Radio România Internațional

Tag: EC President Jean-Claude Juncker

January 11, 2019 UPDATE

COUNCIL OF THE EU – Romanias holding for the first time the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union is a good opportunity for Bucharest to reassert its commitment to strengthening the European project, said in Bucharest on Friday Romanias president Klaus Iohannis, during a meeting with the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and members of the College of Commissioners. Also, Johannis said, the Romanian presidency will highlight Romanias desire to have a successful term, targeting concrete results, which would help advance the European agenda, taking into consideration, however, the complex background of the next six months. In turn, Jean-Claude Juncker voiced his conviction that Romania stands very good changes of having a successful presidency, but also stressed that domestic conflicts should not be exported to Europe. The Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU must provide hope, at a difficult time for the EU, so it will go through several stages, Jean-Claude Juncker also said. The EC president also met with the Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, who said that the ECs initiatives aimed at strengthening the EU and thus benefiting all citizens, are completely in line with the vision and objectives that Romania wants to promote during its term at the helm of the Council of the EU. The members of the EC attended the official take-over ceremony, held on Thursday night a the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest.

PROTEST – Romanian carriers protested on Friday in front of the European Commission Representation in Bucharest against the latest European regulations in the field. The protest was organized by the National Union of Road Carriers, according to which the medium and long-term effect of such measures would be a division in Europe between the West and the East. According to the protesters, operating costs will grow and taxes and fees will be paid on the territories of the countries that the carriers travel to. The protest coincided with the visit to Bucharest of the EC President Jean-Claude Juncker and members of the College of Commissioners, as protesters wanted to draw European and Romanian officials attention to the danger posed by the new set of regulations. A similar protest staged by carriers from Eastern Europe was held in Brussels on Thursday. As a result, the Transport Committee of the European Parliament has dropped a number of proposals described as discriminatory.

VISIT – Over May 31st – June 2nd, Pope Francis will pay an apostolic visit to Romania, a country with a predominantly Christian Orthodox population, the Vatican and the Romanian presidential administration announced on Friday. The pope will visit Bucharest, the cities of Iasi and Blaj and the Marian sanctuary in Sumuleu Ciuc. A press release issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference in Romania reads that the visit will be mainly pastoral, but it will also carry a significant ecumenical message, under the motto Lets Walk Together!. Catholic bishops in Romania hope that the Popes visit will inspire Romania into gathering together everything that is good and valuable, for the benefit of the country and the common good, and will encourage dialogue between the Christian churches, based on the principle of otherness.

EUROPE CARES – Europe CARES was launched on Friday, an initiative by means of which parents of children with disabilities from 7 member countries, including Romania, have decided to have their voices heard and their childrens right to inclusive education observed. Currently, the EU does not have any specific legislation on education for people with disabilities, which causes problems, such as exclusion and segregation. Also lacking are measures to help disabled students integrate into the mainstream education system. In Romania, in the past eight years, the European Centre for the Rights of Children with Disabilities has helped more than 1,000 children have access to education. Currently, in Europe there are more than 70 million persons with disabilities.

BAD WEATHER – Over the past few days, Europe has been hit by massive snow falls and severe frost. Bulgarian authorities have announced that two snowboarders died on Friday in an avalanche in the Pirin Mountains, in the south-west of the country. Albania, too, has reported a fatality, caused by snow. 20 people have died in the past week because of bad weather. Emergency measures have been taken in Serbia, after heavy gusts of wind gathered huge piles of snow on several roads and blocked access to several towns and villages. Montenegrin meteorologists have stated that the first ten days of January were the coldest in decades. In Bosnia, snow storms cut off electricity and telecommunications. In Germany and Austria, heavy snowfalls caused avalanches, blocked roads and isolated villages, and several flights had to be postponed or even cancelled.

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

11 January 2019
The Romanian PM has talks with EU officials

While on her first formal visit to Brussels since taking office as PM of Romania, the former MEP Viorica Dancila talked with EU officials about Romanias forthcoming presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019, about financial prospects, as well as the countrys Schengen accession. Romania clearly belongs in the Schengen area, the president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker told a joint press conference with the Romanian PM, adding that at present there are no reasons for Romania not to be a member of this area. He also expressed his belief that the Government of Romania would make all efforts to ensure the functioning of the judicial system.

