Radio România Internațional

Tag: EU funds

March 6, 2025 UPDATE 1

PRESIDENCY – On a visit to Brussels, Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan on Thursday discussed with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen regarding Romania’s priorities in implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and increasing the absorption of European funds. “We also expressed our support for the European Commission’s initiatives in the field of defense and competitiveness”, Ilie Bolojan wrote on social media. The Romanian president also met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and the two officials discussed opportunities to strengthen the Eastern Flank. Ilie Bolojan is attending an extraordinary European Council, where heads of state and government from the European Union are discussing support for Ukraine and the situation of European defense. Ahead of the summit, the European Commission president said that Europe is at a crossroads and stressed the importance of Europe defending itself through a massive increase in defense spending but also by helping Ukraine achieve a lasting and fair peace. Ursula von der Leyen proposed a European armament plan, with defense investments of up to €800 billion. In turn, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, assured European leaders that the European Parliament can move quickly and effectively to respond to present-day unprecedented security challenges. “Peace must guarantee freedom for Ukraine, security for Europe and deterrence for those who think they can take it by force”, president Metsola added. Present in Brussels, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the EU for its strong support.

APPEAL – Magistrates on Thursday dismissed as unfounded the complaint filed by Călin Georgescu against the judicial control measure, in the investigation where he faces several charges. A former independent candidate in last year’s presidential elections, Călin Georgescu was last week placed under judicial control by the Prosecutor General’s Office for a period of 60 days. He is subject to a number of interdictions, including the right to leave the country without the approval of judicial authorities. At the same time, Georgescu cannot post content of a legionary, fascist, anti-Semitic, racist or xenophobic nature on social media. Georgescu is being prosecuted for committing six crimes, the most serious being that of inciting actions against the constitutional order. Investigators claim that he Georgescu had come up with a plan to destabilize the country after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election in December. The first round was won by Călin Georgescu. Meanwhile, prosecutors have raided new locations linked to the financing of his election campaign. Also on Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights rejected Călin Georgescu’s appeal challenging the annulment of the presidential election in Romania in December 2024. The decision is unanimous and final. Călin Georgescu recently announced that he will submit his candidacy for the presidential election in May with the Central Electoral Bureau on Friday.

GOVERNMENT – The Romanian Government on Thursday passed several emergency orders, concerning, among other things, the healthcare reform and the spending of EU funds. In the field of healthcare, the government wants to improve regulations on public medical care for freelancers, on the taxation of medicines, on the organization and operation of medical offices and the granting of sick leaves. In a separate emergency order, the Romanian government earmarks the financing for certain local authorities to complete works to extend and upgrade natural gas infrastructure. Finally, the cabinet has also approved the amount of this year’s state aid for the livestock sector. (VP)

6 March 2025
March 5, 2025 UPDATE 2

Defense – The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu welcomed the proposals launched by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the exemption of defense spending from the excessive deficit procedure, a solution for which Romania has constantly advocated, he said. In a message posted on Facebook, the prime minister also stated that Romania supports the allocation of additional funds for weaponry, provided that the money reaches Romanian factories. He also specified that Bucharest remains on the same coordinates so far, namely in favor of increasing the defense spending and against sending Romanian troops to Ukraine. The President of the European Commission proposed the creation of a new “ReArm Europe” plan, which could mobilize almost 800 billion Euros for defense investments in the European Union and for military aid for Ukraine invaded by the Russian army.

Russia – The air and naval military attaché of the Russian Federation in Bucharest and his deputy have been declared persons not welcome (personae non gratae) on the territory of Romania. The decision of the Romanian authorities was communicated on Wednesday to the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry headquarters. The institution specifies that the two military diplomats were sanctioned for carrying out activities that run counter to the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. Recently, the name of the deputy Russian military attaché, Evgheni Ignatiev, appeared in the criminal file of the former presidential candidate, the pro-Russian extremist Călin Georgescu. Prosecutors claim that people around Georgescu are in contact with Russian military attaches, suspected of being agents of the military intelligence service in Moscow. On Wednesday, Calin Georgescu’s complaint against the judicial control measure was heard in Bucharest, in the file in which he is being investigated for six crimes, including incitement to actions against the constitutional order. According to him, a decision is expected on Thursday. He was placed under judicial control by prosecutors from the General Prosecutor’s Office last Wednesday for 60 days.

Travel Fair – Romania’s tourist offers are promoted over March 4-6 at the Berlin International Tourism Exchange (ITB Berlin), the world’s largest travel trade fair. Germany, Romania’s number one trade partner, is also the largest market for Romanian tourism, Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan says. Last year, Romania reported a 10% increase in the number of German tourists, totaling some 240 thousand. At the ITB Berlin, Romania is promoted by means of cultural circuits, active and adventure tourism, holidays on the Black Sea coast and in the Danube Delta, rural tourism and city breaks. One of the top attractions this year is also the “George Enescu” International Festival. The 27^th edition will be held over August 24 – September 21 in Bucharest, bringing together 4,000 musicians, reputed orchestras, conductors and soloists which are bound to turn Bucharest into the capital of classical music.

EU funds – Romania has received over 100 billion Euros worth of European funds since its accession to the European Union in 2007, said, Wednesday, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Boloş. According to the official, Romania is no longer an economic periphery, but a country that is quickly catching up, surpassing Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Greece in terms of the GDP per capita, an essential indicator of the standard of living. Minister Boloş recalled that the European funds received are found in the infrastructure, almost 900 km of motorways and expressways having been built in the last two decades, are also found in the expansion of the sewage network, in grants granted to companies to develop, in thousands of renovated, equipped or expanded schools and hospitals or in the creation of new stable jobs. The reality is that the EU has been and remains Romania’s partner in development, Marcel Boloş concluded.

EU – The citizens of European Union member states, including Romanians, can apply, as of Wednesday, to obtain the electronic travel authorization required from April 2 to enter the United Kingdom or to transit this country on the way to another destination. Requests must be sent on the official UK ETA application. The Romanian Foreign Ministry specifies that the electronic visa will be valid for two years and can be used for multiple trips to the United Kingdom throughout this period. ETA costs 10 pounds, around 60 lei, for all age categories, including minors. The fee will be paid at the time of application, and the money will not be refunded in case of refusal, the Bucharest diplomacy also specifies.

