Radio România Internațional

Tag: drought

  • July 28, 2016

    July 28, 2016

    IMPLEMENTATION The Romanian authorities have started taking the necessary steps to implement the decisions made at the recent NATO summit in Warsaw including the setting up of a brigade on the Romanian territory. Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc has today said that at least six allies, including Bulgaria and Poland, have shown signs of interest in the new brigade. Poland has announced it can send a company to join the brigade while Bulgaria can participate with 400 soldiers. In another development, Romania announced on Wednesday it would contribute to the anti-daesh coalition in Iraq and Syria with 50 soldiers who are to be assigned a counseling mission in early autumn. The announcement was made in the opening of a large-scale drill in Cincu, central Romania, where 27 hundred troops from 10 countries are training between July 27th and August 7th.



    DROUGHT Deputy Prime Minister Vasile Dancu has today held talks with the local authorities over fighting drought effects in several counties in southern, eastern and central Romania. Vegetable and corn crops, sunflower, soy and fodder crops are bearing the brunt of the scorching weather. Furthermore, the irrigation system is still not operational while weather forecasts for August show scarce rains and high temperatures for the Romanian regions. According to Agriculture minister Achim Irimescu, it’s preferable that farmers were given subsidies in advance than paid damages later. Irimescu went on to say that farmers would need 6.7 million euros to irrigate their crops.




    FOOTBALL Two Romanian football teams Pandurii Târgu-Jiu and Viitorul Constanta are today playing their first leg of Europa League’s third preliminary round. On home turf, Pandurii take on Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, while away from home Viitorul go up against Belgian side Gent. In the Champions League’s third preliminary round, Astra Giurgiu managed a 1-all draw in their fixture against FC Copenhagen of Denmark, and Steaua Bucharst ended their away fixture against Czech contenders Sparta Prague, also 1-all. The other Romanian squad CSMS Iasi was knocked out of the Champions League’s second preliminary round by Croatian side Hajduk Split.




    TENNIS The world’s fifth tennis player Simona Halep of Romania will today be playing Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the eighth finals of the tournament in Canada with 2.4 million dollars up for grab. If she qualified, Halep, the finalist of the last year’s edition of the tournament, would be playing the winner of the match pitting Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Another Romanian, Monica Niculescu has been eliminated in the second round by Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. In the doubles contest, Halep and Niculescu lost nil-two to Ukrainian pair Katerina Bodnarenko / Olga Savchuk.

  • The week in review 24-28 August 2015

    The week in review 24-28 August 2015

    The new Fiscal Code to be re-examined by Parliament next week


    On Thursday, the leaders of the Romanian political parties reached an agreement on the Fiscal Code, which President Klaus Iohannis had sent back to Parliament for re-examination. The Fiscal Code will be adopted in its initial form, with the only difference being that certain provisions will be enforced at a different date. On Monday, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and also the opposition parties, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, agreed that the Fiscal Code should not be adopted in a hurry and gave up the idea of an extraordinary Parliament session devoted to this matter. MPs will have their say on the Fiscal Code in an ordinary session next week. Previously supported by Government and unanimously green lighted by senators and deputies, the Code had been sent back to Parliament as President Iohannis deemed it unsustainable.



    Romanian authorities take the first measures to compensate farmers affected by drought


    The Romanian Agriculture Ministry will earmark 145 million euros from its 2016 budget for the upgrading of the irrigation system, but a political agreement is needed for a similar amount to be granted for seven years in a row, Romanian Agriculture Minister Daniel Constantin has said. Constantin presented before the Chamber of Deputies’ Committee for Agriculture a report on the damage caused by the severe drought this year. Farmers have reported losses amounting to 2 billion euros and have called on the Government to help them avoid bankruptcy. 70% of the corn crops, 60% of sunflower crops as well as large areas of rape and soy have been destroyed. According to a World Bank report, around 1 billion euros is needed to upgrade Romania’s main irrigation system.



    Romanian air traffic controllers threaten to call an all-out strike as of September 1st


    Employees with the Romanian Air Traffic Services Administration (ROMATSA) might call for an all-out strike for an indefinite period of time starting September 1st, after negotiations between trade unionists and Transport Ministry representatives on salary levels and working conditions ended in a deadlock. Trade unionists have repeatedly called for the sacking of the ROMATSA general manager, Ion Aurel Stanciu, who in the meantime has been appointed State Secretary with the Transport Ministry following PM Victor Ponta’s decision. According to ROMATSA, which currently has around 1,500 employees, Romania’s air space is crossed by around 2,500-3,000 aircraft a day.