According to Jean Claude Juncker, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for Romania and Bulgaria should be over by the end of the current Commissions term in office. In turn, PM Viorica Dancila said the Mechanism should be ended even sooner, namely before Romania takes over the EU Council presidency:

“We hope that Romanias Schengen accession will take place during Mr. Junckers presidency. Romania meets all the criteria set by the Commission in this respect, and it also meets all the criteria for the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism to be closed, because it is not normal for Romania to take over the Council presidency while under a penalty.”

Strengthening high-level cooperation with the EU institutions was the main goal of this visit, said PM Viorica Dancila, who also had meetings with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. The latter called on the Romanian official to carry on the fight against corruption and efforts to strenghen the rule of law. Here is the Romanian PM once again:

“I believe good cooperation benefits both Europe, and Romania. I will address the European Parliament, and talk about the future of Europe, in which Romania must be actively involved, considering its capacity as future holder of the rotating presidency and given the challenges Europe is facing.”

The delays in EU funds absorption were also approached by the Prime Minister in her meeting with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu. The EU official once again warned Bucharest officials that they must step up and simplify the procedures involved in spending European money. (translated by Ana Maria Popescu)

22 February 2018
February 18, 2018 UPDATE

Visit– Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila travels to Brussels next week for her first foreign visit. She will have talks with European leaders, including the European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, the European Council President Donald Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila has recently stated that her immediate plans include boosting foreign policy actions and strengthening economic relations with the partner states.

Motion – On Monday, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies will debate the simple motion filed by the opposition National Liberal Party against the Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu. The Liberals criticize the drop in salaries for several categories of employees, following the application of the unitary salary law and shifting the obligation to pay social security contributions from employers to employees. In response, the Labour Minister has stated that the simple no-confidence motion is an opportunity to present an activity report. The vote was scheduled for Wednesday.

Canada– As of December 1st 2017, citizens of Romania no longer need a visa to travel to Canada. The decision has triggered a surge in asylum requests, which called for a meeting between the Canadian Federal Government and the Romanian diplomats posted in Ottawa, according to the Canadian site La Presse. According to the Immigration Ministry, since December 1st 2017, 232 Romanians have filed for asylum in Canada, as compared to 120 in 2016. According to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic and Program Policy for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Paul MacKinnon, it is not clear yet whether this is going to be a trend, or just a temporary circumstance, related to the decision to lift visas for Romanians. The parties have agreed to maintain the programme, but, if asylum claims exceed a certain limit over a period of 12 months, then compulsory visas might be reintroduced, the Canadian official has stated. The changes brought to the Canadian immigration policy were associated with the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU last year.

Eco farming – Romania and Poland have registered a decrease in terms of bio farming, although the two countries are among the 10 countries in the region with the largest organic farming areas. The conclusion was presented in a study drawn up by the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, on 23 countries in Eastern Europe. The report also highlights the fact that, in the region, the ecological sector has been developing at a lower pace than in other parts of the world, and it focuses more on exporting raw materials rather than on processing own-brand products.

Berlin Film Festival – Romanian productions are screened in almost every important section of the 68th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilies feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with Childs Pose, the Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer is this year part of the jury. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzers Ana, mon amour. Ioana Uricarius Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboius documentary Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children and young people. Also, the Romanian actress and director Alina Grigore, screen writer Ioan Antoci and film critic Flavia Dima have been selected for the Berlinale Talents, a section devoted to young cinematographers.

18 February 2018
February 18, 2018

Visit – Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila travels to Brussels next week for her first foreign visit. She will have talks with European leaders, including the European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, the European Council President Donald Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila has recently stated that her immediate plans include boosting foreign policy actions and economic relations with the partner states.