Transparency International – The global picture regarding the corruption perception index has deteriorated in the last 12 years, shows a study published on Wednesday by Transparency International. In the European Union, the average score decreased by two points in 2024 compared to the previous year. Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Slovakia and Hungary recorded negative trends. Other member states, such as Romania, stagnated below the Union average. Romania is on 65^th place out of the 180 included in the study, on the same level as Montenegro, Kuwait and Malta. Among the recommendations of the Transparency International organization for Romania is the increase in awareness regarding the law that protects whistleblowers in the public interest, especially in areas such as public procurement, the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, environmental protection and public health.

Football – Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Thursday will take on Olympique Lyon of France at home in the round of 16 of Europa League. The return leg is scheduled for March 13 in France. The Bucharest club advanced to the round of 16 of Europa League after a two-leg win over PAOK Thessaloniki of Greece coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu.

Investigation – The Florida Attorney General’s Office is officially investigating the British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, after the two arrived in Florida last week, dpa reports. The Tate brothers are also being investigated in Romania for human trafficking and exploitation of young women. They were arrested in Romania in December 2022 and were initially subject to a ban on leaving the country. However, Romanian authorities eventually allowed them to leave, and the two went to Florida. According to the German news agency, their release is rumored to have been brokered by the Trump administration, but the White House leader has denied any involvement. Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer, has become a symbol of online misogyny in recent years, along with his brother Tristan. Romanian prosecutors accuse the two of coercing women to produce commercial videos with sexually explicit content. Investigations have revealed at least 34 alleged victims, including a 15-year-old girl. Both brothers deny any wrongdoing. (LS)

5 March 2025
Structural and cohesion funds for Romania

Romania has collected 1.9 billion Euros from the structural and cohesion funds financed in the financial year 2021-2027, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Adrian Câciu, announced at the end of last week in a Facebook post. According to him, the general absorption rate, of 6.11%, places Romania in line with the European Union average, which is 6.19%. Things are even better for the programs managed centrally by the Ministry of Investments and European Projects and the Ministry of Transport, where the absorption rate of structural and cohesion funds stands at 7.3%.

In the last few days alone, more than 650 million Euros have been collected from the structural and cohesion funds related to the 2021-2027 financial year, and reimbursements from the European Commission continue at the pace we predicted, considering that Romania has signed contracts worth over 31 billion Euros, Adrian Câciu wrote. However, he pointed out that Romania still has to catch up on the Regional Programs, where the absorption rate is only 3.2%. Adrian Câciu said he was convinced that the model that the current coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) has set in terms of managing and implementing European funds, including their decentralization, will be continued by the future governing coalition, and the rate of absorption of European funds will be sustained so as to repeat the success of European money absorption from the 2014-2020 financial year.

On the other hand, the former European Commissioner Corina Creţu claims that there is no locality in Romania that has not benefited from European funds, a fact that is due to Romania’s EU membership. The statement comes as if to give a reply to the tireless detractors of the European Union, including those in the new Parliament, who, under the name of sovereigntists, hardly hide their anti-Western sentiment. In 2023, Romania was on first place in terms of funds received, related to the population, Corina Creţu stated, citing a Euronews analysis. The former Commissioner for Regional Policy recalls that, since joining the European Union in 2007, Romania has received over 95 billion Euros worth of non-reimbursable funds, for a contribution of less than 30 billion Euros. Among the major projects that have benefited from European funds are several large regional hospitals, the Transport Master Plan, highway sectors, railway rehabilitation, the metro line that will connect Otopeni, the largest airport in the country, to the North Railway Station and, last but not least, the suspension bridge over the Danube from Brăila, the third largest in Europe and one of the most important infrastructure projects in Romania, in the last 30 years. (LS)

16 December 2024
March 16, 2024 UPDATE

NATO – The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, has welcomed the recent entry of the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, into the competition for the NATO leadership and considered as gratifying the fact that Central Europe finally has a candidate for the position of Secretary General of the Alliance. The Hungarian official declared, on Friday, that the government in Budapest will not support the Dutch Mark Rutte for this post, stating that in a union such as NATO, mutual trust is essential, and supporting a candidate who declared that Hungary must kneel is not possible. We remind you that President Klaus Iohannis announced, this week, his candidacy for the NATO leadership, in the context in which Romania and other Eastern partners requested greater representation in the allied structures at a time when regional security is threatened by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

Romarm – Romania will receive 47 million Euros for a project carried out by the Romarm Company together with Germany. The budget allocated by the European Commission to the Romanian project is the largest of the 31 winning projects. The Commission released, on Friday, more than 500 million Euros for companies from member states, in order to increase the ammunition production capacity. It is a first installment from a total of about 2 billion Euros. According to the European Commission, at the end of 2024, European arms production will reach an annual capacity of 1,000,000 bombshells (155-caliber) and at the end of 2025 the amount will double. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, in parallel, the Commission recommends the member states to make joint purchases of larger sizes, in order to give a signal of predictability in the medium and long term to the arms industry.

Russia – In Russia, Sunday is the third and last day of the presidential election, in which 112 million Russians have the right to vote. The Central Electoral Commission in Moscow announced, on Saturday afternoon, that more than 50% of the Russian voters have already cast their votes. President Vladimir Putin voted from his office, in an attempt to promote electronic voting, considered fraudulent by the opposition. Several people were arrested for spraying ink, paint and antiseptic on the ballot boxes or throwing Molotov cocktails in the direction of the polling stations. Furthermore, Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt his re-election through attacks and incursions on the border. At least 2 Russian civilians were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on the city of Belgorod, while Russia, in turn, attacked a residential area of the Ukrainian city of Odessa on Friday, killing at least 20 people. According to official polls, Vladimir Putin enjoys a voting intention of over 80%, so he could achieve his biggest electoral victory since he came to power in 2000. The opposition has asked the West not to recognize the election results.