    Migrants who have taken Europe by storm in the past few days might also reach Romania


    Although Europe is faced with an unprecedented migration crisis, the pressure on Romania has not increased yet, the Vice-Premier for Security Gabriel Oprea, said after Thursday’s meeting of the National Committee for Special Emergency Situations. Nevertheless, Oprea announced that Romania would tighten security on the border with Serbia. Romania already has six regional accommodation centres, with a total capacity of some 1,500 places, which are only 20% occupied at the moment.



    Education Trade Unions demand higher salaries


    Negotiations on raising salaries in the Romanian education system will be resumed after September 15, when there will be concrete elements regarding the enforcement of the Salary Law and the new Fiscal Code, Education Minister Sorin Campeanu has said. Proposals to increase salaries in the education system have been tackled at Government level, with education trade unions asking for a 15% increase. On the other hand, the Government green-lighted, through an emergency ordinance, a 25% increase in the salaries of the medical staff, starting October 1st.



    PM Victor Ponta travels to Chisinau


    We feel Romania’s support in these difficult times and the circumstances are favourable at present for a close collaboration between the governments and people on the two sides of the River Prut, the Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti said at a meeting with Romanian PM Victor Ponta. The Romanian official travelled to Chisinau on Thursday to celebrate the Republic of Moldova’s Independence Day. Timofti and Ponta discussed Moldova’s European path, the regional situation and the developments in the Transdniester region. Ponta also met with his Moldovan counterpart, Valeriu Strelet, who thanked Romania for supporting his country. The two officials signed a protocol that extended, until 2020, the implementation of the financial assistance agreement, worth 100 million euros, made available by Bucharest.



    Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is again 2nd placed in the WTA rankings


    Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is again 2nd ranked in the WTA classification, following her qualification to the final of the Cincinnati tournament, which she lost on Sunday to the American Serena Williams. Serena continues to be world’s no. 1 while the Russian Maria Sarapova ranks 3rd. Another 4 Romanian tennis players are in the top 100. Irina Begu ranks 28th, followed by Monica Niculescu who is the 37th, Alexandra Dulgheru, 51st and Andreea Mitu 74th.

  • Compensations and Irrigations

    Compensations and Irrigations

    Local authorities in counties affected by the drought are assessing the extent of the damage. Special committees have been set up, charged with drawing up an inventory of fields where crops have been compromised. A list of loss-reporting farming companies and individual farmers will be subsequently submitted to the Government. According to initial estimates, the most affected regions are in the north-east, while corn crops are currently the most affected.



    Laurentiu Baciu, the head of the League of Farmers’ Associations told Radio Romania that that situation might trigger a hike in produce prices over the next period. On the other hand, the Government hopes to get the European Commission offset part of the losses reported by the Romanian agricultural sector. Agriculture Minister Daniel Constantin promised all farmers affected by the drought would be compensated after an accurate assessment of the damage has been completed. Daniel Constantin:



    “We are negotiating with the European Commission to compensate farmers starting this very year, within a reasonable amount that should help them continue their farming activities”.



    The severe drought is not the only underlying cause of the disaster in Romanian agriculture. Another contributing factor is the irrigation system, dating back to the communist period, which covers only 10% of Romania’s farmland, tantamount to 300 thousand hectares, as compared to the 3.3 million hectares prior to 1989. The rehabilitation costs for the national irrigation system are estimated at nearly 1 billion euros. Here is Minister Daniel Constantin again.



    “We will make sure to use European funds to encourage more farmers to get irrigation facilities without which they cannot use the water, although their fields have access to water”.



    Minister Constantin suggested that including Romania in the so-called “Juncker Plan” might help our country rehabilitate its irrigation system using European Funds. The Juncker Plan is a public investment programme earmarking over 300 billion euros worth of structural funds to Member States. Moreover, the Romanian official did not rule out a political agreement among parliamentary parties, which can result in a law for the rehabilitation of the irrigation system over the next five years.