Visas – As of December 1st 2017, citizens of Romania no longer need a visa to travel to Canada. The decision has triggered a surge in asylum requests, which called for a meeting between the Federal Government and the Romanian diplomats posted in Ottawa, according to the Canadian site La Presse. According to the Immigration Ministry, since December 1st 2017, 232 Romanians have filed for asylum in Canada, as compared to 120 claims in 2016. According to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic and Program Policy for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Paul MacKinnon, it is not clear yet whether this is going to be a trend, or just a temporary circumstance, relating to the decision to lift visas for Romanians. The parties have agreed to maintain the programme, but, if asylum claims exceed a certain limit over a period of 12 months, then compulsory visas might be reintroduced, the Canadian official has stated. The changes brought to the Canadian immigration policy were associated with the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU last year.

Security Conference – The Munich Security Conference has come to an end. The forum brought together officials who talked about the role of the EU in terms of international security and its relations with the US and Russia. On Saturday, the last day of the event, the British Prime Minister Theresa May said that she did not want Brexit to be the end of the cooperation between Great Britain and the EU in fields such as defense and security, and suggested a security cooperation treaty to be concluded with the European partners, next year at the latest. In turn, the EC President Jean Claude Juncker gave assurances that Europeans were not at war with Great Britain and would not give up the security bridge connecting them for ages. The Defense Minister Mihai Fifor represented Romania at the conference. During the working lunch with his German counterpart Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, the Romanian official stressed the importance of bilateral and regional cooperation, especially with regard to military intelligence and defense industry.

Berlin Film Festival – Romanian productions are screened in almost every important section of the 68th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilies feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with Childs Pose, the Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer is this year part of the jury. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzers Ana, mon amour. Ioana Uricarius Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboius documentary Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children and young people. Also, the Romanian actress and director Alina Grigore, screen writer Ioan Antoci and film critic Flavia Dima have been selected for the Berlinale Talents, a section devoted to young cinematographers.

Rugby – Romanias rugby team (The Oaks) is today playing against the Spanish Los Leones in Madrid, in a decisive match in terms of qualification for the 2019 World Cups European Group. Romanias record in the past 60 years has been impressive, with 33 victories, as compared to Spains only 2. The Oaks rank 15th in the World Rugby Rankings, and Leones 19th.

18 February 2018
September 13, 2017 UPDATE

Romanias President Klaus Iohannis appreciated in a communiqué issued on Wednesday the call for unity with the aim of consolidating the European project made by the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker during his state of the Union address in the European Parliament. The Romanian head of state also hailed the proposal made by Juncker that a special EU summit be held in Sibiu, central Romania, on March 30th 2019, when Romania will be holding the sixth month presidency of the EU Council. The summit would focus on strategic matters concerning the future of the EU. Also, the Romanian president appreciated the Commissions support for Romanias Schengen accession. Jean-Claude Juncker said that Romania and Bulgaria should be accepted immediately into the free movement area. He also stood for the introduction of measures to help the EU members that wish to adopt the Euro. Juncker tackled other issues such as Brexit, terrorism, illegal migration, economic growth and jobs. He also said that the products sold in Eastern Europe should not be lower in quality than those marketed in the West.

On Wednesday, the Romanian Government approved the first adjustment of the 2017 budget, maintaining the budget deficit of 2.95% of the GDP. The Finance Minister Ionut Misa has stated that the adjustment is positive, given that in the first six months of the year, Romania registered an economic growth higher that estimated initially, which triggered a GDP growth of some 4.8 billion Euros. According to the Government, all public institutions will fully benefit from the allocated amounts. The ministries of agriculture, health, internal affairs and the ministry for the business environment will get more money. On the other hand, the ministries of regional development, transportation and communications will get less.

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies has rejected the simple motion of no-confidence filed by the opposition National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union against the proposals made by the Justice Minister. The signatories say the amendments proposed by Tudorel Toader to the justice laws are an attempt to cancel the progress made in this area. Minister Toader has responded that the amendments are necessary, given that the laws in question date from 2004 and the Superior Council of Magistracy has called for them to be updated. Some of the changes, criticized by both civil society and the media, refer to the fact that the president is no longer to appoint the heads of the National Anticorruption Directorate and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, the transfer of the Judicial Inspectorate to the Ministry of Justice and increasing the length of service required to promote magistrates. Earlier this year, a government attempt to ease criminal legislation on corruption triggered some of the largest street protests in post-communist Romania.