Railway – The European Commission has approved 204 million Euros worth of non-reimbursable funds from the Modernization Fund, for the replacement of old locomotives with new rolling stock on the Romanian railways. The Railway Reform Authority specifies that it will use this money to buy nine long-distance interregional trains and 23 electric locomotives by 2027. The financing adds to the 470 million Euros attracted from European funds by the Transport Ministry, from which the purchase of 62 electric trains was financed.

Book Fair – Romania will be present, next week, at the Leipzig Book Fair, in Germany, the most important event in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to authors, translators and literary debates. Nine invited authors, 12 events, over 150 exhibited titles and a mini-bookstore are waiting for the public, between March 21 and 24, at the Romanian stand organized by the Ministry of Culture in Bucharest. Two of the authors who will be present at the Romanian stand have books translated, for the first time, into German, which confirms a growing interest of the German-speaking literary space in cutting-edge Romanian literature.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ready to play again after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne reduced her 4-year suspension to 9 months, was called up to the Romanian team for the match against Ukraine in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers. The match will take place on April 12 and 13, in Florida (USA). Romania and Ukraine have met four times so far, with the Romanians leading with the score 3-1. In November, Romania defeated Serbia 4-0 in the play-off to stay in the World Group of the competition, while Ukraine defeated Lithuania 3-1. On the other hand, also in tennis, the Romanian-Russian pair Monica Niculescu/Irina Hromaceva was defeated by the pair Sara Errani (Italy)/Tereza Mihalikova (Slovakia), 6-4, 6-3, on Friday, in the doubles semifinals at the American WTA 125 tournament in Charleston. (LS)

16 March 2024
March 16, 2024

NATO – The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, has welcomed the recent entry of the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, into the competition for the NATO leadership and considered as gratifying the fact that Central Europe finally has a candidate for the position of Secretary General of the Alliance. The Hungarian official declared, on Friday, that the government in Budapest will not support the Dutch Mark Rutte for this post, stating that in a union such as NATO, mutual trust is essential, and supporting a candidate who declared that Hungary must kneel is not possible. We remind you that President Klaus Iohannis announced, this week, his candidacy for the NATO leadership, in the context in which Romania and other Eastern partners requested greater representation in the allied structures at a time when regional security is threatened by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

Romarm – Romania will receive 47 million Euros for a project carried out by the Romarm Company together with Germany. The budget allocated by the European Commission to the Romanian project is the largest of the 31 winning projects. The Commission released, on Friday, more than 500 million Euros for companies from member states, in order to increase the ammunition production capacity. It is a first installment from a total of about 2 billion Euros. According to the European Commission, at the end of 2024, European arms production will reach an annual capacity of 1,000,000 bombshells (155-caliber) and at the end of 2025 the amount will double. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, in parallel, the Commission recommends the member states to make joint purchases of larger sizes, in order to give a signal of predictability in the medium and long term to the arms industry.

Russia – Saturday is the second day of the presidential election in Russia, in which almost a third of the approximately 112 million Russians with the right to vote have already participated. President Vladimir Putin voted from his office, in an attempt to promote electronic voting, considered fraudulent by the opposition. Several people were arrested for spraying ink, paint and antiseptic on the ballot boxes or throwing Molotov cocktails in the direction of the polling stations. Furthermore, Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt his re-election through attacks and incursions on the border. At least 2 Russian civilians were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on the city of Belgorod, while Russia, in turn, attacked a residential area of the Ukrainian city of Odessa on Friday, killing at least 20 people. According to official polls, Vladimir Putin enjoys a voting intention of over 80%, so he could achieve his biggest electoral victory since he came to power in 2000. The opposition has asked the West not to recognize the election results.

Book Fair – Romania will be present, next week, at the Leipzig Book Fair, in Germany, the most important event in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to authors, translators and literary debates. Nine invited authors, 12 events, over 150 exhibited titles and a mini-bookstore are waiting for the public, between March 21 and 24, at the Romanian stand organized by the Ministry of Culture in Bucharest. Two of the authors who will be present at the Romanian stand have books translated, for the first time, into German, which confirms a growing interest of the German-speaking literary space in cutting-edge Romanian literature.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ready to play again after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne reduced her 4-year suspension to 9 months, was called up to the Romanian team for the match against Ukraine in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers. The match will take place on April 12 and 13, in Florida (USA). Romania and Ukraine have met four times so far, with the Romanians leading with the score 3-1. In November, Romania defeated Serbia 4-0 in the play-off to stay in the World Group of the competition, while Ukraine defeated Lithuania 3-1. On the other hand, also in tennis, the Romanian-Russian pair Monica Niculescu/Irina Hromaceva was defeated by the pair Sara Errani (Italy)/Tereza Mihalikova (Slovakia), 6-4, 6-3, on Friday, in the doubles semifinals at the American WTA 125 tournament in Charleston. (LS)

16 March 2024
A bridge for Europe

There are probably very few Romanians who are happy
with Romania’s road infrastructure, and for good reason too. Compared to its
surface, Romania fares poorly in terms of motorways and high-speed roads, and
rail infrastructure is rapidly deteriorating due to the shortage of major
investment. Things somewhat changed once European funds got involved, although
not swiftly enough to allow an average-size country such as Romania to be
crossed easily, and more importantly, without losing temper. Against this
backdrop, the inauguration of the suspension bridge over the Danube, linking
Brăila and Tulcea counties in the southeast, will make life a lot easier for
the local population. The political class too was quick to capitalize on the
event, scoring some image points. President Klaus Iohannis hailed the
completion of this major road infrastructure project, highlighting this is the
biggest construction project in Romania in the last 30 years. Measuring nearly 2 km in length, the bridge
is the third-largest in Europe. It cost 500 mln EUR, and the money was mostly
provided by the EU. It was built by a Japanese-Italian consortium using
Japanese technology. In the long-term, the bridge is expected to boost the
activity in the port of Brăila, which in turn could spell the creation of new
jobs, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. The head of government expressed
confidence the bridge will also facilitate access to the Danube Delta, which could
have a major tourist impact. The bridge could also be the first pillar in one
of Romania’s strategic projects, which is to play a key role in the
reconstruction of Ukraine. The EU Transport Commissioner, Adina Vălean,
highlighted the importance of the bridge in the current geopolitical context:

Road infrastructure in the Danube region is key to
strengthening EU security. The capacity of this infrastructure must be enhanced
at civilian and military levels. The volume of goods travelling in-between
Romania, Moldova and Ukraine currently account for millions of tons per month.
Now, more than ever, we need the proper infrastructure that would enable
military mobility.

