conference held after the signing of the agreement, President Macron stated that the future accession of Ukraine to the European Union and NATO will mean a useful contribution to the peace and security of the continent. For his part, President Zelensky expressed hope that the security agreements signed with France and, earlier on the same day, with Germany, after the one with Great Britain last month, will also give an impetus to the United States to continue providing aid to Ukraine.

Rugby – Romania’s national rugby team meets, today, in Bucharest, the team of Portugal, in Group B of the Rugby Europe Championship 2024. In its first games, Romania defeated Poland 20-8 (away from home) and Belgium 33-18 (at home). With two victories from as many matches played, the Romanians are on first place in the group, having the chance, depending on the results of the last round, to play the semi-final on home ground. After the group matches, the semi-finals are scheduled for the weekend of March 2-3, and the finals will take place on March 17, in Paris.

Customs – Special lanes dedicated to trucks registered in the European Union were opened at the Nădlac II and Borş II customs offices, in western Romania, after a similar lane had become functional in the Calafat customs office, in the south. Thus, Romanian trucks will have priority over those from Ukraine or Turkey, said the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, on Friday, at the Government meeting. He pointed out that the lane for trucks from the EU will also exist in the Giurgiu customs office (south). The Prime Minister mentioned that this is one of the measures by which the Government responds to the requests of transporters, who have recently protested throughout the country.(LS)

17 February 2024
Reminiscing about Christmases past

The taste of winter holidays, with carollers, traditional dishes and the warmth of old stoves, is recreated year after year at the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum in Bucharest. And because the first snow this winter has already fallen in the capital city, we checked in to see what the Museum has in store for us this year. Here is museum curator Eugen Ion, with details:

Eugen Ion: “This seasons Customs and Traditions Festival, which we organise every year, took place on the 9th and 10th of December, with caroller parades held on the museum alleys and of course a fair of traditional craftsmen, which is also a regular feature in all the events that our museum hosts.”

We asked Eugen Ion where the carollers came from this year:

Eugen Ion: “There were several regions, we had carollers coming from Focşani, Suceava, Bistriţa Năsăud, Sighetul Marmaţiei, Mureş, Teleorman, from many parts of the country. Each caroller group comes with their own accessories. For instance, we have the Bears of Preuteşti, Suceava, who come in bear costumes, we have the Watchmen of Dolheşti, also in Suceava County, who perform in unique costumes reminding of the guards of the old times, the Cununiţa Group from Bistriţa Năsăud, who come dressed in traditional outfits, and other caroller groups from other parts of the country. Basically we recreate the traditions preserved in those areas. A lot of guests visit the fair, and because this year it has snowed already, it was truly dream-like.”

Cununiţa Group from Ilva Mare, in Bistriţa-Năsăud County, presented a folk theatre play: “Belciugarii” or the Goat Dance. The plot is based on the most common occupation in the region, which is sheep breeding. On Christmas Eve, the group of carollers go from door to door and delight villagers with this ancient tradition. The characters are the shepherd, which takes care of the goats, and the bear that tries to attack the herds. There is also a flute and clarinet player. The group is made up of 20 people, performers and carollers.

Coming from Tulcea is the group of “Moşoaie” (midwives) who perform carols accompanied by the bells worn by carollers on their footwear. They also wear masks made of painted pumpkins, designed to chase away evil spirits. And since a lot of Turkish and Tatar ethnics live in the region as well, on the Moşoaie Festival the tradition has it for the Turks to welcome the Moşoaie in their homes and for the Romanian locals to make “baklava”, a typically Turkish dessert.

In the villages of Bukovina, masked carollers go around in groups comprising a number of different characters: the bear, goat, deer, horses, the devils, the doctors, and so on. The bear dance is a New Years tradition specific to the eastern part of the country, Moldavia. The bear is played by a young man who wears animal fur adorned with red tassels on his head and shoulders. He is accompanied by the bear leader, followed by musicians and by an entire group of other characters, including a child who plays the bear cub. In the beat of drums and the sound of flute, the bear grunts and stomps the ground, mimicking the slow steps of a real bear. The custom is believed to purify the ground and make it fertile for the new year, and is believed to be rooted in an ancient Thracian cult.

