Radio România Internațional

Tag: EU

Leçon 6 – Je/Moi, Tu/Toi, Il/Lui

Lecţia şase

Bună ziua, dragi prieteni şi mulţumesc – merci de me rejoindre.

– Eu sunt Dominique.

– Eu sunt Alexandra.

– Bună ziua, Alexandra.

– Bună ziua, Dominique.

Eu: je, moi. Eu sunt – Je suis.

– Eu sunt Alexandra.

– Eu sunt Valentina. Bună, Alexandra.

– Bună, Valentina.

Tu: tu, toi. Tu eşti.

– Eu sunt Dominique. Tu eşti Alexandra.

– Eu sunt Alexandra. Tu eşti Valentina.

– Eu sunt Valentina. Bună!

El: il, lui. El este: il est

– Eu sunt Alexandru.

– El este Alexandru.

Ea: elle. Ea este: elle est.

– Eu sunt Alexandra.

– Ea este Alexandra.

Disons aussi quen roumain le sujet peut ne pas être exprimé.

Je puis dire: Eu sunt Dominique.

ou tout simplement Sunt Dominique.

Et maintenant, nous allons apprendre à poser la plus simple des questions et donner la plus simple des réponses. DA: oui et NU: non.

– Tu eşti Alexandra?

– Da, eu sunt Alexandra. Da, sunt Alexandra.

– Tu eşti Valentina?

– Da, eu sunt Valentina. Da, sunt Valentina.

– Bună, Valentina !

– Bună, Alexandra !

– Tu eşti Ioana ?

– Nu, eu sunt Valentina. Sunt Valentina.

– El este Alexandru ?

– Da, el este Alexandru. Da, este Alexandru.

– El este Andrei ?

– Nu, el este Alexandru. Nu, este Alexandru.

La chanson de la leçon nous apprend deux variantes du DA et du NU:

– Ba da: mais si – Ba nu: mais non

Ba da, ba nu, ba nu, ba da – le jeu du cœur, avec Corina Chiriac.

Corina Chiriac – Inima ta

7 February 2023
February 5, 2023 UPDATE

Cairo – The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, met, on Sunday, in Cairo, with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The talks focused on topics such as bilateral cooperation in the economic and social fields, as well as the impact of the Russian military aggression on Ukraine. The Egyptian president thanked, on this occasion, for the support provided by Romania for the evacuation from Ukraine of the more than one thousand repatriated Egyptian students last year, as well as for facilitating the export of Ukrainian grains to Egypt. Nicolae Ciucă highlighted the need to support Romanian farmers through access to the production of fertilizers from Egypt necessary for agricultural crops. At the same time, the two agreed to increase Romanian farmers grain exports to the Egyptian market. On Sunday, the Romanian Prime Minister also participated in the Egypt-Romania Business Forum, as well as in the signing ceremony of several bilateral documents. On Saturday, Nicolae Ciucă discussed with his Egyptian counterpart, Mostafa Madbouly, about the intensification of bilateral relations, both at the political, commercial and economic levels. He also had a meeting with the representatives of the Romanian community in Egypt and with Egyptian citizens who studied in Romania.

EU – Starting on February 5, the European Union has completely suspended imports of Russian refined oil products, such as gasoline, diesel and fuel oil, in the context of the war in Ukraine. Until now, the embargo targeted crude oil. Also as of February 5, another European measure came into force, taken together with the allied states, the G7 group of highly industrialized states as well as Australia. The measure is about limiting the price of Russian oil products transported by sea. European limits provide a maximum of 100 dollars per barrel for expensive products, such as diesel and gasoline, and a maximum of 45 dollars per barrel for less refined ones, such as fuel oil. These measures come after a previous cap at 60 dollars per barrel of Russian crude oil imposed on December 5. Beyond this ceiling, Western companies were prohibited from providing maritime services to Russia, given that the G7 countries provide for approximately 90% of the global transport.

Gas – In Romania, the natural gas stock in deposits is currently 1.880 billion cubic meters, i.e. 61% of the their capacity. According to Depogaz, the main underground natural gas storage operator in Romania, the country has no problem in securing natural gas for the cold season, this stock being by 780 million cubic meters higher than last year. The latest statistics show that Romania has the fastest emptying rate of stored gas deposits in the EU.