  • August 25, 2015 UPDATE

    August 25, 2015 UPDATE

    The Agriculture Ministry has earmarked 145 million euros for 2016 for the start of rehabilitation works on the main irrigation infrastructure, but a political agreement is needed so that the same amount may be allotted for seven running years, the Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on Tuesday. Daniel Constantin presented the Agriculture Committee in the Chamber of Deputies with a report on the damages caused by the drought this year. The farmers, who say losses amount to 2 billion euros, asked for the support of the Government. According to surveys conducted by the World Bank, the revamping of the main irrigation infrastructure in Romania requires around one billion euros.



    The worlds stock markets on Tuesday surged back in spite of continuing fears of a Chinese economic slowdown, after Chinas central bank announced a cut in interest rates. The market in Shanghai on Monday shrank by 8.5%, the biggest drop in the past 8 years, despite of the authorities attempts to re-launch exports and economic operations and thus dispel investors concerns. Meanwhile on Monday the euro hit its record high value this year, exceeding the 1.17 threshold against the US dollar. The price for oil also dropped below the 40-dollar mark for the first time in the last six and a half years.

  • The Economic Effects of Drought

    The Economic Effects of Drought

    The prolonged drought of July and August has created big problems for Romanian farmers, who say their crops are compromised on hundreds of thousands of hectares, in most regions of the country, the total volume of losses exceeding 2 billion Euros. Meteorologists say it should rain uninterruptedly for two weeks, for the underground water reserves to reach normal levels again.



    According to official data, this is the longest period of extreme heat and drought registered in Romania in recent years. With the exception of few counties in the centre and the north of the territory, all others have been affected. The situation is worsened by the lack of an irrigation system, which could have made the difference. At present, only 300,000 hectares of land can be irrigated, as compared to 3.3 million in 1989.



    In this context, the Romanian government is ready to pay compensations to the farmers whose crops have been severely affected by drought. Prime Minister Victor Ponta has said the situation does not look very dramatic in the case of wheat crops. In exchange, maize crops are the most affected. The prime minister has underlined that the effects of this summers drought will be felt until the end of the year, and these should be compensated by measures to stabilise other branches of the economy, as well, in order to sustain the upward course of the economy.



    As of this summer, Romanian farmers might also receive damages from the EU solidarity fund, to offset their losses. To that end, the Romanian government should however provide the European Commission with exact data on the consequences of this prolonged period of extreme heat, without precipitations, the EU Commissioner for Regional Development, Corina Cretu has said.



    Drought affects not only agriculture, but also transport on the Danube, which has been restricted because of the alarmingly low level of the river. Sea transporters have to reduce speed, particularly in critical areas. Furthermore, deep draught vessels have to transfer a part of the cargo on smaller ships, to be able to cross the areas with low water depth. Many ships are blocked on the entire course of the Danube, an important transport route for oil and grains from the east to the west of Europe.



    Drought also impacts fisheries and tourism in the Danube Delta, where access is rendered difficult on canals and lakes. The inhabitants of this unique area in Europe, included by UNESCO on its list of World Heritage Sites, are facing substantial losses, and have called for the support of the authorities to reduce their fishing quotas.

  • August 10, 2015

    August 10, 2015

    Romanians abroad must benefit from fundamental rights related to the preservation of their national identity, reads a message sent by the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu to the participants in the Summer University in Izvoru Mureşului, which began on Monday. He emphasised that the measures promoted by Romania with respect to the national minorities on its territory, designed to help protect their ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity, ought to be adopted by the countries that host Romanian communities as well. For one week, Izvoru Muresului is hosting representatives of the Romanian communities in the diaspora, MPs from Romania and the Republic of Moldova, as well as professors from the main universities in the country. The Romanian Cultural Institute, through the Directorate for Romanians Abroad, supports the participation in the event of 80 leaders of Romanian associations, notable personalities of the Romanian communities living abroad. The theme of this years edition is “Romania and the Romanians on the EU and NATO borders.



    In Romania, weather experts forecast another week with extreme heat. Until Wednesday, three counties in the west of the country are under a code orange alert for extreme temperatures, which may reach as much as 38 degrees Celsius. Scarce rainfall is expected this week as well. In most of the country farming areas have been affected by the lack of precipitations, and navigation on River Danube is hindered, although not completely stuck in any of the Romanian sectors of the river.



    Romanias trade balance deficit reached 3.3 billion euros in the first 6 months of the year, up 441 million since the corresponding period of 2014, according to data released on Monday by the National Statistics Institute. Between January and June this year, Romanias exports grew by 5.9% and the imports by 6.9%, compared to the same period last year. According to the National Statistics Institute, in the first six months of the year vehicles and transport equipment, as well as other manufactured goods, accounted for the largest part of both imports and exports.