The 26th edition of the most important annual meeting of public broadcasters from around the world, organized by Radio Romania, ended on Wednesday. Gathered in the mountain resort of Sinaia, in central Romania, the participants discussed the future of public media, its role in defending cultural diversity and the pride of serving communities. On Tuesday, the 150 participants in the conference agreed that, regardless of financing methods and the development of technology, public media institutions must continue to focus on three fundamental directions: information, education and entertainment.

Romania ranks 42nd out of 130 countries around the world in terms of human capital development, reads a report published on Wednesday by the World Economic Forum. Although above the world average, Romania, with 66% of its human capital developed, lags behind countries in the region, such as Slovenia, Estonia and the Czech Republic, but it is ranked better than Portugal, Spain and Greece. According to the report, only 62% of the worlds human capital is developed. Top of the list is Norway, with more than 77%, followed by Finland, Switzerland, the US, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and Sweden.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that the procedure for the repatriation from Syria, through Lebanon, of a group of five Romanians and one Syrian member of their family had been completed. Since the start of the evacuation operations from Syria, in 2011, 735 Romanians and family members have been repatriated. The Romanian Embassy in Damascus provides protection and support also for citizens from Australia, Canadian, France, the Republic of Moldova and Portugal, currently on Syrian soil.

13 September 2017
May 7, 2017 UPDATE

EMPLOYEE RIGHTS The International Trade Union Confederation has called on the Romanian Government, on behalf of the Romanian trade unions affiliated to the Confederation, to amend the legislative framework and thus resume social dialogue. The Confederation has warned that, unless legislation is changed, it will report, by means of the appropriate UN surveillance mechanisms, that fundamental rights have been constantly violated in Romania. A communiqué issued by the National Trade Union Bloc in Romania reads that the changes brought to the relevant legislation in 2011 have significantly affected employees right to collective bargaining as well as their right to set up or be part of a trade union.

EU AFFAIRS On Tuesday, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis will address Parliament on the celebration of 140 years of independence from the Ottoman Empire, proclaimed in May 1877, and also on Europe Day. Against the same background of celebrating Europe Day, 10 years after Romania joined the EU, the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will pay a visit to Bucharest. On Thursday, he will meet with Romanian citizens, in a dialogue on the future of the Union and the way in which EU institutions could better meet European citizens needs. Also, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, the Romanian Corina Cretu, will pay a two day visit to Bucharest, as of Monday. She will launch the 2017 Structural Funds Caravan, a project that includes a string of regional conferences on the management of European money.

WORLD FORUM Romania has attended in Baku the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, on the theme “Advancing Intercultural Dialogue – New avenues for human security, peace and sustainable development”. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Culture Ministry, the event, organized by the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was held under the patronage of prestigious organisations, such as UNESCO, the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the UN World Tourism Organization (WTO), the Council of Europe, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the North-South Center of the Council of Europe. The State Secretary with the Romanian Culture Ministry Alexandru Oprean attended the meeting and stressed the importance of peace, security and sustainable development. He also held a meeting with his Azeri counterpart Samadov Nazim Adil Oglu, during which the two officials discussed the renewal of the cooperation agreement between the culture ministries of the two countries.

COOPERATION The governments of Romania and the US respectively will collaborate, through national contact points, to ensure an exchange of information between the bodies in charge of preventing, discovering and investigating serious crimes, including acts of terrorism. According to a bill passed by the Romanian Government, the agreement stipulates the provision, by both parties, of reference data from the national fingerprint and DNA identification systems. The document is the result of political and diplomatic actions carried out by Romania in order to be included in the Visa Waiver programme. In another development, this autumn Romania will host Trade Winds, the largest annual U.S. government-led trade mission, which will lead U.S. companies and organizations to Southeast European markets in 2017, to connect them to promising business opportunities. Some 100 American companies will be present in Romania, interested in the economic opportunities offered by this country and the region.