Weather – In Romania, the National Meteorological Administration has issued a cold weather alert valid in all regions, until Friday, as well as Yellow Code Alerts for snow and blizzard, for areas in 27 counties, valid until Monday evening. According to meteorologists, in the Southern and Eastern Carpathians, it will snow locally and temporarily, and the wind speed will increase at 60 – 70 km/h, and at altitudes above 1,700 m, the gusts will exceed 80 – 90 km /h. Until Friday, the weather will be cold in all regions, with mostly negative highs. It will be frosty at night and in the morning in the intra-Carpathian regions, as well as on smaller areas and in the rest of the territory. The minimum temperatures will range between -14 and -4 degrees, and between -20 and -18 degrees C in isolated areas.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse reached the last qualifications round of the tennis tournament in Abu Dhabi. That happened following the abandonment of the Czech Tereza Martincova, at the score of 6-3, 3-0 for Gabriela Ruse. The Romanian Sorana Cîrstea entered the main singles draw directly and will play in the first round against the Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk. The winner will face the Swiss Belinda Bencic, the second seed, in the round of 16. Monica Niculescu will play in the doubles, where she pairs with the Japanese Miyu Kato, the opponents in the first round being Ulrikke Eikeri (Norway) and Alexa Guarachi (Chile). (LS)

5 February 2023
February 5, 2023

Cairo – The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, met, on Sunday, in Cairo, with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The talks focused on topics such as bilateral cooperation in the economic and social fields, as well as the impact of the Russian military aggression on Ukraine. The Egyptian president thanked, on this occasion, for the support provided by Romania for the evacuation from Ukraine of the more than one thousand repatriated Egyptian students last year, as well as for facilitating the export of Ukrainian grain to Egypt. In this context, Nicolae Ciucă highlighted the need to support Romanian farmers through access to the production of fertilizers from Egypt necessary for agricultural crops. At the same time, the two agreed to increase Romanian farmers grain exports to the Egyptian market. On Sunday, the Romanian Prime Minister also participated in the Egypt-Romania Business Forum, as well as in the signing ceremony of several bilateral documents. On Saturday, Nicolae Ciucă discussed with his Egyptian counterpart, Mostafa Madbouly, about the intensification of bilateral relations, both at the political, commercial and economic levels. He also had a meeting with representatives of the Romanian community in Egypt and with Egyptian citizens who studied in Romania.

EU – The European Union totally suspended, as of Sunday, imports of Russian refined oil products, such as gasoline, diesel or fuel oil, in the context of the war in Ukraine. Another European measure, taken together with the allied states, the G7 group of highly industrialized states and Australia also enters into force on Sunday. The measure is about limiting the price of Russian oil products transported by sea. European limits provide a maximum of 100 dollars per barrel for expensive products, such as diesel oil and gasoline, and a maximum of 45 dollars per barrel for less refined ones, such as fuel oil. These measures come after a previous capping at 60 dollars per barrel of Russian crude oil imposed on December 5. Beyond this ceiling, Western companies were prohibited from providing maritime services to Russia, given that the G7 countries provide approximately 90% of the global transport.

Weather – Romania is under a cold wave alert. Meteorologists have issued two yellow code alerts for bad weather valid until Monday evening. The first alert targets the Southern and Eastern Carpathians, where it will still snow locally and temporarily, and the wind will intensify with speeds reaching 60 – 70 km/h, and at altitudes above 1,700 m, the gusts will exceed 80 – 90 km/h. The other yellow code alert targets counties in the east and southeast of the country, where there will be temporary stronger winds. In the last 24 hours, firefighters intervened in several localities in 18 counties and in the city of Bucharest, to cope with the effects of snow, blizzard and strong winds, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) announced on Sunday. In several counties there are still problems with the supply of electricity. Firefighters intervened to get several vehicles unstuck from the snow, to clear dozens of trees and several electricity poles that fell and damaged several cars. Several national and county roads in the southeast, east and west were blocked by snow. The highs of the day are generally between minus 6 and 1 degree Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 2 degrees C.

Kyiv – Ukraine was the target of numerous Russian bombings on Saturday, with Kyiv claiming at the same time that it managed to counter an attack on Bahmut, a city in the east that the Ukrainian president called a fortress, AFP reports. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry the Russian forces are concentrating their efforts in eastern Ukraine. In the south of the Zaporizhzhia province (south), shells fell on some civil infrastructures located on the territories of dozens of localities. Also, the bombings continued in Kherson, an important city also in the south, captured and then abandoned by the Russians. The United States on Friday announced a new 2.2 billion dollar military aid package for Ukraine, which includes missiles that will practically double the range of the Ukrainian strike force against the Russians, AFP and Reuters report. Moreover, Portugal announced on Saturday that it would send Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv. Also on Saturday, Canada sent the first Leopard 2 tank of those it promised to Ukraine, the Minister Defense Anita Anand announced. At the end of last month, Canada announced the decision to deliver four German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv. (LS)

5 February 2023
February 2, 2023 UPDATE

Visit — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis was received, on Thursday, by his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, in Baku. The Romanian president is paying a two-day official visit to Azerbaijan. The Romanian delegation includes the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, the Energy Minister Virgil Popescu, the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service – SRI, Eduard Hellvig and other presidential advisers. The two presidents discussed the development of bilateral cooperation in areas such as energy, transport, trade, investments, digitization, agriculture, education and culture. Also, the two assessed the stage of implementation of regional interconnection projects, such as the submarine transmission cable for electricity, and they also addressed the initiation of similar projects in the digital field. On Friday, the two national companies, Romgaz and Socar, will sign a new contract for the delivery of natural gas for the period April 1, 2023 and April 1, 2024. Thus, according to Ilham Aliyev, all opportunities in Romania will be used for the export of Azeri gas to other European markets. Also on Friday, Klaus Iohannis will open, together with Ilham Aliyev, the Ministerial Meeting of the Consultative Council of the Southern Gas Corridor, which will be attended by the European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson.