    The Interior Ministry in Sofia denied the allegations published by Bulgarian media on Sunday, according to which the authorities were searching two presumed terrorists, a Romanian citizen and an Iranian-born French woman, who allegedly have connections with the Islamic State group. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry states in a news release that the individuals in question are searched for forging identity documents, and not for terrorist ties. The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced in turn that the information on the two suspects was false. The Ministry says the Bulgarian authorities temporarily introduced additional security measures on all border check points, and warns the Romanian citizens transiting this country that waiting times in Bulgarian check points may be extended.



    In Athens negotiations carry on between the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and IMF and the Greek authorities over a third bailout programme worth up to 86 billion euros. One of the delicate points has to do with the recapitalisation of Greek banks and the management of bad debts. Greece needs 10 billion euro to inject in its banks, another 7 billion euros to pay off a bridge loan taken out in July and more than 3 billion euros to pay off a loan from the European Central Bank on August the 20th.



    Four Turkish police and a military officer were killed on Monday in 2 attacks in the south-east of the country and blamed on Kurdish rebels. They came just hours after 2 attacks perpetrated in Istanbul and targeting the US consular office and a police station, and in which 3 people were killed and several others wounded. Turkish police have arrested one of the two perpetrators of Monday mornings attack on the American consular office in Istanbul. Meanwhile, the USA deployed six F-16 fighter planes and 300 US troops to the strategic base in Incirlik, in southern Turkey, to strike Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria. A NATO member, Turkey last month launched a “synchronised war on terror, which includes air strikes against the jihadists in Syria and against the Kurdish militants in northern Iraq.

  • August 9, 2015 UPDATE

    August 9, 2015 UPDATE

    Three counties in western Romania are under a code orange alert for extreme heat until Wednesday, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius. A code yellow alert will be valid in another eight counties and will gradually extend to cover the entire country, while drought will continue to be reported next week as well, according to weather forecasts. Farming areas in most of the country are affected by the lack of rainfalls. Navigation on the Danube is hindered, although not completely stuck. In the Danube Delta, a UNESCO world heritage site, access by boat on several tens of canals is impossible because of the low water level.



    Representatives of the Romanian communities in the diaspora, MPs from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, as well as professors from the countrys main universities are attending, as of Monday, a new edition of the Summer University in Izvoru Mureşului. The Romanian Cultural Institute, through the Directorate for Romanians Abroad, supports the participation in this one-week event of 80 leaders of Romanian associations, major personalities of the diaspora. This years theme is “Romania and the Romanians on the EU and NATO borders. The topics include the rights of the Romanian minorities in the border regions and in the Balkans, as well as the stronger ties between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, PM Victor Ponta and cabinet members are among the guests of the event.



    Romanian police are considering several possible causes of Saturday nights incident on the A2 Motorway connecting Bucharest to Constanta, involving a coach carrying 53 Ukrainian citizens. Two people died and 48 were injured. One of the assumptions is that the Bulgarian driver fell asleep while driving. The passengers included a group of children returning from summer camp, two families and other people coming back from a holiday in Bulgaria. The State Secretary with the Romanian Interior Ministry Raed Arafat said the victims were taken to hospitals in Bucharest.



    Bulgarias security services have started the search of two foreign citizens, a man and a woman, who have allegedly joined the Islamic State group, the Bulgarian public television announced, quoting the site SofiaGlobe.com. According to the source, the man produced a Romanian identity document, while the woman is an Iranian-born French citizen. The Radio Romania correspondent in Sofia says the authorities strengthened security in public areas and raised the alert levels in major transit areas—airports, train and bus stations in the capital and other important cities in the country. In Bucharest, the Foreign Ministry subsequently announced that, for security reasons, the Bulgarian authorities temporarily introduced additional border checks.



    Japan commemorated on Sunday 70 years since the launch, during World War II, of the atomic bomb over the city of Nagasaki, in the west, which killed some 74,000 people. The blast came 3 days after the one in Hiroshima, in which 140,000 people died. The two strikes forced Japan to surrender and ended the war in the Pacific, three months after the conclusion of the one in Europe. The supporters of the decision say that this way an American land invasion was avoided, which would have left millions of people dead. In December 1967, Tokyo undertook to never produce, possess or allow nuclear weapons on Japanese territory.