This year, the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum is also hosting a Carolling Workshop. Eugen Ion gave us more details:

Eugen Ion: “The carolling workshop is organised by Naomi Guttman, a graduate of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Bucharest. Children are taught how to play carols on traditional musical instruments, and there are two age groups, one for 7-11 year-olds and the other one for teenagers aged 12 to 15.”

We also asked museum curator Eugen Ion why it is important to educate children about traditional Romanian carols:

Eugen Ion: “They are a core part of Romanian culture. These are very old traditions, even older than the rise of Christianity in our part of the world. Basically, it is the very essence of the Romanian nation, and it is vital for us to preserve this essence. We are also conducting a campaign these days to collect presents for children in special care centres. The campaign is called “Paving the way for good deeds,” and will end on the 20th December. People interested in donating new clothes and toys may come to our special area designated for donations.”

On New Years, in traditional households and in urban communities alike, the tradition of going door to door performing old songs and dances like Sorcova, Pluguşorul, the Goat or the Bear Dance is still preserved. “Pluguşorul” and the “Sorcova”, performed on New Years Day, are believed to bring prosperity and wealth for the hosts, while those who would not welcome the carollers during the winter holidays are said to be in for a bad year, with difficulties and poverty. (AMP)

12 December 2023
Customs duty waiver for Ukraine

In order to support Ukraines economy, severely hit by the Russian invasion, the EU trade ministers Thursday approved the Commissions proposal to extend by another year the trade facilities granted for Ukraines exports. All import duties are therefore lifted until June next year.

By renewing the measure, the EU continues to prove its unwavering political and economic support for Ukraine, Brussels explained, and added that this form of support, concurrently with the military, financial and humanitarian aid, is vital for the countrys long-term recovery. The EC said the further lifting of safeguard measures will help mitigate the difficult situation facing the Ukrainian producers and exporters following the Russian invasion.

The measures apply to fruits and vegetables subjected to the entry price system, as well as agricultural products and processed products subject to tariff quotas. And because certain effects of this decision have a dramatic impact on several economic sectors in Member States, the package also includes measures to protect these sectors.

The EU leaders call for solidarity from the European society, and argue that while EU countries are paying to help war-hit Kyiv in money, Ukrainians are paying for this conflict caused by Moscow both financially, and in human lives.

The suspension of import duties triggered complaints from farmer associations in 5 EU member states, including Romania, on grounds of the unfair competition with the exports of grains from these countries, which are subject to duties and restrictions. The discontent culminated with the decision made by Poland and Hungary last month to ban certain grain imports from Ukraine.

Moreover, early this week, several hundred farmers from EU countries neighbouring Ukraine, Romania included, protested in Brussels, demanding measures to avoid the bankruptcy of thousands of European farmers. Romanian farmers, for instance, argued that traders and producers in the agrifood sector prefer the grains imported from Ukraine to the ones produced locally, due to the lower prices. In this context, the European Commission approved an additional EUR 100 mln in aid for the farmers in the 5 most affected countries-Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia.Romania is set to receive nearly EUR 30 mln of the total amount. (AMP)

26 May 2023
April 10, 2023 UPDATE

DEFENCE The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis has convened a
meeting of the country’s Higher Defence Council on Tuesday. The security
situation at the Black Sea, triggered by Russia’s aggression on Ukraine and the
foreign interference in Moldova’s democratic process are on the agenda. The
development of the Romanian military aviation will also be discussed.

CEREMONY We will always rely on the Romanian Army, on our
servicemen who, together with our allies, will ensure the defence of Romania
and of NATO’s eastern flank, PM Nicolae Ciucă said in the eastern Romanian
town of Focsani on Monday. He attended a ceremony celebrating 140 years since
the Union of Principalities 282 Brigade was set up. The PM reiterated that
near Romania’s borders, a long-term war of attrition is taking place, which is
a challenge for the free world, for democracy, for a rule-based world. The 282
Brigade carries forward the military traditions of the 6th Infantry
Division established on April 1, 1883, and stationed in Focşani. Throughout its
existence, the 6th Infantry Division took part in the Balkan War and
the 2 world wars, while in recent times structures within the brigade
participated in many operations in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan.