Sofia — Ensuring the security of the EUs external borders and the effective management of the migration phenomenon can only be achieved through a coordinated effort at the national and European level, the Romanian Interior Minister, Lucian Bode, said on Thursday in Sofia. He added that Romania is a security provider at the European level, and the protection of the EUs external borders is a priority. Lucian Bode participated in the ministerial conference “Efficient management of the external borders of the EU”. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian official had a bilateral meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart, Ivan Demerdzhiev. On this occasion, the two deepened the bilateral consultations started on the occasion of the JHA informal Council in Stockholm, which took place last week, regarding the acceleration of the accession process of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. We remind you that on December 8, 2022, at the JHA council in Brussels, Romania was not admitted to the free travel area due to the opposition of Austria and the Netherlands. The Austrians voted against, and the Dutch decided to accept Romanias accession, but not Bulgarias, the two countries being analyzed on a common file.

ICR — The Romanian Cultural Institute allocates 1 million lei (about 200 thousand Euros) this year for the translation of Romanian books abroad, through two funding programs. These are addressed to publishers from outside Romania and aim to facilitate access to Romanian culture, by supporting translations from Romanian authors and publications dedicated to Romanian culture and civilization. The files can be submitted, for the first time, exclusively online, by email, until March 8. They will be evaluated by a commission of independent experts.

EU — The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, announced in Kyiv that the EU countries would train another 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers, thus doubling the size of an ongoing program. He made this statement during a conversation with the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denis Shmihal. Some of the soldiers will be prepared to use equipment including modern German tanks Leopard 2. Josep Borrell also said that Brussels will make available to Kyiv 25 million Euros to support the demining efforts of the countrys territory. “The protection of civilians and their livelihoods is a priority,” he underlined. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and important European commissioners arrived in Kyiv on Thursday, to hold a joint meeting with the Ukrainian Government, on the eve of the EU – Ukraine summit due on February 3. The former Soviet republic applied to join the EU in February 2022, being granted the candidate country status in June 2022.

OMV – The largest energy company in southeastern Europe – OMV Petrom – recorded, last year, a net profit of over 10 billion lei (over 2 billion Euros), by 260% higher than the previous year. According to the data of the Bucharest Stock Exchange, the companys contribution to the state budget, through taxes and dividends, reached a record level of 20 billion lei (about 4 billion Euros). The company plans investments of 6 billion lei (about 1.2 billion Euros), with the Neptun Deep project in the Black Sea at the center of the strategy. OMV Petrom has recently announced that it will not pay the solidarity tax of 60% on oil companies profits, imposed by the Bucharest Government, because, the group claims, it does not fall within its application criteria. The European Commission found the company is right, but the National Agency for Fiscal Administration – ANAF announced that it will continue the checks and discussions with the European Commission in order to clarify the situation. (LS)

2 February 2023
Nachrichten 16.01.2023

Am Sonntag wurde in ganz Rumänien der Nationale Kulturtag und der 173. Jahrestag der Geburt des Nationaldichters Mihai Eminescu begangen. Es wurden Konzerte, Liederabende und Ausstellungen organisiert, und der Eintritt in viele Museen war frei. Die Bukarester Nationaloper lud zu einer Galavorstellung ein, an der politische Persönlichkeiten und Diplomaten teilnahmen. Der Tag der rumänischen Kultur wurde auch im Ausland gefeiert. Das Rumänische Kulturinstitut hat bis zum 20. Januar Veranstaltungen in 20 Städten im Ausland organisiert. Die Veranstaltungen in Budapest, Warschau, Stockholm oder Peking konzentrieren sich auf die Präsentation der Stadt Timisoara, die dieses Jahr Kulturhauptstadt Europas ist, als internationales kulturelles Wahrzeichen. In Brüssel findet eine Buchausstellung mit dem Titel Rumänische kulturelle Präsenzen in den Sammlungen der Königlichen Bibliothek von Belgien statt, und in Paris wurde eine Debatte organisiert, an der über 20 Fachleute aus der Verlagswelt, Übersetzer rumänischer Literatur, Vertreter französischer Verlage und Buchhändler teilnahmen.