  • August 9, 2015

    August 9, 2015

    Three counties in western Romania are under a code orange alert for extreme heat, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius. Another eight counties will be under a code yellow alert, while drought will continue to be reported next week as well, according to weather forecasts. Farming areas in most of the country are affected by the lack of rainfalls. Navigation on the Danube is hindered, although not completely stuck. In the Danube Delta, a UNESCO world heritage site, access by boat on several tens of canals is impossible because of the low water level.



    Representatives of the Romanian communities in the diaspora, MPs from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, as well as professors from the countrys main universities are attending, as of Monday, a new edition of the Summer University in Izvoru Mureşului. The Romanian Cultural Institute, through the Directorate for Romanians Abroad, supports the participation in this one-week event of 80 leaders of Romanian associations, major personalities of the diaspora. This years theme is “Romania and the Romanians on the EU and NATO borders. The topics include the right of the Romanian minorities in the border regions and in the Balkans, as well as the stronger ties between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, PM Victor Ponta and cabinet members are among the guests of the event.



    Russia will always try to control the neighbouring ex-Soviet countries, said the Ambassador of Georgia to Bucharest, Ilya Georgadze. In an interview to a Romanian television channel, he added that Russia did not want Georgia to be a democratic, prosperous, Western-leaning country, because the more fragile this republic was, the easier it was to control. The Georgian diplomat also said the Russian offensive in Ukraine is designed to help keep Kiev in Moscows orbit. Georgadze made these statements seven years after the Russian invasion of Georgia, in August 2008, under the pretext of protecting the pro-Russian secessionist rebels in Abkhazia and South Osetia.



    Traffic on A2 Motorway connecting Bucharest to the Black Sea port of Constanta was stopped this morning after a coach crash last night, which killed at least 2 Ukrainian tourists and left tens of others injured. According to the Romanian traffic police, the driver must have fallen asleep while driving. The tourists were returning from a seaside holiday, most likely in neighbouring Bulgaria. Many of the passengers were children, and one of them is in a critical condition. The State Secretary with the Romanian Interior Ministry Raed Arafat announced that the victims were taken to six hospitals in Bucharest.



    Japan commemorates today 70 years since the launch, during World War II, of the atomic bomb over the city of Nagasaki, in the west, which killed some 74,000 people. The blast came 3 days after the one in Hiroshima, in which 140,000 people died. The two strikes forced Japan to surrender and ended the war in the Pacific, three months after the conclusion of the one in Europe. The supporters of the decision say that this way an American land invasion was avoided, which would have left millions of people dead. In December 1967, Tokyo undertook to never produce, possess or allow nuclear weapons on Japanese territory.

  • The Effects of Drought in Romania

    The Effects of Drought in Romania

    The lack of
    precipitations in the past few weeks caused the Danube’s water level to drop to
    near-record lows, with the river’s discharge down to half its usual average at
    this time of the year. In Galati, in southeastern Romania, a group of sand
    islands has surfaced right in the middle of the river. In spite of these
    problems, the navigable channel has not been blocked on either sector of the
    river, the Romanian Naval Authority has announced.

    Nevertheless, on certain
    sectors traffic unfolds with difficulty. In the southern areas of Zimnicea and
    Bechet tens of ships have been stationed and they are only allowed to pass one
    at a time. The Danube’s Giurgiu and
    Drobeta Turnu Severin areas, in the south-west, are also faced with similar
    problems. Authorities have warned navigators to be cautious and use water level
    radars and thus avoid getting stranded.


    Farmers have also
    been affected by the lack of precipitations. The extreme temperatures and the
    severe drought have brought underground water down to a
    dramatically low level, which has in turn seriously damaged this year’s crops.
    The wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower yields will be much smaller than last
    year with the most difficult situation being reported in north-eastern Romania.

    Farmers have called on the Agriculture Ministry for support, asking for a state
    aid scheme that would benefit farmland owners, lessors, lessees, associations
    and administrators with sharecrop farmers’ associations, groups of producers and
    farmers’ co-operatives. The state aid must be made available immediately,
    farmers’ representatives say, for farmers to be able to resume the production
    cycle as soon as possible.