UNEMPLOYMENT In Romania, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.55% in March, as compared to the previous month, and the number of jobless people stood at approximately 400,000 according to data made public by the National Employment Agency. The biggest share of the unemployed is that of men aged 40 to 49, from the rural environment and with a low education level. The highest unemployment rates were recorded in the counties of Vaslui, Teleorman, Mehedinti and Buzau. The county of Ilfov, near Bucharest, is at the opposite pole.

INNOVA Romania has won the big prize of the INNOVA Barcelona 2017 International Invention, Research and New Technology Fair, thanks to the invention of two scientists with the National Research and Development Centre in Ramnicu Valcea, southern Romania. They developed a process that can control air pollution and solid-gas separation. At the INNOVA Fair, where Romania participated with 30 inventions, our country won 27 gold medals, three silver and 19 special awards. Another four inventions were presented in the environmental protection category, which won two gold and two silver medals. Some 200 innovative projects were presented at this years edition of the Spanish invention fair.

HANDBALL On Sunday evening, Romanias womens handball champion CSM Bucharest defeated Buducnost Podgorita of Montenegro 26-20, thus winning the bronze medal at the Champions League Final Four. On Saturday, in the semi-finals, the Romanian squad had been defeated by the Macedonian team HC Vardar Skopje 38-33. Some 1,500 Romanian supporters attended the matches played by Buducnost, whose team included the best handball player in the world, the Romanian Cristina Neagu. As of now, Cristina Neagu will play for CSM Bucharest.

7 May 2017
Debates on the Future of the European Union

Euroscepticism seems to be growing along with the promotion of the idea of a multi-speed Europe. East-Europeans are afraid that such prospects might trigger a split that would mark the future development of the EU in a negative way. The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the one who set fort the idea of a multi-speed Europe, has given assurances that this would not build another iron curtain between the West and the East. He made the statement at the summit held on Thursday and Friday in Brussels in the 27-member formula, without the UK, where the participants discussed the future of the EU.

The EU leaders would like to see a re-launch of the Union after Brexit, as provided in the so-called White Paper which is to be adopted at the summit due in Rome on the 25th of March. In Brussels, Romania was represented by President Klaus Iohannis, who stated that a multi-speed Europe for an indefinite period of time is not a good solution, as it might actually lead to the splitting of the Union. However, he has also stated that Romania should not be worried about a Europe running at various speeds, provided every member state can choose its own speed for a while.

Klaus Iohannis: “We should not be afraid of the projects that entail various operating speeds, as it is, for instance, the European prosecutor. So, 17 members have signed, including Romania, others have not signed yet. Some will come later, others may not come at all, but this does not mean we should not go forward, this is not a multi-speed Europe, its just a project that some are willing to join sooner, others later. This is acceptable, but stating that there are countries in Europe that move forward and others that lag behind, that we cannot accept.”

In turn, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has stated that the two-speed Europe formula will not be adopted officially, because such an idea would be opposed by many countries, including Romania.

Teodor Melescanu: “I am very glad that, regarding this issue, which is of utmost importance to Romania, as a member of the EU, our stands are very clear: we are against adopting principles or rules pertaining to the idea of a two-speed running or variable geometry. We are aware that, even today, there are structures in Europe that we are not part of, such as the Eurozone. The EU has several speeds anyway as there are countries that are part of the Eurozone, others that have not been included, countries that are part of Schengen, others that are not.”

(Translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

13 March 2017
EU Reform Scenarios

European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker spoke to the plenary session of the European Parliament about five possible scenarios for the future of the EU faced with losing Great Britain. The five scenarios were included in a so-called White Paper, which analyzes the way in which Europe can change in the next 10 years. The analysis runs from the impact of new technologies on society and jobs to doubts on the impact of globalization, rising populism and security challenges. The document will be handed to European leaders meeting this month in Italy on March 25, the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which created the European Union. This is the beginning of a debate meant to draw the path of a smaller European Union. European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu spoke about the importance of the moment and its possible implications for Romania.

Corina Cretu: “The Commission, through President Juncker, presented the members states with a number of credible options, in order to further consolidate the unity of the 27 member states. I believe this is the moment to talk about the future of the EU. Of these five scenarios, there are things that are worrying to us as a country, but at the same time the advantage is that, for the first time in our history as an EU member, Romanias opinion counts, it has the possibility of joining alliances, of opting for one of the five scenarios. This is just the beginning of an intense, honest debate on our future, and I believe this is the moment to make the effort of listening to citizens.”