Der rumänische Außenminister Bogdan Aurescu führte am Montag ein Telefongespräch mit seinem portugiesischen Amtskollegen Joao Gomez Cravinho, in dem die beiden Minister ihre Wertschätzung für die hervorragende Zusammenarbeit zwischen Rumänien und Portugal in allen Bereichen zum Ausdruck brachten. Außenminister Bogdan Aurescu bedankte sich für die ständige und aktive Unterstützung Portugals für das Ziel Rumäniens, dem Schengen-Raum beizutreten, und der portugiesische Minister bekräftigte erneut die feste und aktive Unterstützung Portugals. Die beiden Minister erörterten auch die Sicherheitslage in der Region im Zusammenhang mit der brutalen Aggression Russlands gegen die Ukraine. Der rumänische Minister bedankte sich ebenfalls für die maßgebliche Beteiligung Portugals an den Bemühungen zur Stärkung der Abschreckung und der Verteidigungsposition an der Ostflanke durch die Präsenz des portugiesischen Militärs in Rumänien.

Die Welle der Atemwegsinfektionen könnte diese Woche in Rumänien ihren Höhepunkt erreichen. Nach Schätzungen von Fachleuten könnte bis zum 10. Februar ein Höchststand an Infektionsfällen gemeldet werden, danach wird die Zahl der Fälle abnehmen. Die jüngsten Daten des Gesundheitsministeriums weisen auf über 100.000 Fälle von Atemwegsinfektionen, Grippe und Lungenentzündung hin, die von Ärzten in der ersten Woche dieses Jahres festgestellt wurden. Diese Zahl liegt weit über der des vorangegangenen Intervalls und hat sich im Vergleich zum Zeitraum vor der Pandemie fast verdoppelt. In den letzten Tagen haben die Ärzte noch mehr Fälle von Mehrfachinfektionen mit dem Grippevirus und dem Coronavirus bestätigt.

Griechenland hat beschlossen, seine eigene Initiative bezüglich des Beitritts Rumäniens und Bulgariens zum Schengener Abkommen zu verfolgen. Nach Gesprächen in Wien mit dem Bundeskanzler und seinem österreichischen Amtskollegen hat der griechische Innenminister Notis Mitarakis diese Woche in Sofia und Bukarest Gespräche über die Koordinierung der Migrationspolitik und den Schutz der Außengrenzen angesetzt. Athen ist der Ansicht, dass der Beitritt der beiden Länder zum Schengen-Raum auch für Griechenland unmittelbare Vorteile mit sich bringen wird, da der Raum für den Straßen- und Handelsverkehr vereinheitlicht wird und durch die Landverbindung mit dem Schengen-Raum zur Ankurbelung der Wirtschaftstätigkeit des Landes beitragen und die Sicherheit der EU-Außengrenzen stärken wird. Das griechische Ministerium für Migration und Asyl erinnert daran, dass der Antrag Kroatiens auf Schengen-Beitritt am 8. Dezember 2022 vom Rat für Justiz und Inneres in Brüssel angenommen wurde, während Rumänien und Bulgarien mit dem Widerstand Österreichs und der Niederlande konfrontiert waren, obwohl beide Länder die Verfahren für den Beitritt zum Raum des freien Personenverkehrs erfolgreich abgeschlossen haben.

Die NATO wird einige ihrer Flugzeuge vom Luftwaffenstützpunkt in der Nähe von Aachen in Deutschland nach Rumänien verlegen, um dem von Russland in der Ukraine begonnenen Krieg näher zu sein. Die drei Überwachungsflugzeuge sollen am Dienstag in Bukarest eintreffen, um die verstärkte Präsenz des Bündnisses in der Region zu unterstützen und die russischen militärischen Aktivitäten zu überwachen. Außerdem werden auf dem Stützpunkt Otopeni in der Nähe von Bukarest 180 Soldaten stationiert, die die Flugzeuge bedienen sollen. Die Sprecherin des Bündnisses, die Rumänin Oana Lungescu, betonte, dass die Flugzeuge aus einer Entfernung von Hunderten von Kilometern aufspüren können und somit ein Schlüsselinstrument für die Abschreckung und die Verteidigungshaltung der NATO darstellen.