    In answer to the farmers’ demands, the Agriculture
    Minister Daniel Constantin has explained that Romania needs the European
    Commission’s approval to pay damages higher than 15,000 euros. The EC must be
    also notified in the case of smaller amounts, of up to 15,000 euros, although
    they are granted from the state budget. Experts have criticized the low pace of
    these procedures, as Romania keeps losing a significant part of its cereal
    crops.

    Things are not at all likely to improve in the coming period
    either, as meteorologists have
    announced that the heat wave, which has gripped Romania, is here to stay, with only several rain showers reported in
    isolated areas. Therefore, extreme heat and thermal discomfort is what Romania
    will be faced with in the upcoming
    period.

  • August 4, 2015

    August 4, 2015

    The National Bank of Romania has today announced it will keep the monetary policy interest rate at its current level, 1.75% per year. During todays monetary policy meeting, central bank officials also decided to keep the current levels of the minimum compulsory reserves for liabilities in the Romanian and foreign currencies of commercial banks, although economic analysts were expecting them to be cut. Meanwhile, the National Bank announced on Monday that currency reserves dropped by nearly one billion euros last month, as compared to June, and reached 29.1 billion euros. The fall was primarily triggered by the repayment of a euro bond issue by the Ministry for Finances, due on July the 29th. Romanias gold reserve stays at 103.7 tonnes, worth close to 3.3 billion euro.



    In Romania, the drought of the past few weeks has caused farmers to lose over 2 billion euros and will push the prices of Romanian products up, says the head of the Romanian League of Farmer Associations, Laurentiu Baciu. In turn, Secretary of State with the Agriculture Ministry Daniel Botănoiu, said the drought destroyed more than 860,000 hectares of crops and damaged at least one-quarter of this years agricultural yield. He also said farmers requested aid from the Ministry to make up for the losses, but that in order to initiate the aid mechanism losses must be over 30% for each particular crop. Farmers warn that the drought also affects animal farms and the vegetable and fruit production. High temperatures and scarce rainfalls will also be reported in August as well.



    The PM of the Republic of Moldova, Valeriu Streleţ, while on a meeting with the US Ambassador to Chisinau, pleaded for a strengthened strategic dialogue with the USA, Radio Chisinau reported on Tuesday. Streleţ mentioned in particular the investment projects implemented in Moldova with the support of the American partners. In turn, the American diplomat hailed the formation of a new cabinet and reiterated Washingtons support for Chisinaus continued efforts to implement reforms, tackle corruption, and reform the economy. Since 1992, the USA has granted nearly 1.2 billion US dollars to the Republic of Moldova in financial assistance schemes. Of this, 20 million dollars were allotted by the American government last year alone.



    The French Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, requested additional support from the British authorities to dismantle human trafficking networks, as thousands of immigrants are trying to reach Britain from France, via Calais. In an interview to the daily La Croix, Cazeneuve says this year the cooperation between the intelligence services and police forces of the two countries enabled the dismantling of 17 trafficking networks. Bernard Cazeneuve also emphasised that the migration crisis requires a global solution and cooperation with the migrants home countries.



    The Athens Stock Exchange has opened today 4.5% down, after having closed on Monday with a record fall of 16.2%, five weeks after its operations had been suspended. Meanwhile, representatives of the international lenders carry on negotiations with the Greek authorities on a third financial assistance programme worth up to 86 billion euro. Technical negotiations are expected to complete by August the 12th, and the final deal to be signed by August the 18th. In exchange for the bail-out money, Greece has agreed to implement reforms, including a substantial pension adjustment, a VAT increase and measures to deregulate prices and curb public spending.



    The US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Singapore today, as part of his South-East Asian tour due to conclude on August the 8th and designed to garner support for the Trans-Pacific free trade agreement, an economic priority for President Barack Obama. On Wednesday and Thursday Kerry will take part in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries affiliated to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, viewed as a privileged partner of Washington, particularly counterbalancing Chinas regional ambitions. On Monday, in Doha, Qatar, John Kerry discussed with his counterparts from the Sunni Gulf countries. The American official tried to address the concerns triggered by the signature, on July the 14th, of a historic deal between Iran and the world powers with respect to Irans nuclear programme. Qatars Foreign Minister said the Arab countries in the Gulf are confident that the agreement will enhance the security of the area.