One of the five scenarios presented by the head of the European Commission is that in which Europe focuses once again on the single market, in case the 27 member states are unable to reach common ground in a variety of areas. Another scenario is that in which member states do more for the community, expanding shared tasks and accelerating decision making within the union. Between the two extremes there are intermediate versions, one of them being that of a multi-speed Europe. Oana Popescu, head of Global Focus, told us what is needed to make such a decision.

Oana Popescu: “There are unfinished things, such as the reforms in the Eurozone and the consolidation of the single market and integration, beyond, lets say, political cohesion, which has had shortcomings of late. Brexit has accelerated these things and has brought to the surface some divisions and flagrant points of disagreement. It seems to me this is the moment to stop dodging issues, and say there are problems and that we need to find solutions now, not put things off, which is unfortunately something that the EU is very good at. It is a complex mechanism of negotiation between states. The result of that is, as President Juncker rightly pointed out, that Asia gallops forward, while the EU risks lagging far behind, because we are pondering decisions and solutions until they become moot, and we no longer need to make and find them, because we got overrun by events.”

In the opinion of the European Commissioner Cretu, Romania is better off with a more united Europe:

“First of all, there are several risk factors in these scenarios. There is the risk of alienating some portions of society. There are difficulties in reaching a consensus on priority areas. There is also the risk of a so-called re-nationalization in certain areas. Some of the EU citizens rights and freedoms, in this two-speed Europe, may no longer be guaranteed by community legislation, and will depend on the place people live in, which, in my opinion is inadmissible. Therefore, it is very clear that, for us, the sole solution is to march forward together, making allies and friends, and trying to show that the rights of EU citizens at present are guaranteed by the EU legislation, and will not be curtailed in the future.”

The idea of a multi-speed Europe, preferred by the Benelux countries, has strong support from France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Countries opposed to the concept, besides Romania, are those worried that they might become second tier countries, such as Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

10 March 2017
March 1, 2017 UPDATE

POST- BREXIT SCENARIOS On Wednesday, the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker presented 5 potential scenarios regarding the future of the EU after Brexit. He said that the EU summit due in Rome on March 25th, when the EU will celebrate its 60th anniversary, must be marked by the start of a new chapter for the European Union and called on the leaders of the member countries to show unity and leadership. The so-called white paper marks the beginning of a process through which the 27 EU members will decide together the future of the Union. The charter analyses the way in which Europe will change in the next ten years, from the impact of new technologies on society and jobs, to doubts concerning globalization, security threats and the rise of populism. The five scenarios include the possibility of a multi-speed Europe, with the member countries developing faster together, without forcing the community bloc to follow the same pace. The option has already raised concern in the east, including in Romania.

VISIT On Wednesday, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis received the Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, whose country is holding the rotating presidency of the EU. The Romanian head of state voiced his opposition to the idea of a multi-speed Europe, saying that such a reconfiguration formula might lead to the dismantling of the EU. Both the president and PM Grindeanu stressed the need for a common stand of the EU regarding the domestic market and the rights of the European citizens in Great Britain after Brexit. The talks focused on the priorities of the Maltese presidency, in particular the future of Europe, the management of migration, strengthening the single market, the neighborhood policy and the enlargement process. The two prime-ministers also talked about preparations for Romanias taking over the presidency of the EU in the first half of 2019.

INVESTIGATION The Supreme Council of the Magistracy has decided not to start a disciplinary investigation against the Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar and not to verify the conditions in which the National Anti-Corruption Directorate decided to investigate the drafting of the controversial emergency decree no.13. The emergency government decree amending the criminal law was later repealed by the government and rescinded by Parliament. According to Lazar, the decision by the Superior Council of the Magistracy is tantamount to a vote of confidence in the Prosecutor General and comes as a proof that the judiciary is independent. He said the investigation into the way in which the government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats issued the emergency decree will continue even after the Constitutional Court has ruled on the matter. On Monday, the Court noticed the existence of a legal conflict between the state powers generated by the fact that the National Anti-Corruption Directorate reportedly assumed prerogatives to verify the opportunity and legality of issuing the ordinance, prerogatives which belong only to Parliament and the Constitutional Court. The Court has said however that investigation into potential direct criminal acts is permitted. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate, which sent the file to the General Prosecutors Office, suspects the law might have been broken in this case, by means of aiding the offender, destroying documentary evidence and the ill-intended presentation of imprecise data.