Die Ukraine und die Europäische Union haben ein Memorandum über die Zuteilung von Finanzhilfen in Höhe von 18 Milliarden Euro im Jahr 2023 unterzeichnet – das hat der ukrainische Premierminister Denis Schmyhal bekannt gegeben. Ihm zufolge erwartet die Ukraine noch in dieser Woche eine erste Tranche von drei Milliarden Euro. Vor Ort gehen die Kämpfe weiter. Russland hat in der Nacht einen Angriff auf die südostukrainische Stadt Saporischschja gestartet, bei dem Zivilisten verletzt und Wohnhäuser zerstört wurden, wie aus der Region verlautete. Gleichzeitig werden immer noch Dutzende von Zivilisten vermisst, nachdem eine russische Rakete am Samstag ein Hochhaus in der ukrainischen Stadt Dnipro (Zentrum) getroffen hatte. Mehr als 35 Menschen verloren ihr Leben. Die Stadt Cherson in der Südukraine steht nach Angaben der örtlichen Behörden weiterhin unter russischem Beschuss. Am Sonntag wurden das Hauptquartier einer örtlichen Rot-Kreuz-Einheit, ein Rehabilitationszentrum für behinderte Kinder, ein Gebiet um ein Studentenwohnheim sowie eine wichtige Infrastruktureinrichtung angegriffen.

Bislang wurden in Rumänien 565 Millionen Euro für die Bewältigung der durch den Krieg im Nachbarland Ukraine ausgelösten Flüchtlingskrise bereitgestellt, wovon 200 Millionen Euro von internationalen Partnern kamen, heißt es im Bericht der Bukarester Regierung über die Bemühungen im Bereich der humanitären Hilfe. Von den über drei Millionen ukrainischen Staatsbürgern, die über die Grenze nach Rumänien gekommen sind, haben sich 100.000 vorübergehend in Rumänien niedergelassen, und 4.000 haben Asyl beantragt.

Gesundheitsminister Alexandru Rafila kündigte am Montag an, dass Rumänien von Südkorea eine Spende von medizinischer und IT-Ausrüstung im Wert von rund acht Millionen Dollar erhalten wird. Die Spende umfasst komplexe Ausrüstungen für die Wasserkontrolle, die Kontrolle von Tabak und Tabakinhaltsstoffen, die Überwachung und Kontrolle übertragbarer Krankheiten, d.h. Diagnose- und Sequenzierungsausrüstungen, erklärte Minister Rafila auf einer gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz mit dem Botschafter der Republik Korea in Rumänien, Rim Kap-soo. Nach Angaben des Ministers erfolgt die Geste Südkoreas im Gegenzug zu einer Spende von Impfstoffen gegen das neue Coronavirus, die Rumänien dem Land zukommen ließ.

16 January 2023
January 13, 2023

RATE Romania’s annual inflation rate dropped to 16.4% in December from 16.8%
a month before against the background of the latest price hikes of more than
22% for food products of 14.95% for non-food products and of 9.78% for
services, the national institute for statistics has announced. In November last
year, the country’s central bank announced an inflation forecast of 16.3% for
the end of last year and a 16.3% inflation rate for the end of 2023. The bank’s
spokesman Dan Suciu announced yesterday that Romania was going to avoid
recession, in spite of a lower economic growth than last year. According to
him, a significant drop in the inflation rate has been forecast for the third
quarter of the year and Romania is expected to have a one-digit inflation rate
towards the end of 2023.

AID US humanitarian aid for Ukraine is for the first time going
to reach this country through the Romanian hub in Suceava, northern Romania -
the US embassy in Bucharest has announced. The aid consists of 30 trucks loaded
with clothes, blankets, personal hygiene products, diapers and emergency kits
gathered through a campaign launched in March 2022 in Utah. 40 tons of material
goods of a total value of roughly one million dollars as well as 4 million
dollars in cash have so far been raised through the aforementioned campaign.

DAY The Day of the Romanian Culture, marked on January 15th
every year, which coincides with the birthday of Romania’s national poet Mihai
Eminescu will this year see a series of on-line and off-line cultural events
staged all over the country. Several museums have offered free access to
visitors and have announced extended opening hours, while the National Opera in
Bucharest will be hosting a special concert. This series of events will kick
off today in several culture institutions of Romania. The National Library in
Bucharest is going to host a recital of music and poetry and the National
Museum of the Romanian Literature in Iasi, north-eastern Romania is staging an
online workshop entitled ‘Eminescu’s Time’, where students are invited to learn
more about Romania’s national poet.

FLU Between January 2-8 Romania reported 102,884 respiratory infections as
compared to 74,567 in the previous week, the National Public Health Institute
has announced. The present flu wave is also affecting children who require
hospital treatment for pneumonia. Authorities have confirmed 15 fatalities
caused by the flu. The growing number of infections has deepened the crisis
caused by the shortage of anti-flu medicines Romania is presently facing.

SCHENGEN Romania’s accession to Europe’s border-free area,
Schengen, is a top priority for Romania, the country’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan
Aurescu, said in Bucharest yesterday, when Sweden took over the half-yearly
rotating EU presidency. Romania relies on Sweden’s support as a mediator in
this respect. Sweden’s ambassador to Bucharest, Therese Hyden, says that the
Schengen file will be on the agenda of a formal EU meeting when Austria no
longer opposes Romania’s accession and the Netherlands the accession of
Bulgaria.