  • Drought takes toll on Romanian agriculture

    Drought takes toll on Romanian agriculture

    Scarce rainfall accompanied by extremely hot weather have caused a
    severe crisis in Romania’s agriculture, causing damage to over a quarter of the
    total crops, farmers’ representatives have announced. Drought has caused most
    damage to the corn production, followed by the sunflower and soybean crops. The
    most affected area is Moldavia, in the east of Romania, although the heat wave
    has also wreaked havoc on Dobrogea in the southeast, Banat in the southwest and
    Crisana in the northwest.




    Laurentiu Baciu, the chair of the Agricultural Producers in Romania, says
    production will be 25 to 30% lower than in 2014, causing losses of two billion
    euros. He says that under the circumstances, farmers cannot prepare for next
    year and has criticised banks’ lack of interest in supporting the agricultural
    sector and the lack of dialogue with government officials, many of whom are on
    holiday.




    The authorities have so far pledged support for the smaller-sized crops,
    whereas for bigger crops the Ministry of Agriculture must come up with more
    comprehensive aid schemes for which they need the approval of the European
    Union. Baciu has also criticised the delay in the implementation of support
    schemes and the fact that farmers cannot insure their crops against drought or
    frost, while aid reaches them with delays.




    According to the latest forecasts, the weather remains hot in most of
    the regions and rainfalls will be insignificant. So water supplies will be
    scarce in almost all the Romanian territory. The subject of heated debates in
    recent years, the destruction of Romania’s irrigation network built in the
    communist era has again been brought into attention. Costs to restore the
    irrigation infrastructure across the country are estimated at almost one
    billion euros.




    Speaking on behalf of the government, agriculture minister Daniel
    Constantin says this type of infrastructure could be funded with European
    funds, by having it included in the so-called Juncker plan, a public investment
    project named after the head of the European Commission that will pump more
    than 300 billion euros into Member States’ economies. Constantin says he is
    also considering a political parliamentary agreement to pass new legislation on
    the rehabilitation of the country’s irrigation system in the next five years.





    The river Danube, once the main source of water
    for the irrigation network, has also been affected by the prolonged drought,
    the water level being close to its lowest ever. At Bazias, where the Danube
    enters Romania, the water level is almost half the average rate, while in
    Galati, Romania’s main port on the Danube, a group of sand islands have popped
    up right in the middle of the river. Experts say the Danube’s water level will
    continue to drop in the following days.

  • Extreme heat and drought have affected large areas across Romania.

    Extreme heat and drought have affected large areas across Romania.

    Beyond the
    severe discomfort created by this kind of weather, with temperatures reaching
    and even exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and with an extremely elevated temperature/humidity
    ratio, beyond the acceptable threshold of 80 units, the successive waves of
    heat and the lack of precipitations have already started to show medium and
    long term effects.






    In the county
    of Iasi alone, in the northeast, more than 33 thousand hectares of cultivated
    land have started to show signs of severe lack of underground water. The most
    affected are wheat, corn and sunflower crops. Unfortunately, extreme phenomena
    have also started to occur quite frequently, such as the hail last week, which
    damaged 5 thousand hectares of harvested land.






    In Olt county,
    in the region of Oltenia, hundreds of wells have gone dry, and there are
    villages where the only drinking water is the one brought in fire trucks.
    Weather experts say that, unless it’s going to rain in the following days,
    there will be serious problems, especially in the south, translated into huge
    financial losses.






    The extended
    drought is very likely to affect the future crops, as well. The flow of the
    River Danube has also dropped dramatically. In Galati, in the south-east, the
    water has already gone beyond alarming levels and, because of the extreme heat
    that will not go away soon, the water level will keep on dropping. The Galati
    Lower Danube Administration has taken steps to conclude river-dredging
    contracts, and for navigators a warning has been issued to stay within the
    fairways.






    On the
    river-crossing points in Tulcea, also in the south-east, cars have had to wait
    long hours to be able to cross the river by ferryboats, because the level of
    the water is too low, and the ferries could not be loaded at full capacity. In
    the port of Corabia too, in the south, navigation on the river has become
    dangerous.






    The level of the Danube there has dropped dramatically and sand islands have formed, which
    have narrowed the navigable channel. According to the local authorities, the
    transport of farming products stored in the silos built in the near vicinity of
    the port is now covered by vehicles. Local officials have called on the
    transport ministry to take urgent measures to dredge the river, to make the
    town port usable, but also to safeguard the tourist port project, developed
    with European money, which is due to become operational next year.