DIASPORA Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca Monday took part in the opening ceremony
of the conference Smart Diaspora 2023 – Diaspora in higher education, science,
innovation and entrepreneurship, held in Timisoara, western Romania. Around
400 participants from the Diaspora, 550 from Romania and 300 from the member
universities of Timisoara University Alliance are expected to attend the 38
workshops held for 4 days on topics such as education, psychology, global
economy, governance, smart cities, intercultural communication and many others.
The guests from the Diaspora come from more than 30 countries, most of them in
the EU, but also from the US, Britain, Moldova, Japan, Singapore and Australia. President Klaus Iohannis has
sent a message saying education is the key to Romania’s sustainable
development.

EDUCATION The new education bills have reached the Chamber of
Deputies for review. In the case of undergraduate education, new mandatory Language
and communication and Math and sciences exams have been introduced for 2nd, 4th
and 6th grade students, while the bill on higher education provides for an
extension of doctoral studies from 3 to 4 years. The leaders of the ruling
coalition have promised to pass the new legislation by the end of Parliament’s current
session.

HOLY WEEK Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers all over the world,
including Romania, a mostly Orthodox country, have entered the Holy Week, the
last week before Easter. Holy Week services are attended by large crowds.
Romanian pilgrims have already arrived at the holy places in Jerusalem,
Nazareth and Bethlehem, for the religious service on Easter Sunday, according
to RRI’s correspondent in Israel. This year, Catholic and Protestant Christians
celebrated Easter a week before the Orthodox and Greek Catholics. On Sunday,
during his traditional Easter address before the large crowds gathered in St.
Peter’s Square of the Vatican, Pope Francis condemned the numerous obstacles in
the way of world peace and called on the international community to put an end
to the conflict in Ukraine and to all other conflicts in the world.

CUSTOMS The customs authorities in Romania and the neighbouring
Republic of Moldova have approved a Common Action Plan designed to help
streamline cross-border travel during the Easter holidays, more precisely
between 7 April and 7 May 2023. According to the Romanian Customs Authority, in
order to handle the surge in traveller numbers, the two authorities will increase
the number of customs workers and identify and earmark separate lanes to
redirect and speed up passenger travel. (AMP)

10 April 2023
August 1, 2022

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

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

Customs — The Romanian citizens who return home or go abroad for the holidays have to wait a long time at the customs points for document control. In recent days, in Vama Nădlac 2 (west), long queues have formed both on the entry and exit lanes. During the weekend, in 24 hours, almost half a million people crossed Romanias borders in both directions. According to the Border Police, almost 262 thousand people entered the country, most of them, namely 152 thousand, crossing the border to Hungary. The Border Police announces that it has taken measures, so that the control of documents should be faster.

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

Cereals – A first ship carrying Ukrainian cereals on Monday left from the Ukrainian port of Odesa, according to the international agreement concluded with Russia on July 22, in Istanbul, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced. In Kyiv, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, estimated that, following the Russian invasion, this year, the cereals crops in Ukraine could be diminished by half. Before the launch of the Russian invasion on February 24, Ukraine held 46% of the worlds sunflower exports, 9% of the wheat exports, 17% of the barley exports and 12% of the corn exports, according to the US Department of Agriculture. We remind you that the Joint Coordination Center, in charge of controlling Ukrainian cereals exports through the Black Sea, was officially inaugurated on Wednesday in Istanbul, according to the agreement signed by Ukraine and Russia, with the mediation of Turkey and the United Nations.

Census – In Romania, the population census process has come to an end. Sunday was the last day, after the National Institute of Statistics (INS) had already extended the population counting period twice, to give additional time to those who could not do it for various reasons. According to the communication director of the INS, Cătălin Raiu, more than 90% of the Romanian population had been counted. The capital and the big cities had the lowest counting percentages. (LS)

1 August 2022
December 29, 2019 UPDATE

VISIT PM Ludovic Orban will be on a working visit to EU and NATO institutions in Brussels between January 7th and 9th, the Government announced on Sunday. The Romanian PM will have meetings with the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, and with the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The agenda also includes talks with the president of the European Council Charles Michel and with the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli.

PENSIONS The Romanian public pension system is in imminent danger, given that the number of employed contributors has dropped significantly, and people need to be encouraged to save money in privately-managed pension funds, which ensure more safety, transparency and traceability, the Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru said in an interview to AGERPRES news agency. She also warned that there is a trend across Europe to increase the retirement age, but she did not suggest that the Government plans to take any measures in this respect in the current term in office. The Labour Minister also expressed concern with the budgetary impact of the planned 40% pension raise as of September 2020, as decided by the previous, Social Democratic cabinet dismissed in October, but said that as long as she is the labour minister the law will be complied with.