(bill)

13 January 2023
Extended NATO – EU cooperation

To continue to develop their cooperation in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the European Union and NATO signed, at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, a new Joint Declaration, the third one, after those of 2016 and 2018. Cooperation is more important as ever, said the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, after signing the document, and stated that the partnership between the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union must continue to be strengthened. “The regime in Moscow wants a different Europe. It wants to control its neighbors. And it sees democracy and freedom as a threat. This will have long-lasting consequences for our security. So, we must continue to strengthen the vital transatlantic bond in NATO. We must continue to strengthen the partnership between NATO and the European Union. And we must further strengthen our support to Ukraine. said the NATO official.

In turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized that Ukraine must receive all the military equipment it needs to defend its territory, including advanced anti-aircraft defense systems, as long as necessary.

And the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, recalled that the Europeans were the first to supply military equipment to Kyiv, shortly after the outbreak of the conflict, and spoke about the unity of the North Atlantic Alliance. According to him, the European Union and NATO share the same values. They have the same goals in terms of democracy and economic strategy. The war started by Russia has many consequences, it affects both the EU and NATO, so they must be together, stand united and strong against Russia, said the European official.

From Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis welcomed the signing of the third joint declaration of cooperation between NATO and the European Union and reiterated Romanias strong support for the consolidation of the security and prosperity of the Euro-Atlantic area.

Romania reaffirms its conviction that solidarity and cooperation are the key elements for the defense of security and our common values. We are stronger together!’, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also said.

And the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, stated that Bucharest, one of the regional actors most interested in the success of NATO-EU cooperation, will continue to bring a substantial contribution to the implementation of the new priorities and directions of action that the Declaration put forward. In the current security context, marked by the effects of the war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine, the move of the two organizations represents a substantial message regarding the attachment of NATO and the EU to the democratic values and spirit writes a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest. (LS)

11 January 2023
Rumänien feiert 16 Jahre seit dem EU-Beitritt

Vom 22. Dezember 1989 bis zum 1. Januar 2007 dauerte der Übergang Rumäniens von einer der härtesten kommunistischen Diktaturen des Kontinents, der Diktatur von Nicolae Ceauşescu, zum Status eines Mitglieds der Europäischen Union. Vor der Aufnahme in die NATO im Jahr 2004 galt der Beitritt des Landes zu den Gemeinschaftsstrukturen als einer der grö‎ßten Erfolge der politischen Klasse aus Bukarest, die damals von Präsident Traian Băsescu und Premierminister Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu dominiert wurde. Aber alle wichtigen Parteien unterstützten dieses Ziel und entsprachen damit den Erwartungen der rumänischen Gesellschaft. Aus den Archiven geht hervor, dass beispielsweise im Herbst 2005 das Vertrauen der Rumänen in die Europäische Union das höchste unter allen Mitgliedsstaaten oder im Beitrittsprozess war.

Nach dem Beitritt war Rumänien, gemessen an der Einwohnerzahl, das siebte Land in der Union und nach dem Brexit das sechste. Die rumänische Sprache ist zu einer der Amtssprachen der Union geworden, und jeder Bürger kann sich in rumänischer Sprache an die Gemeinschaftsorgane wenden. Der Name der Europäischen Union selbst, in rumänischer Sprache, erhielt offiziellen Status. Die rumänischen Abgeordneten des Europäischen Parlaments nahmen ihren Platz in der Legislative der Gemeinschaft ein.

Wie die anderen Mitgliedstaaten hat auch Rumänien den Posten eines EU-Kommissars in der Exekutive der Union. Neben den politischen Vorteilen machte sich der Beitritt auch im täglichen Leben der Rumänen bemerkbar, die nun europäische Bürger sind. Sie können reisen und sich überall in der Gemeinschaft niederlassen und auf dem Arbeitsmarkt in Ländern konkurrieren, in denen die Löhne viel höher sind als in ihrer Heimat. Der Au‎ßenhandel Rumäniens wird eindeutig vom Handel mit Partnern aus der Union dominiert, und das Bruttoinlandsprodukt ist in den Jahren nach dem Beitritt stetig gewachsen.

Meinungsumfragen zeigen, dass die Mehrheit der Rumänen glaubt, dass die Richtung, in die sich ihr Land in Bezug auf politische und militärische Bündnisse bewegen muss, der Westen ist, d. h. die Europäische Union, die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika und die NATO. Sie sind der Meinung, dass der Beitritt zur Europäischen Union mehr Vorteile mit sich bringt. Etwa zwei Drittel der Befragten gaben jedoch an, dass ihr Land seine nationalen Interessen verteidigen muss, wenn diese nicht mit den Regeln der Union übereinstimmen, auch wenn es dabei riskiert, seine Position als Mitglied des Gemeinschaftsblocks zu verlieren.