  • The Week in Review 8-14 June

    The Week in Review 8-14 June

    Prime Minister Victor Ponta retains parliamentary imunity


    Although accused of conflict of interests while in office, the Social Democrat Prime Minister Victor Ponta has managed to retain his parliamentary immunity. His colleagues in the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday rejected the request of the National Anticorruption Directorate for his prosecution, just like the judicial committee of the same chamber had done a day before. However, the National Anticorruption Directorate is already prosecuting the PM for another three crimes he allegedly committed as a lawyer. The PM is accused of forgery, accessory to recurrent tax evasion and money laundering, in a case also involving the former minister of transport, the Social Democrat senator Dan Sova. Therefore, Victor Ponta is the first prime minister of post-communist Romania under criminal investigation while still in office. Against this background, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis called for the PMs resignation. Victor Ponta replied on Facebook, saying he would not resign, because it was the Romanian Parliament that appointed him, so it is only Parliament that may dismiss him. Moreover, in a letter he has sent to foreign partners and media, the prime minister says the case built around him is a political one and aimed at bringing down the Government.



    The Ponta Government and the censure motion


    If the head of government does not resign, introducing a censure motion to dismiss the government can be the solution for Romania to get out of the current difficult situation, the co-president of the National Liberal Party, Alina Gorghiu has said. Consequently, the main opposition party has introduced a censure motion in Parliament. Quite predicibly, the motion did not pass. The themes of the motion were the organizational disaster at polls abroad, at the presidential election last November, which disallowed thousands to vote, as well as the failure to pass the law on postal voting, which could have prevented the said situations. The Ponta Government is still in power, but one of its ministers, Ioan Rus, has resigned following his offensive statements, in a TV interview, regarding the Romanians working abroad. The issue of high-level resignations has also been debated at the end of this week in Chisinau, when the Moldovan Prime Minister, Chiril Gaburici, suspected of having forged his school records, resigned.



    Romanias Defense Strategy


    “A strong Romania in Europe and the world is the subtitle of Romanias national defence strategy, which the countrys Supreme Defence Council will send to Parliament for approval. At the end of the councils meeting on Tuesday, president Klaus Iohannis said that the strategy entailed a new concept, that of ‘extended security. National security is not only about defence; it also has to do with public order, the economy, infrastructure, education, healthcare, the environment and culture, all of which have an impact on national security, the president said. The new strategy reaffirms the importance of Romanias strategic partnership with the US and its NATO and European Union membership as pillars of the countrys foreign and security policy. As proof of its involvement in the European project, Bucharest will propose, at the upcoming meeting of the European Council this month, the creation of a new common security strategy. On a domestic level, the strategy provides for the continuation, in 2015, of the armys restructuring and modernisation process and its provision with new equipment by 2027.



    Support for Romanian Physicians


    This week, the Romanian Senate has endorsed the draft law allowing medical staff in hospitals to increase their incomes by providing paid health-care services in the hospitals in which they work. The document is to be discussed by the Health Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and then voted upon in plenary session. The Health Ministry thus hopes to stop the Romanian physicians exodus abroad and to improve the quality of medical services provided in hospitals. In the past years, over 20 thousand physicians have left the country because of the small salaries they got in Romania.



    Positive Economic Forecasts for Romania


    The World Bank has revised upwards to 3% its economic growth forecast for Romania this year, as compared to the 2.8% world average. Moreover, Romania is likely to register a 3.2% growth rate in 2016, and 3.5% in 2017, which would be lower by 0.4%, though, than what the international financial institution had forecast in winter. Romanias economic performance, alongside that of the Czech Republic, has also been confirmed by the Statistical Office of the European Union – Eurostat- according to which in the first quarter of this year the two countries had the highest economic growth in the EU: 4.2%.



    Drought in Romania


    Agriculture, which is one of Romanian economys main driving engines, could be faced with severe drought this year. Since the contribution of the sector accounts for 5 to 7% of the GDP, this situation might hamper the economic growth forecast by specialists. Summer has not settled in yet, but the land has already cracked over extended areas, and many crops have dried. Water levels have also dropped significantly in many rivers and people are afraid that soon they will not have water for their animals. Currently, the most affected regions are in the north-east, east and south, where water in the soil has already reached alarmingly low levels. The irrigations system, built before 1989 can only cover 10% of Romanias arable land.