With the opening of the bridge to road traffic,
drivers now will no longer have to wait hours an end to cross the Danube by
ferry. The most to benefit are large freight truck drivers, transporting goods
from one bank of the Danube to the other. The bridge will also exponentially
develop the economy of Tulcea and Brăila counties and put Romania the higher
tier of countries with high-end infrastructure, says Cristian Pistol, executive
director of the National Road Infrastructure Management Authority (CNAIR), who
further argued that Romania must continue to implement infrastructure projects
that would consolidate our country’s position at EU and NATO levels. (VP)

7 July 2023
December 22, 2022 UPDATE

Commemoration. Events commemorating the anti-communist revolution of 1989 continue in Romania. Religious ceremonies and laying of flowers have been heldin all major cities across the country. December 22, 1989 was the day when tens of thousands of people took to the streets and forced dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu to flee the country in a helicopter that took off from the building of the former Central Committee of the Communist Party. The revolution that toppled the communist regime broke out in the capital city on December 21 with a huge rally staged by Nicolae Ceaușescu, who thus hoped to appease the population and stay in power. The rally turned violent and the memory of the heroes who were killed that day was honored on Wednesday through ceremonies and laying of flowers in emblematic venues. President Klaus Iohannis paid a floral tribute at the roadside cross in University Square, also observing a moment of silence. We recall that the spark that ignited the 1989 anti-communist revolution was lit in Timișoara, western Romania. The revolution quickly spread to Bucharest and other cities. Overall, 1,000 people were killed and some 3,000 wounded in clashes with the security forces. Romania is the only country in Eastern Europe where the transition from communism resulted in bloodshed.

Diaspora. Bucharest is hosting the conference titled “Romania beyond the borders”, organized by the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR). The meeting with representatives of Romanian communities abroad is designed to identify clear-cut and realistic solutions to some of the problems facing the Romanian diaspora today. The conference put up for debate a few of the most important measures and decisions Romania needs to take with respect to Romanians living abroad: boosting the number of polling stations abroad to provide Romanians with real chances of casting their vote, providing unconditional protection to every Romanian citizen abroad, introducing dedicated classes of Romanian language, culture and history addressing children and young people living abroad by cooperating with Bucharest authorities and host countries, as well as making more consular staff available and providing them with special training. Other measures include simplifying proceedings for unlocking activities in Romanias representative offices abroad or opening community centers in the Diaspora that should hire qualified staff to provide legal and administrative counseling.

EU funds. The European Commission has allocated 9.6 billion euros to Romania for the Transport Program. The main objective is to bridge the gap in the development of Romanias transport infrastructure, ensuring at the same time the achievement of the European objectives of sustainable and safe mobility.One of the projects under the “new investment projects” chapter, according to the approved plan, is the A13 Bacău (northeast) – Braşov (center) highway, with a funding of almost 2.4 billion euros. Under the Transport Program, the financial support is aimed at improving road connectivity, increasing road safety, the efficiency of Romanian railways, the attractiveness of rail passenger transport, the development of sustainable mobility in urban nodes, but also naval and multimodal (combined) transport.

Ukraine. Support for Ukraine is not an act of charity, but an investment in global security and democracy, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech before the US Congress. The Kyiv leader also called for maintaining support for Ukraine. Washington is by far Ukraines most important weapons supplier, and American equipment delivered to Ukraine, such as Javelin anti-tank systems or HIMARS missile launchers, have been instrumental in repelling Russian attacks. On this occasion, the United States have promised a new assistance package worth 1.85 billion USD, which includes an anti-air missile system, requested by Ukraine a while ago, considering that cities and infrastructure are constantly targeted by Russian shelling. During his meeting with president Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky said it will take more Patriot systems to fend off Russian attacks. Zelenskys surprise visit to Washington occurred 300 days since the start of Russias invasion, and was his first visit abroad since the start of the war on February 24.

Minorities. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs terms as regrettable the fact that the law on national minorities in Ukraine was adopted by the Supreme Rada in Kyiv, in the absence of a new consultation of the Venice Commission. It is also regrettable that the law was adopted in the absence of an adequate consultation of the representatives of the Romanian community in Ukraine, as requested by the authorities in Bucharest, says the MFA. According to the cited source, the Romanian side constantly invoked in the contacts with the Ukrainian side the promise of the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, according to which the people belonging to the Romanian community in Ukraine would benefit from the same treatment that the people belonging to the Ukrainian community benefit from in Romania. Adopted a few days ago, the law does not solve the problems of education in the Romanian language and does not give minorities more rights.

Holidays. The Romanian Ministry of the Interior announced, on Thursday, special measures to maintain public order on Christmas and New Years Eve. According to the source, over 24,500 policemen, gendarmes, border guards, firefighters and employees from other structures will be mobilized every day. The traffic police will act with 290 radar devices and with devices that signal the consumption of alcohol and prohibited substances while driving. As the authorities expect a new wave of tourists in the mountain resorts of the Prahova Valley (south-central), they announce that they have also trained specialized teams of mountain gendarmes. (MI)

22 December 2022
European money for the development regions

The Romanian Ministry of Investments and European Projects announced that it received official approval from the European Commission for the Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Program. The map of the European funds decentralization is thus complete, the institution officials said. The Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Program benefits from a total allocation of over 1.4 billion Euros and supports, through specific funding, the transformation of the region into a competitive region through innovation, digitalization and dynamic, digital, environmentally friendly enterprises, with high urban mobility and accessible. At the same time, Bucharest-Ilfov is to become, thanks to the projects financed by the EU, a region with a modern, attractive and inclusive educational infrastructure. The eight Regional Programs related to the period 2021-2027 benefit from a total allocation of over 11 billion Euros. With the approval of the Bucharest-Ilfov Program, all eight regional programs, corresponding to the development regions, received positive approval from the European Commission.