CUSTOMS The customs offices on the Romanian – Moldovan border will be revamped and upgraded as part of a EU-funded project. Included in the project are the check points in Albiţa, Sculeni and Giurgiuleşti, which are seen as strategic points for the Unions security policy. The programme has a 36-month deadline for implementation, a total budget of 10 million euros, and is designed to enhance institutional and operational efficiency in customs offices by modernising the infrastructure and streamlining the transit of goods and persons. A number of 347 customs workers will also be trained to use special equipment to fight cross-border organised crime.

FINANCIAL Most analysts in CFA Romania Association expect the national currency to depreciate in the next 12 months, to 4.8663 leu for the euro, with an average inflation rate of 3.52%, according to data in the Macroeconomic Confidence Indicator for November. CFA Romania is an organisation of chartered financial analysts certified by the CFA Institute (USA). At present CFA Romania has over 240 members. The Macroeconomic Confidence Indicator was launched by CFA Romania in May 2011 and is designed to measure the financial analysts expectations regarding Romanias economy for the coming 12 months.

BORDER Nearly 900,000 people came into Romania during the Christmas period, and 655,000 left the country, the Romanian Border Police announced on Sunday. The highest numbers were reported on the Hungarian border, in the west of the country. On the other hand, Romanian border police have caught Middle Eastern citizens attempting to illegally cross the border into Hungary. They were coming from Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, had applied for asylum in Romania, and were trying to get to Hungary and further west illegally.

UKRAINE The Ukrainian governmental forces and the pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine Sunday completed a prisoner exchange, thanks to which all people taken captive in the 5-year conflict were able to return home, Reuters reports. The operation took place in the breakaway Donbass region. According to Kiev, a total of 76 Ukrainian prisoners were freed. Since 2014, over 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict in east Ukraine, with occasional clashes still reported in spite of the ceasefire. The prisoner exchange agreement was reached in a summit in Paris this month by the Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukraines president Volodimir Zelenskiy. The French-German brokered deal also includes a number of measures such as consolidation of the cease-fire, massive prisoner swaps by the end of December and new troop pull-outs from the 3 zones by the end of March 2020.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

29 December 2019
December 29, 2019

VISIT PM Ludovic Orban will be on a working visit to EU and NATO institutions in Brussels between January 7th and 9th, the Government announced today. The Romanian PM will have meetings with the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, and with the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The agenda also includes talks with the president of the European Council Charles Michel and with the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli.

PENSIONS The Romanian public pension system is in imminent danger, given that the number of employed contributors has dropped significantly, and people need to be encouraged to save money in privately-managed pension funds, which ensure more safety, transparency and traceability, the Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru said in an interview to AGERPRES news agency. She also warned that there is a trend across Europe to increase the retirement age, but she did not suggest that the Government plans to take any measures in this respect in the current term in office. The Labour Minister also expressed concern with the budgetary impact of the planned 40% pension raise as of September 2020, as decided by the previous, Social Democratic cabinet dismissed in October, but said that as long as she is the labour minister the law will be complied with.

CUSTOMS The customs offices on the Romanian – Moldovan border will be revamped and upgraded as part of a EU-funded project. Included in the project are the check points in Albiţa, Sculeni and Giurgiuleşti, which are seen as strategic points for the Unions security policy. The programme has a 36-month deadline for implementation, a total budget of 10 million euros, and is designed to enhance institutional and operational efficiency in customs offices by modernising the infrastructure and streamlining the transit of goods and persons. A number of 347 customs workers will also be trained to use special equipment to fight cross-border organised crime.

FINANCIAL Most analysts in CFA Romania Association expect the national currency to depreciate in the next 12 months, to 4.8663 leu for the euro, with an average inflation rate of 3.52%, according to data in the Macroeconomic Confidence Indicator for November. CFA Romania is an organisation of chartered financial analysts certified by the CFA Institute (USA). At present CFA Romania has over 240 members. The Macroeconomic Confidence Indicator was launched by CFA Romania in May 2011 and is designed to measure the financial analysts expectations regarding Romanias economy for the coming 12 months.