BUDGET DEFICIT The difference between the estimates made by the European Commission and those made by the Romanian Government on the countrys budget deficit in 2017 is the result of applying different estimation methodologies, reads a communiqué issued by the Romanian Finance ministry. The line ministry has given assurances that the Romanian authorities have assumed responsibility for a governing program which will observe the 3% budget deficit target. The communiqué was issued shortly after the European Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Pierre Moscovici had sent a letter to the Romanian Finance Ministry, following the European Commissions issuing country reports on the economic and social situation of the member states. According to the winter economic forecast made public in mid February, the public deficit in Romania might reach 3.6% of the GDP in 2017, as compared to 3.2%, the figure estimated in autumn, to then go up to 3.9% of the GDP in 2018.

FISCAL MEASURES The Romanian Labour Ministry announced on Wednesday that the minimum guaranteed social pension was increased, as of March 1, from some 90 Euros to 115 Euros. The measure, which benefits some one million pensioners, will have a budgetary impact of over 225 million Euros, according to data released by the Fiscal Council. However, a number of fiscal measures which should have taken effect on March 1st were postponed. These include zero VAT for advertising and for selling dwellings with a market value below 100,000 Euros. Also, a VAT cut for raw materials and services provided in agriculture is no longer enforced and healthcare employees will not receive a series of payment bonuses.

FUEL PRICE The Competition Council in Romania has started a sectoral investigation on the fuel market, to see why prices in Romania exceed the EU average. The president of the Competition Council Bogdan Chiritoiu says the evolution of prices is surprising and clarifications should be made to see whether there are legislation-related problems, if there are errors made by the Romanian state, or problems caused by the conduct of companies, which might lead to sanctions. Romania is among the few countries in Europe which extract oil, boasts big refining capacities and exports fuels to the neighbouring countries. Despite all that, the prices of gas and diesel in Romania exceed the EU averages, although the extra excise duty on fuel was eliminated and the VAT was cut early this year.

EIB In 2916, the European Investment Bank provided Romania with more than 1 billion Euros in loans, and the European Investment Fund, also part of the EIB Group, ran operations worth 61 million Euros. According to a communiqué issued by the Bank, the loans were used to fund projects of utmost importance for the public infrastructure, under several EU operational programmes within the 2014-2020 framework, supported SMEs and thermal rehabilitation programs for apartment buildings in Bucharest. Also, the EIB granted loans to agriculture and provided consultancy to the Ministry of Health for the building of three regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj-Napoca and Craiova. The European Investment Bank ensures long-term loans and advice with a view to promoting the EU objectives. It supports both EU projects and other projects from outside the Union.

ISIS PROPAGANDA Two German citizens, both ISIS sympathizers, of whom one Syrian-born, have been declared personae non grata on Romanian soil for a period of 10 years, as they were running activities seen as a threat to national security, reads a communiqué issued on Wednesday by the Romanian Intelligence Service. The two came to the attention of the service in 2016, when they were carrying out religious propaganda with the aim of attracting adepts to Jihadist ideology. Also, the two looked into ways of getting to Syria and join Daesh.

SPRING CELEBRATION The Romanians on Wednesday celebrated the “Martisor”, the main symbol of spring. Small amulets, tied to a white and red thread are offered to the beloved ones on this day. The word “martisor” is of Latin origin and is the popular name given to the month of March. According to the old Roman calendar, March 1 was the first day of the year, when the God Mars was celebrated. Martisor is a tradition kept in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the neighbouring regions inhabited by Romanians and Aromanians. Similar customs are also observed in Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia.

1 March 2017