They were developed in such a way as to allow the transfer of administrative and financial powers from the central public administration to the public administration of the administrative-territorial units, together with the financial resources necessary for exercising these powers, the ministry representatives emphasized. ‘We are at a moment when we can state that the steps we started taking in 2020, in the previous mandate, have finally met with success, and this will have a great impact on the field of European funds’, they went on to say. The Bucharest-Ilfov region is a special region as compared to other development regions.

Although it has the smallest surface, it concentrates about 13.5% of the country’s population, being the most densely populated region, with the highest degree of urbanization. The program is meant to develop an intelligent, sustainable and inclusive economy in order to improve the standard of living and increase resilience to societal challenges. At the same time, the program will capitalize on the competitive potential and improve its ability to offer citizens and businesses an attractive, sustainable, clean and inclusive environment, in which they will want to live and invest, by promoting innovation, digitalization, fair access to modern public services, education and business opportunities. All these will take into account the need to streamline the energy consumption efficiency, to reduce CO2 emissions and adapt to climate challenges, minister Marcel Boloş said.

Development regions are not administrative-territorial units. They are areas that group several neighboring or geographically close counties, which provide a framework for the implementation and evaluation of the regional development policy. Each region is coordinated by an agency for regional development, the agencies being non-governmental bodies. (LS)

12 December 2022
July 28, 2022

COVID — The number of Covid-19 cases in Romania has been constantly decreasing since the spring, but it has recently started to increase again. 9,339 people were confirmed with Covid-19, on Thursday, in Romania. The total number of infections is below that of the previous day, but by almost 50% higher than last week. The number of those who need hospitalization also continues to increase: over 3,700 people, of whom 253 are in intensive care. There are about 600 children with Covid in hospitals. Specialists say that the current variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, can bypass the protection given by both vaccination and the disease, and recommend the immunization of people from vulnerable categories. Anti-Covid vaccines adapted for the Omicron variant should be available in Romania as of the autumn.

Funds — The prime minister Nicolae Ciucă has said Romania’s absorption rate of European funds as part of the 2014-2020 financial exercise stands at 64.5%, a level similar to that of Germany and only slightly lower than France, but ahead of older member states like Belgium (59%) and Italy, Spain and The Netherlands (each with a little over 56%). According to Ciucă, Romania absorbed 22 billion Euros out of the 35 billion it is allocated in the 2014-2020 period.

Drought – Drought has so far affected 150,000 hectares of farmland in 20 different counties across Romania, said the agriculture ministry, based on daily reports on the state of the crops. The irrigation systems are struggling to cope, owing to the drop in the level of the water used to feed the irrigation stations. The biggest such station, in Brăila county, in the south-east, was shut down because of the low Danube water flow. The station was providing water for 250,000 hectares of land in the region. The water flow of the river Prut, in the east, is also dropping, having already reached a record low level. Agriculture minister Petre Daea said the animal breeding sector is also affected by drought.

Olympics — On Wednesday, Romania won the gold medal in the womens team artistic gymnastics competition of the 16th summer edition of the European Youth Olympics Festival in Banska Bystrica (Slovakia). Amalia Puflea, Amalia Ghigoarţă and Sabrina Voinea have had the upper hand over the representatives of Germany and Italy. After three days of competitions Romania has four medals: gold in the artistic gymnastics event, two silver medals won by Amalia Puflea in the individual all-around event and Aissia Claudia Prisecariu in the 200 m backstroke swimming event as well as a bronze medal won by Ana Maria Vişan in athletics, in the disc throw event. Romania is represented at the 2022 European Youth Olympics Festival by 92 athletes in 8 sports disciplines – athletics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, judo, volleyball, handball and tennis. At the previous summer edition that took place in Baku, in 2019, Romania won no less than 19 medals: 4 gold, 10 silver and 5 bronze.

Visit — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will receive the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, on Friday in Bucharest, on the occasion of her official visit to Romania, at the invitation of the Romanian head of state. It is the first direct bilateral meeting of the two heads of state after the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) received the status of candidate country to EU accesion. According to the Presidential Administration, Klaus Iohannis will reiterate Bucharests firm support for boosting the reform process in the Republic of Moldova, necessary for European integration. At the same time, the two officials will tackle regional developments in the context of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine as well as the ways to counteract its negative effects on Chisinau. Topics of central interest on the bilateral agenda will also be addressed, such as the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and sectoral cooperation in key areas – the Presidential Administration also shows. (LS)

28 July 2022
October 20, 2020 UPDATE

Covid-19 Ro — 3,400 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported following the testing of 29,400 people across Romania, the Strategic Communication Group in Bucharest announced on Tuesday. A total of 186,254 people have been infected in Romania since the coronavirus outbreak. 65 new deaths have been reported, which takes the total death toll to 5,996. At present 768 patients are in intensive care. Bucharest and Cluj are now in the ‘red-code scenario’ due to the high rate of contamination reported in the past two weeks, namely more than 3 cases per one thousand inhabitants. For two weeks kindergartens, schools and high schools will go online, while after school childcare facilities and nurseries will remain open. Universities are to decide on the way in which courses will unfold. Face masks are now compulsory in all public spaces, open or enclosed. All indoor activities are suspended in restaurants, cafes, cinema and theater halls, and in casinos.

Working group – Romania and the United States will have a common working group for the inclusion of Romanians in the Visa Waiver program, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has announced after his meeting in Washington with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The two officials have also tackled the U.S.s involvement, including financially, in projects such as the one connecting the regions north with its south, which also includes Romania, Via Carpathia and the railway linking the ports of Constanta and Gdansk, in northern Poland, with economic benefits and a strategic impact over military mobility. The U.S. also plans to beef up its military presence in Romania.