UKRAINE The Ukrainian governmental forces and the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have initiated a prisoner exchange, thanks to which all people taken captive in the conflict 5 years ago should be able to return home, Russian news agencies report. The prisoner exchange agreement was reached in Paris this month by the Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukraines president Volodimir Zelenskiy, in the first Ukraine peace summit since 2016. The French-German brokered deal includes a number of measures such as consolidation of the cease-fire, massive prisoner swaps by the end of December, new troop pull-outs from the 3 zones by the end of March 2020. The conflict between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists—backed by Moscow, according to the West and to Kiev—dates back to 2014 and has left behind over 13,000 dead and nearly 1.5 million displaced. The peace agreements signed in Minsk in 2015 allowed for a substantial decrease in violence. This September Moscow and Kiev also swapped an important number of prisoners.

HANDBALL Romanias mens handball team is playing today against North Macedonia in the Carpati Trophy final. In their first match with French top league Saint Raphaels coach Rareş Fortuneanu as a manager, Romania defeated Netherlands on Saturday, 27-25. In the first match of the competition, North Macedonia outplayed Algeria 25-24. Netherlands and Algeria will face each other for the 3rd place. The games are part of the preparations for the first stage of the 2021 Egypt World Championships qualifiers, in which 32 teams are taking part. Next month, in the preliminary tournament in Italy, Romania will play against the host country, Georgia and Kosovo.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

29 December 2019
April 22, 2019 UPDATE

UKRAINE EU officials sent their congratulations to the winner of the presidential elections in Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, noting that the vote emphasised commitment to democratic values in this country at war, situated on the borders of the Union. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, also congratulated Volodimir Zelenski. Iohannis voiced his confidence that through dialogue and joint efforts, the two presidents will be able to contribute to consolidating and diversifying the relations between the two countries, in support of Ukraines territorial integrity, security and modernisation. These developments will benefit all the citizens of Ukraine, including the Romanian minority, reads the message sent by President Iohannis. In turn, the Russian PM Dmitri Medvedev said that Moscow has an opportunity to improve relations with Ukraine with this new presidency, although he added he does not want to have “illusions in this respect. The television actor Volodimir Zelenski Sunday won the presidential election in Ukraine by a landslide, defeating the outgoing president Petro Poroshenko.

TERRORISM The government of Sri Lanka ordered a state of emergency beginning Monday at midnight, for public security reasons. The announcement comes in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks that killed nearly 300 and wounded another 500 people. According to a government spokesperson, the attacks were coordinated with the help of an international terrorist organisation. The victims include 37 foreign tourists. The police announced that 24 people have been arrested. Within a few hours on Sunday, several blasts were reported in 3 churches and 4 luxury hotels in this Indian Ocean island. Schools and universities will stay closed, and Stock Exchange operations suspended. The airport will also remain closed. The international community, Romania included, has condemned the attacks in Sri Lanka.

BORDER The relevant authorities in Romania and the Republic of Moldova have put together an action plan to streamline border crossing during the Easter holiday. The plan includes increased personnel in checkpoints, the use of all lanes and coordination with local Border Police units. The Romanian Border Police also called on the corresponding institutions in Bulgaria and Hungary to increase the staff in checkpoints, if necessary. The Romanians working abroad are coming home for Easter, and checkpoints are rather crowded these days. More than 4,000 border police will be on duty every day to ensure efficient checks on national borders during this period.

IMMUNISATION Over 82,000 measles cases were reported in Europe, physicians warned during the World Immunisation Week which started on Monday. Of the 72 deaths caused by this disease in Europe, 62 were in Romania. Experts have once again warned that immunisation saves millions of lives every year and is recognised as the most efficient healthcare intervention. Last week, over 100 cases of measles were confirmed in 12 counties in Romania and in Bucharest, according to the latest data made public by the National Centre for Transmittable Disease Monitoring and Control. The largest number of cases was among unvaccinated children.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