Deutlich weniger gaben an, dass Rumänien als Mitgliedstaat die Gemeinschaftsregeln einhalten muss, auch wenn seine nationalen Interessen beeinträchtigt werden. In jedem Fall sind die meisten der Meinung, dass die Europäische Union in den kommenden Jahren nicht auseinanderfallen sollte. Die Umfragen zeigen jedoch auch die Frustration der meisten Rumänen darüber, dass ihr Land noch nicht in den Schengen-Raum der Freizügigkeit aufgenommen wurde, wodurch sie sich als europäische Bürger zweiter Klasse fühlen.

3 January 2023
January 1, 2023

WELFARE As of today,
the pension point in Romania has increased by 12.5% up to 360 euros. The
minimum wages are also expected to increase up to 375 euros and the lowest
wages in the construction sector will go up to about 800 euros. Starting
January 1st, state employees will get a 10% pay rise and the benefits for
children are to be adjusted to the inflation rate. At the same time the 10
eurocent fuel subsidy has been eliminated although the government
pledges to reintroduce it if price hikes are going to exceed the purchasing
power. Authorities in Bucharest have maintained the measures of capping and
subsidizing electricity and natural gas.

MAE Carrying on the moves for
Romania’s accession to Schengen and the OECD as well as supporting the Republic
of Moldova’s EU accession are some of the priorities of the Romanian diplomacy
in 2023, says the yearly report of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Romania will continue to support the creation of a mechanism for holding
responsible those who committed the aggression in the illegal war Russia is
presently waging on Ukraine. As for the country’s NATO membership, the Ministry
says it will promote Romania’s strategic priorities inside the alliance
including at the upcoming NATO summit in July in Vilnius where the Romanian
ministry is expected to be pleading for the consolidation of the NATO
deterrence and defence posture on its eastern flank in view of defending
national security and in the Black Sea area, as an area of strategic importance
for the Euro-Atlantic security. The report also mentions the moves to get
Romania into the Visa Waiver programme. As for the states in the region, the
ministry says that Romania will continue to actively provide multidimensional
assistance and support to the neighboring Ukraine and support the European and
Euro-Atlantic orientation of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.

EU On January 1st
Sweden took over from the Czech Republic the presidency of the EU Council and
for six months will be playing a key-role of leader and mediator inside the
bloc. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has reviewed some of the main
issues, which are to be addressed such as the war in Ukraine, the fight against
climate change and Europe’s competitiveness. Sweden’s priorities are focusing
on a ‘greener, safer and more free Europe’, Kristersson says. Ulf Kristersson
and his cabinet are quite unknown on the European stage as his conservative
government came to power more than nine months ago after it had replaced the
Social-Democrats led by Magdalena Andersson.

DAY Orthodox
believers, who are a majority in Romania, on January 1 celebrate St. Basil the
Great, whose name is born by 600 thousand Romanians. St. Basil lived in the 4th
century and used to be a bishop in Caesarea, a city in modern-day Turkey. During
the 9 years of his mandate as a bishop, St. Basil proved to be a great
theologian, a defender of the Orthodox faith, a good organizer of the monastic
life and the social activity inside the church. It was the first bishop who built
hospitals and asylums for the poor and the underprivileged.

(bill)

1 January 2023
December 31, 2022

NEW YEAR PM
Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians
proved their solidarity, handled challenges hard to imagine and managed to do
more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at
its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised
that the government would continue to protect citizens’ interests, to support
the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of
Romania wished A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts
to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and
abroad.

MEASURES In
Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to
reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the
other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be
discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel
prices rise beyond citizens’ spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will
be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will
remain in place.

JUDICIARY The
year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice
Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institution’s Facebook page. According
to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to
achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders
able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical
social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state
from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says
that the Ministry’s top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania
being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification
Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.

POPE Pope emeritus
Benedict XVI died this morning, aged 95, the Vatican announced. Over the past
few days his health had deteriorated, AFP reports. The former Pope spent his
last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state, after
resigning in 2013, for reasons that are still unclear. Elected on April 19,
2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader
of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI
announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health.
Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down
voluntarily.

FUNDING
Romania this year received the green light for the partnership agreement and
all the 16 programmes under the 2021-2027 cohesion policy, thus avoiding the
risk of losing EUR 5.2 bln, the ministry for investments and European projects
announced. According to the institution, these 16 programmes will bring into
the country EUR 46 bln in strategic investments in safer hospitals, transport
networks, the water and sewage infrastructure and support for the business
community. Eight of the 16 programmes are regional. In the previous EU financial
period, 2014-2020, Romania received EU funds totaling EUR 25.4 bln. (AMP)

31 December 2022
European funding for green transition

The European Commission has announced
that in its second year of operation the Modernisation Fund disbursed a
total EUR 4.11 bln in support of 61 projects in 8 beneficiary countries.