Theater — The director of the Hungarian State Theater in Cluj (northwestern Romania), Gábor Tompa was reelected president of the Union of the Theaters of Europe, for a 2-year mandate, as part of the Union general assembly held online. The Union of the Theaters of Europe, which celebrates 30 years since its setting up in 2020, focuses on cultural and linguistic diversity and is the initiator of sustainable forms of international cooperation.

CCR — Romania’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday rejected the Ombudsman’s notification in relation to two articles in the Law on the setting up of measures in situations of epidemiological and biological risk. The ombudsman claimed that the measure of compulsory hospitalization for at least 48 hours of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 did not observe the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and of the Constitutional Court. The ombudsman also considered that the measure of compulsory hospitalization represents a deprivation of one’s freedom, and should be a last-resort measure, after the use of all the other remedies. The Ombudsman also contested the article in the quarantine law which allows medical staff posting, under which the authorities are allowed to extend this transfer of physicians and specialized auxiliary medical staff for as long as they want.

Brussels — Romanians are among the EU citizens most convinced that community funds should be conditioned on the observance of the rule of law. No less than 82% of Romanians said they agreed with this conditioning, a percentage that places Romania on 4th position, in a survey conducted upon the request of the EP. Romania is preceded in the classification by Cyprus (89%), Luxembourg (86%) and Austria (83%) and is sharing the 4th place with Greece. In Hungary and Poland, the states that are opposed to the conditioning of EU funds allotment on the observance of the rule of law, only 72% of the people support the idea. Across the EU 77% of the citizens are in favor of this idea.

Elections — The Electoral Bureau for the Diaspora announces that the candidacies submitted by 8 political groups and two independents for a seat in Romania’s Parliament have remained definitive. The parliamentary elections abroad will take place on December 5th and 6th. The Permanent Electoral Authority reminds the Romanian citizens with their domicile or residence abroad that the deadline for registration for a postal vote is October 22. More than 30 thousand Romanians from abroad have so far signed up for a postal vote, mostly from the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and France. (update by L. Simion)

20 October 2020
The state of emergency to be extended

The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has announced that the state of emergency declared on March 16 to fight the spread of the new coronavirus will be extended by another month. As compared to other countries, the number of people infected with the new virus in Romania has not been very high so far, said President Iohannis who, nevertheless, warned the population not to relax yet and urged them to continue observing the social distancing measures imposed by the authorities, given that the peak of the pandemic has not been reached yet.

Klaus Iohannis: “Following a thorough analysis, we have concluded that we need to extend the state of emergency. Therefore, I have called on the Government to come up with proposals that should be included in the next decree. This week we will draft the text and early next week I will issue a new decree that extends the state of emergency by one month. This extension is absolutely necessary to control the evolution of the pandemic.

In relation to protective equipment, the president has announced that a new transport of face masks and hazmat suits for the medical staff will arrive in Romania this week.

Klaus Iohannis: “Everyone knows that it has been a little complicated to purchase protective equipment: masks, hazmat suits, and ventilators. The measures taken by the government have now produced the first significant results. This week well receive 2.5 million face masks for the medical staff, almost 5 million masks for the gendarmes and police and as many as 8 million masks for the population. Also, in the coming days we are waiting for almost 500 thousand hazmat suits for physicians and other medical staff.

Furthermore, the Romanian government has approved bonuses for the entire medical staff that gets in contact with patients infected with Covid-19. 75 thousand physicians, auxiliary staff, ambulance workers and paramedics that treat such patients will receive 2,500 lei, that is a little more than 500 Euros per month. Only the income tax of 10% will be levied on the sum, the other contributions not being deducted.

At the same time, one thousand social and community workers will receive 2 thousand lei (around 400 Euros) per month to take care of people isolated in their homes, lonely people or old people over 65. The money, a total of 810 million Euros, comes from European funds, which will be used to also cover entirely for all the purchases of medical equipment.

In another development, on Monday, the Romanian government discussed the first budget adjustment for 2020. The finance minister Florin Citu has announced that most of the money will be channeled to the health and labor ministries. (translation by L. Simion)

7 April 2020
November 2, 2018

UK The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will have a meeting on November 14th in London with the British PM, Theresa May, at the latters invitation, official sources told AGERPRES news agency on Friday. On the same day, Klaus Iohannis will attend a reception at Buckingham Palace, in honour of Charles, Prince of Wales 70th birthday, at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II.

MEETING The PM of Romania, Viorica Dăncilă, said in Varna on Friday, that at the 4-party meeting between Romanian, Bulgarian, Greek and Serbian officials she had stressed that more must be done for Europes energy security, especially by diversifying supply sources and stepping up the interconnection process. In the field of transport, she reiterated Romanias interest in the building of new motorways and bridges across the River Danube. Attending the meeting were the PMs of Bulgaria and Greece, Boiko Borisov and Alexis Tsipras, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Prior to the talks, Dǎncilǎ and her Israeli counterpart agreed on the organisation of an economic forum, ahead of the joint meeting of the 2 countries governments. PM Dăncilă presented to her Israeli counterpart the changes operated on the legislation regulating public-private partnerships, which have made the Romanian investment climate more attractive. The Romanian official also reconfirmed Romanias interest in strengthening and deepening relations with Israel in energy and cyber security, healthcare, research and innovation. The 2 prime ministers also discussed means of cooperation between Romania and Israel, in the context of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council as of January 2019.

BUDGET The leaders of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, which make up the ruling coalition in Romania, convene today for talks on this years budget adjustment and on 2019 budgetary projections. The Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici also takes part in the meeting. The agenda also includes plans for setting up a Sovereign Development and Investment Fund and the companies that should be part of this fund, personnel downsizing measures in certain ministries and governmental agencies, and a possible increase in minimum salaries as of December 1.