22 April 2019
Catholic Easter Customs and Traditions in Romania

This year, Catholic Christians across the world celebrate Easter on April 21st. The date of the biggest Christian celebration of the year rarely coincides for the Catholic and Orthodox denominations. Since the big Schism of 1054, the two have usually been one week apart. This gap is explained by the fact that, since 1582, the Orthodox Church has used the Julian calendar, while the Catholics have divided the year in keeping with the Gregorian calendar. They say that, in the same year, Pope Gregory VIII discovered a two-week gap between the real time and the one set in keeping with Julius Caesars calendar, dating back to the year 46 BC. So, Catholic Easter does not have a fixed date, and it is calculated depending on the ecclesiastic full moon, based on tables drawn up by the Church, in direct relation with the spring equinox. Sabina Ispas, head of the ‘Constantin Brailoiu Ethnography and Folklore Institute, explains:

Sabina Ispas: “There were talks, and decisions were made to reverse the situation, but eventually the Ecumenical councils decided to recalculate the Easter date. Its a mobile date, because it is calculated in keeping with the phases of the moon. This is actually the old system used for the ancient Passover, the historical period in which the events related to the Christian Easter seem to have actually occurred. That is why Palm Sunday doesnt have a fixed date either. Generally speaking, there are some limits. What we are interested in is the maximum date, which is early May.

In certain parts of Romania, Transylvania and Banat in particular, the Roman–Catholic Easter is celebrated by the ethnic Germans and Hungarians in keeping with centuries-old traditions. Besides traditional dishes, such as painted eggs, lamb dishes, Easter cake and red wine, the Roman Catholics here have preserved other specific customs, as Delia Suiogan, an ethnologist with the North University of Baia Mare explains:

Delia Suiogan: “We have the candle, the Light that we get on Saturday at midnight. We also have the lamb, symbolizing the supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This ritualistic gesture actually symbolizes the rebirth of man and his right to resurrection. The same is true for the egg, Christs tomb; through its symbolic capacity to symbolize food and the primary seed, the egg stands for peoples right to start over a new cycle and thus be part of the cosmic cycle.

For Easter, the Catholic Christians in Transylvania decorate fir-trees at the gates of unmarried girls, and sprinkle girls with water or perfume, just like in pre-Christian times. In Mures County, in central Romania, there are groups of boys who walk around and sprinkle the girls, and then, on the third day of Easter, its their turn to be given the same treatment. However, Easter becomes a solemn event during the religious service.

Delia Suiogan: “There is this custom, sprinkling, a ritual that the Orthodox believers in Transylvania have taken over too. As the different cultural specificities always influence the evolution of any civilization, a beautiful blend has taken shape. All the Catholic Christians in the traditional communities observe this custom, which has been introduced by ethnic Germans. On the first and second day of Easter, there is this sprinkling ritual that takes place. It originates in the pre-Christian period, when there was a ritual praising Ostera, the goddess of fertility and rebirth. So, on such celebration days, everybody had to be sprinkled with water, as a ritual of purification but also of fertility. In modern times, the Catholics sprinkle one another with perfume, making an extension from fertility towards spiritual rebirth, as perfume is viewed as annihilating the ugly, the rotten, and reinstating a state of order, by restoring cosmic harmony.

The Catholics were also the ones who, more recently, introduced chocolate figurines as Easter symbols. The chocolate bunnies and eggs given to children on Easter are also fertility allegories.

Delia Suiogan: “Another ritual, which is a Catholic tradition, is that of the Easter Bunny. These days, all shops are full of chocolate bunnies and eggs. This is another remnant of the ritual celebrating goddess Ostera. Legend has it that this goddess, while on a stroll in the fields, meets a bird with broken wings. Moved by this image, the goddess wants to help the bird stay alive. A divine voice tells her that, if she manages to turn it into an animal that needs not fly, then the bird will survive. So, the goddess turns her into a rabbit. What is interesting is that this rabbit keeps its ability to lay eggs. So, once a year, the bird-turned-rabbit offers painted eggs to the goddess, as a sign of rebirth into a different form, of the right to live again. They say that, ever since, eggs have been painted and are to be found in the grass, following the trails of the rabbit. So, here it is, the symbol of rebirth; the painting of the eggs is interpreted as a gift rewarding kindness.

The significance of the red eggs and of the other dishes on the Easter table, such as lamb dishes or Ester cakes, is related to the spirit of sacrifice. It also provides a guarantee for continuity to all those who believe in the miracle of resurrection.

(translated by: Mihaela Ignatescu)

20 April 2019
Health Legislation and Rural Customs in the 19th Century

Officially, the Romanian health system started functioning in 1874, when the first modern healthcare law came into effect. There had been previous attempts to regulate health, many of them upon the initiative of physician Carol Davila. One of the regulations instituted upon his proposal was the creation of the position of sub-county physician. It was introduced in 1862, marking the birth of the rural health system. Health regulations had been around, as part of broader laws, since the 1830s, as part of the Organic Regulations, the first attempt to introduce constitutional law. The 1874 law in fact took over, codified and improved existing legislation. Historian Constantin Barbulescu told us about it:

Constantin Barbulescu: “On the one hand, the healthcare law regulated the activity of the healthcare system, but, in addition to regulating and defining the activity of every member of the system, it also introduced public hygiene regulations. For instance, it had chapters on the hygiene of cities, and even villages, food and water hygiene, etc. The latter were the hardest to enforce. Physicians kept complaining that the legislation, which was truly modern, up to European standards, was not being applied.

The poor enforcement of the law was not the only complaint from physicians in the Romanian Principalities in the 19th century. Once they went to the countryside, physicians noticed the same things that the intellectual elites were complaining about, which amounted to a health and hygiene disaster. In their reports, they mentioned a number of recurring issues: bodily and clothing hygiene, home hygiene, the diet of peasants, and alcoholism. Constantin Barbulescu, however, told us that historians nowadays doubt the accuracy and objectivity of these reports:

Constantin Barbulescu: “We, as historians, can only rely on the testimony of the physicians of the time. They were saying that health legislation was not being enforced, in describing the health behavior of people in cities and villages. The general picture of the latter decades of the 19th century, even up to WWI, as physicians described it, was disastrous, a hygiene disaster. If you read the reports of doctors and the medical literature of the time, you get the impression that no regulation was observed, and nothing was changing. However, today’s historians, having a different perspective, believe that this picture is blown out of proportion. In fact, things were improving, at least a bit. For instance, after 1860 the number of doctors went up considerably. They are the ones who write the reports, and many of them were trained abroad. The image provided by reports filed by a doctor who had been a country physician for 20 years is better compared to that provided by a young doctor recently returned from studying abroad.

In addition, young physicians were faced not only with the attitude that rural people had towards hygiene, but also by the way the healthcare system had been designed in that era, as well as a lack of qualified staff:

Constantin Barbulescu: “Peasants were not seeking out doctors, as they do nowadays, but the doctors were seeking out the peasants. According to the 1874 law, the main obligation of a sub-county physician was to perform two general inspections of his area of responsibility per month. They had to go around the villages in their county, and to check on the physical health of the villagers, to see if anyone was sick, or if a disease was circulating. The system could not function very well. There were mountain counties with over 40 villages, and there was no way that a doctor could get to each and every one every month. Also, mayors did not always tell the doctor who was ill in their village. It was much easier to say that everyone was healthy. Because of this formal aspect of field inspections, starting around 1890, the authorities came to believe that the rural healthcare system was a piece of fiction.

Therefore, the gap between expectations and reality was huge. Today, however, historians can look back at the steps forward taken at the time, which were very slow, and took decades. Romania’s health situation in the 1890s had significantly improved compared to the 1860s, but the steps towards modernization became obvious only in the first half of the 20th century.

(translated by: Calin Cotoiu)

2 September 2017
Union Customs Code comes into effect

As of May 1st, all EU members will have the same customs rules, regardless of the state where the goods are declared, following the introduction of the Union Customs Code. This will allow goods to travel freely or be marketed across the Union once they met the customs requirements. The code sets the foundations for the electronic customs project, which is to be implemented by 2020 and which entails that all customs procedures will become electronic. The Union Customs Code is a modernised version of the Community Customs Code, which entered into force in 1992.

Economic operators involved in foreign trade are directly affected by the new legislation. Understanding the changes it brings and implementing them properly and on time is essential for Romania, which is an entry point for goods travelling to Central and Eastern Europe. The European Commission is working on a set of transitional measures to regulate existing customs licences and customs procedures initiated before May 1st, so as to allow economic operators to carry on their activities and to ensure compliance with the new provisions.

Under the new Union Customs Code, economic operators will be able to provide clarifications and additional information before a decision by the national customs authorities. “The new customs code will facilitate trade and protect the internal market. A direct and faster cooperation with trade partners will secure supply chains and simplify the relationship between business and customs authorities. The new code also establishes the premises of simpler and faster customs checks by 2020, said Eugen Dragos Doros, the president of the Romanias main tax agency.