EU FUNDING The European Commissioner for regional development Corina Creţu reiterated that Bucharest has so far submitted no funding applications for any major project that could be financed by the European Commission, except for the M6 underground line which is currently being analysed. We are long past the deadlines Romania has set itself for applying for EU funds for regional hospitals, for 3 motorways, for the Braila bridge and for the Bucharest ring road, Corina Creţu says. In a social network post, the European Commissioner dismisses the accusations made against her after she had repeatedly warned that the EU fund absorption by the Romanian Government has slowed down. Darius Vâlcov, adviser to PM Viorica Dăncilă, claimed on Thursday that the funding provided by the EU only accounts for 10% of the costs of building a regional hospital, and that the balance must be supplied by the Romanian state.

LABOUR Switzerland will lift all labour market restrictions for Romanian workers in May next year. The announcement was made during a visit to Bucharest on Thursday by the president of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, who was received by President Klaus Iohannis. Alain Berset said, on the other hand, that Switzerland supports Bucharests bid for OECD membership, and that, although it is not an EU member, it will stand by Romania during the countrys presidency of the EU Council, in the first half of 2019.

VETERINARY The Romanian Veterinary Board has organised a rally at the Government headquarters today, in order to draw attention to the major problems facing this profession and jeopardising public health. Veterinary physicians demand the immediate amendment of the law regulating their profession, which must be brought in line with a ruling of the EU Court of Justice. Otherwise, the protesters warn, public health is at grave risk in Romania, where anybody may open a veterinary dispensary and sell medications, without the need for veterinary physician supervision, and anybody may purchase such medication and give it to animals.

FARMING Hundreds of companies from 25 countries are taking part in Bucharest, until Sunday, in the international farming trade fair INDAGRA, the largest of this kind in Romania. As part of the trade fair, today the Rural Investment Financing Agency is organising a national conference on “Rural Development: A fundamental element of economic competitiveness and cohesion at EU level. Taking part in the conference is the Minister for Agriculture and rural Development, Petre Daea. The participants discuss the elements supporting the transformation of Romanian agriculture and rural communities, so as to be able to contribute to the competitiveness of the national economy.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

2 November 2018
18 October 2018

EU summit. The EU Council meeting continues in Brussels, with the EU
heads of state and government today discussing migration, security and the
future of the eurozone. Last night, Brexit negotiations ended with no result.
According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the EU leaders are focusing on
combating human trafficking, the European Commission’s proposals on the return
of migrants, the cooperation with the countries of origin and transit and the
consolidation of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. As far as internal
security is concerned, talks focus on legal cooperation and combating
terrorism, border security and the fight against cyber attacks. Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis, who is attending the summit, is expected to highlight
in his address the fact that the prevention and combating of radicalisation and
terrorism must remain a priority for member states. The EU Council summit will
be followed by the Euro summit in expanded format. On that occasion, president
Iohannis will say that Romania supports the objective of consolidating the economic
and monetary union, closely following the impact of all initiatives targeting
this area, given Bucharest’s goal of joining the eurozone as soon as possible.

Visit. The Romanian prime minister Viorica Dancila today continues her
visit to the United Arab Emirates. On Wednesday, the heads of government in
Bucharest and Abu Dhabi adopted a joint declaration on the establishment of a
strategic economic partnership between the governments of Romania and the
United Arab Emirates. The document underlines the important regional role
played by the latter and Romania’s membership of the EU, which provides
significant opportunities of bilateral cooperation in priority sectors for
Bucharest, such as trade, investments, industry, agriculture, the financial and
banking sector, energy, transport and infrastructure, the IT sector, education,
culture, research and innovation and tourism. The declaration also highlights
the important role of the Romanian and Emirati communities in the respective
countries in the economic, social and cultural development of the two states.
Also on Wednesday, the Romanian prime minister visited the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, after on Tuesday she travelled to Dubai for
talks with the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, whom she presented with the most recent investment
opportunities in Romania. Viorica Dancila will next travel to Kuwait, the last
leg of a tour that also took her to Turkey. She said the purpose of these
official visits is to promote economic relations.

EU funds.
Romania has managed to recover 220 million euros accounting for around a
quarter of the European funds allocated under the Regional Operational
Programme, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu told
Radio Romania. Thus, some of the 800 million euros available under this
programme and which Romania was no longer able to spend by the end of the year
due to a lack of applications, have been redirected to the development of small
and medium sized enterprises and to purchasing medical equipment and ambulances
for all counties in Romania. The European official also said the programme was
modified at the request of the Romanian government.

Erdogan visit. Turkey’s president Recep
Tayyip Erdogan is paying a two-day visit to the Republic of Moldova, where he
was welcomed with military honours by his counterpart Igor Dodon. During their
talks, the two presidents spoke about the importance of the Strategic
Partnership declaration signed by Chisinau, which in the opinion of the Turkish
president, will change the relationship between the two states. News agencies
write that none of the two officials mentioned the recent scandal about the
expulsion of seven Turkish citizens working for the Orizont schools in the
Republic of Moldova. Erdogan did mention the alleged coup in Turkey from two
years ago, saying it was led by a terrorist organisation that also had members
in the Republic of Moldova. He also said that two Turkish state banks would
open branches in Moldova. The Turkish president also met prime minister Pavel
Filip. Bilateral agreements in various fields, including military, were also
signed.

Tennis. Romanian and world no. one in women’s tennis Simona Halep has
withdrawn from the WTA Finals held in Singapore between the 21st and
the 28th of October and which brings together the world’s best eight
players in 2018. Halep was recently diagnosed with a herniated disk injury
which also forced her to forfeit the Moscow tournament and withdraw in the
first round in Beijing. Halep, who won the French Open this year, ends the year
in the top position regardless of the result in Singapore. Playing in the WTA
Finals are Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, Angelique
Kerber of Germany, Naomi Osaka of Japan, Karolina Pliskova of the Czech
Republic, Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, Sloane
Stephens of the United States and Kiki Bertens of The Netherlands.

Youth Olympics. Romania’s delegation to the Summer Youth Olympics in
Buenos Aires finished the Games on the 27th position in the team
ranking, with a total of 8 medals, including 2 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze. The
Romanian Olympic team was made up of 34 athletes, who competed in 14
disciplines. 4,000 young athletes aged between 15 and 18, from around the
world, competed in this third edition of the Summer Youth Olympics hosted by
Argentina.

18 October 2018
European recommendations for infrastructure development

While on an official visit to Romania, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu warned the Romanian authorities against doing too little to develop the transport infrastructure. She said it was important for Bucharest to submit major projects to the European Commission, so as to be able to absorb more EU funds earmarked for this field. Corina Cretu also said that there are administrative problems, that bureaucracy has not been reduced, and that Romania is losing money. The European official also mentioned that since she took over the post in Brussels in 2014, Romanian authorities only submitted 4 major financing projects.

Corina Cretu explained that there are problems that prevent the funding of projects that might have been eligible, and mentioned the example of the Sibiu-Pitesti motorway, which cannot be financed from the EU budget because construction works on 2 segments have been initiated without environmental permits.

Corina Cretu: “In our opinion, there are substantial delays in this project, and we estimate that actual construction cannot begin sooner than in 2019. As you know, the motorway is divided into 5 lots, for which contractors have been invited to bid. Lots 2, 3, and 4 are the most difficult, in technical terms, because these motorway segments cut through the mountains. The contracts for Lots 1 and 5 have been awarded, and works have been initiated without first assessing the impact on the environment.”

Corina Cretu also said that the latest Romanian infrastructure project submitted to the European Commission is the one concerning the extension of the underground line connecting the city of Bucharest to the Henri Coanda International Airport. The European Commission will fund this project, which will also benefit from a loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and funding from the state budget.

Corina Cretu: “We are prepared to finance all these projects. As I have already said, the total eligible costs are yet to be figured out in detail, but we estimate around 350 million euros. The Japan International Cooperation Agency is interested in co-financing this project, and we are waiting for the Romanian authorities to inform us of the stage of negotiations.”

The European Commissioner for Regional Development mentioned that the cohesion policy is, for the first time in the history of the European Union, the field with the largest funds earmarked in the forthcoming budget, for 2021-2027, and that Romania, Bulgaria and Greece are to receive 10% more money than at present. Corina Cretu advised the Government and local authorities to prepare projects for this period. Romania must take full advantage of the opportunities entailed by its EU membership, must spend European funds as quickly as possible, and it must simplify procedures and reduce bureaucracy, the European official concluded.

(Translated by Ana Maria Popescu)

17 September 2018
July 13, 2018

Transports — The Romanian minister for European funds Rovana Plumb and the transport minister Lucian Sova talked in Brussels with the EU Commissioner for regional policy Corina Cretu about the approval by the European Commission of the project for the M6 subway segment that will ensure the link with the Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest. According to a communiqué of the Transport Ministry in mid March the European Commission asked Metrorex company to provide clarifications in relation to their request for funding the project. The Transport Ministry officials say the value of the subway segment is almost 1.3 billion Euros of which Romania can cover at present only 330 million Euros from a loan and the state budget, with the rest to be possibly covered from European funds. Talks in Brussels also tackled the possibility of building a highway between Transylvania (in the center) and Moldavia (in the east). The route of the highway will be set in such a way so as to bring economic benefits to both Romania and the EU.

Washington – Washington supports the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia and reiterates its support for the democratically elected governments and people of those three countries, shows a US Congress resolution. The document shows the US’s commitment to supporting the three former Soviet republics on their way to European integration, and to obtain energy security and intensify commercial cooperation. The resolution also condemns the Russian aggression in the region, and calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition which are illegally deployed on the territory of these three states. The resolution asks the allies from the EU and the UN to continue to put pressure on Moscow for it to comply with its international commitments and calls on the US Department of State to have a full-fledged and active dialogue against Russia’s interference in the democratic processes of the three sovereign nations. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has recently reiterated the need for a complete withdrawal of foreign armed forces from the territory of the Republic of Moldova, and NATO called for the pullout of Russian troops stationed in the three states, without their consent, in line with international commitments.

Brussels — Securing border points, equipping them with state-of-the-art technology and modernizing the customs infrastructure are some of the main objectives of the Romanian Public Finance Ministry for 2018. This is the statement made by finance minister Eugen Teodorovici in Brussels at an event occasioned by the celebration of 50 years of customs union. Minister Teodorovici signed, on the occasion, the European Customs Charter under the high patronage of Pierre Moscovici, a European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, and of Hartwig Loger, the Austrian finance minister, whose country is holding the presidency of the Council of the EU. Customs union was first mentioned in the Rome Treaty and came into force in 1968 when customs duties levied at the border between the states of the European Community were eliminated. The EU members are using a common set of rules, the so-called Customs Code, which lies at the basis of the Customs Union.

Gărâna — The 22nd edition of the Gărâna Jazz Festival is under way in the southwest of Romania until Sunday. The program includes 25 concerts by musicians from 16 countries. Besides concerts, the audience will have the opportunity to attend the presentation of an experiment — installation made by painter Gheorghe Fikl, during the theater play “Farm” by the Auăleu troupe, the Vinyl National Fair, the exhibition of jazz posters as well as the launch of the book ‘Instant Stage’ by Ioana Tăut. In the past 20 years, more than 70 thousand spectators and many internationally-famed artists shared the experience of avant-garde jazz music in the open air, in the small Romanian village of Gărâna.

B-Fit — As of Friday until August 5 Bucharest will host, each weekend, the 10th edition of the International Street Theater Festival, B-Fit in the Street. This anniversary edition of the festival, called “A Romanian Story in the Centennial Year” includes tens of shows performed by 400 artists from12 countries among which Denmark, Slovakia, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Romania. The world premiere of the aerial acrobatics show ‘Sonics in Wish’ from Italy will take place on July 14.

Luxemburg — FC Viitorul football team, 4th ranked in Romania’s football championship, on Thursday won the away match against Racing Union Luxemburg 2-0, in the first preliminary round of Europa League. The return match will take place in Romania on July 19. If they defeat the team of Luxemburg, FC Viitorul will play in the second preliminary round against Vitesse Arnhem of the Netherlands. Also playing in the Europa League preliminaries will be CSU Craiova, the Cup winner, and vice-champions FCSB. Title holder CFR Cluj will play in the preliminaries of the Champions League. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

13 July 2018