19 April 2016
Romanian villages

Located in scenic landscapes, Romanian villages that we refer to have always been visitor-friendly. Nicolae Marghiol, who heads an association called “The Most Beautiful Villages in Romania”, tells us why these places are worth seeing:

“This is one sure way to discover traditional houses, customs and traditions and also grandmother’s most delicious dishes. It all started in France in the 1980s. It was there that the first such association, ‘The Most Beautiful Villages in France’ was set up. The model was later taken over by other European states, like Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Romania. The most beautiful Romanian villages in every part of the country are identified based on several criteria, such as traditions, customs, and gastronomy. These villages need to be promoted, to be presented to tourists. This is also a way of developing agro-tourism, farming and non-farming activities. We also try to prevent young people from leaving these villages, to make sure this heritage is not lost.”

The Romanian traditional village must be kept as it is and must be protected from modernism, says Nicolae Marghiol. There are foreign tourists who come here to visit precisely for this purpose. Prince Charles himself came for the same reason, for the wonderful sounds of nature, for biodiversity, for traditions and customs, something that Romania still has plenty of. But how does a tourist’s trip to Romanian villages unfold?

Nicolae Marghiol: “I first pick tourists up from the airport. Then I offer them a trip by traditional horse-drawn cart to Wallachia, Transylvania, Bucovina and Maramures, and help them discover the beauty of traditional villages. We spend time admiring traditional houses, local customs, we cook trout and the traditional Dobroged salad. Then we climb the mountain and pick up truffles and forest fruit. One thing I know about foreign tourists is that they want to get in touch directly with the locals, with peasants. They are interested in simple things. “

In some of these villages, museums are being set up to preserve traditional heritage.

“What we promote is niche tourism. Tourists contact us via embassies. Most of them leave with a very strong impression. As you already know, every tourist destination needs to also sell a story in order to be successful. In Romanian villages legend is still alive. We have nature, we don’t need to improvise. Fruits are organic and it’s a pleasure to taste them. Tourists come to Romania with a rather negative image of the country in mind, but as soon as they discover our unique traditions and customs and the beauty of the places, they are nothing but amazed. It’s true that in ten years’ time we could become Europe’s leading agro tourist destination. We have several villages such as Carlibaba, Dragus and Polovragi, from three different Romanian counties, that have been recognized by the European Commission as European Destinations of Excellence. They are villages with traditions, guesthouses, customs, which have preserved the traditional architecture, dances and folk costumes.”

Ciocanesti is one of the villages on top positions in most rankings. It has been declared a museum-village and, according to head of the National Museum of Painted Eggs, Marilena Nita, it is a place like no other.

“It is unique in Romania and very likely in Europe, because of its houses adorned with traditional motifs. These motifs can be seen not only on houses, but also on the traditional costumes and the painted eggs in Ciocanesti. Ciocanesti got the prize for the most beautiful village in Romania. Also, the landscape on the Suhard Mountain is absolutely beautiful. For tourists who visit the area in winter, we have a skating rink, a ski slope, we can set up campfires and we organize horse-drawn sleigh trips. There are 15 certified guesthouses in the village. We can accommodate around 300 people in the village and many more in the neighboring villages – Cârlibaba, Vatra Dornei, Câmpulung.”

Sibiel is another beautiful village located at the foot of the mountain, in an idyllic Transylvanian landscape. It is renowned for its glass icons, which have been put together in a museum of their own, hosted by the former parochial house of the Holy Trinity Church. The church itself is a museum. Museum curator Valerica Nitescu tells us more about it:

”The church was built in 1765 and it was fresco-painted ten years later. In time, the smoke from the candles, the dust and the passing of time blackened the painting. Villagers in Sibiel wanted a bright church and decided to cover the painting with five layers of whitewash. It was only in 1965 that two specialists removed the whitewash and brought the original painting back to light. After having cleaned the whitewash from the walls of the church, Father Oancea thought about putting Sibiel in the tourist circuit. On the Epiphany Day, when he blessed the houses of Orthodox believers in the village, he got to see beautiful icons, woven fabrics and furniture pieces and in 1969 he asked the villagers to donate some of these objects to set up a museum.”

29 October 2015