Romania received the largest amount, nearly one-third
of the total-EUR 1.39 bln. The project financed in Romania is aimed at building
8 photovoltaic parks and 2 power plants, as well as at upgrading the country’s
energy networks.

Payments have also been made to Croatia, Czechia,
Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. According to the EC, the
Modernisation Fund is designed to support EU member states with
lower revenues in their clean energy transition. The projects will contribute
to the modernisation of energy networks, to reducing greenhouse emissions in
the energy sector, industry, transport and agriculture, and to improving energy
efficiency.

The support provided to these investments, the
Commission says, will help the beneficiary member states to reach their
environment and climate targets for 2030 and to step up the EU’s green
transition.

Last year, the Fund disbursed nearly EUR 900 mln to 8
beneficiary countries, and complemented other EU financing instruments like
the Cohesion Policy and the Just Transition Fund. The Modernisation
Fund operates under the responsibility of its beneficiary countries, in
close cooperation with the European Commission and the European Investment Bank.

For the next investment cycle, countries may submit
investment proposals in order to obtain assistance from the Modernisation Fund
by 19th January 2023 for non-priority proposals and by 16th
February 2023 for priority proposals.

For Romania, next year’s main challenge will be
related to the spending of EU funds, including those under the National
Recovery and Resilience Plan ,where 41% of the EUR 29 bln earmarked to
the country will be channelled into the green energy transition.

The head of the Romanian Investors Association
Cristian Pârvan says the top concern for the business community and
policy-makers should be the accessing of EU funding, by reaching the benchmarks
and targets undertaken under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and by
submitting, selecting and funding viable projects:

Cristian Pârvan: The business community is trying to
make progress in its mission and obviously to make profits. But it is facing
lots of challenges, from those in the energy sector to those related to
workforce, and to the fact that for the time being the European economic
solidarity is just an aspiration, rather than translating in pan-European
projects.

Cristian Pârvan also says that a firm, coherent and
targeted policy may take Romania to a higher development level. (AMP)

23 December 2022
The EU is consuming less natural gas

The natural gas consumption in the European Union decreased by more than 20% in August, September, October and November this year, compared to the average for the same period from 2017 to 2021, shows data published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). Natural gas consumption has decreased in most Member States, but differently. In 18 countries, gas consumption fell by more than the target of 15%, in some countries even by more than 40%. The most significant decline was registered in Finland (almost 53%), Latvia and Lithuania. Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania and Estonia reported decreases of over 30%. Six EU members, even if they have reduced their consumption, have not yet reached the 15% target.

Moreover, natural gas consumption increased in Malta and Slovakia. The objective is a 15% reduction of gas consumption between August 2022 and March 2023, compared to the similar average of the last five consecutive years, in order to stop the dependence of the EU bloc on fossil fuels from Russia and to stop feeding with money Kremlins war industry. Between January and July 2022, natural gas consumption in the European Union varied between 1,938 petajoules (PJ) in January, a colder month, and 785 PJ in July, indicating an overall monthly decline even before the 15% reduction target was set. August was the month with the lowest consumption: 708 PJ, compared to the 823 PJ average for the period 2017-2021.

On the other hand, the European energy ministers reached an agreement on Monday on capping the price of natural gas, after several weeks of discussions on a package of emergency measures that have created divisions among member states, in an attempt to respond to the energy crisis. According to documents accessed by Reuters, it was agreed that the capping will be triggered when the quotes at the gas hub in Amsterdam reach 180 Euros per Megawatt-hour (MWh) for three days. The same document shows that the capping could be triggered starting from February 15, 2023 and, initially, it will not apply to ‘over the counter’ type transactions (outside the market).

The European Commission on Tuesday held a round table involving the participation of high-level industry representatives to support activity within the EU Energy Platform towards joint gas procurement, which is scheduled to start in 2023. Attending were representatives of 33 companies from the member states and the contracting parties to the Energy Community. The objective of the Platform is to contribute to the coordination of gas purchases, while using the EU’s negotiating and political power to ensure the supply of energy from reliable partners at sustainable prices for the EU citizens and businesses. (LS)

21 December 2022
December 15, 2022 UPDATE

JHA – The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, expressed, on Thursday, her disappointment with last week’s vote in the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU, following which Romania and Bulgaria were not admitted to the Schengen Area. The European Union has proven, in time, that it can remove any barriers and bring people together – said Roberta Metsola in her speech at the beginning of the Brussels meeting of the European Council. She also stated that the Union could do this even now, if it had the courage to take political decisions to maintain the European construction. According to official sources, quoted by Radio Romania, President Klaus Iohannis thanked for the strong support of the European Parliament and the overwhelming majority of member states. On the sidelines of the Council, President Iohannis discussed with community leaders, to explain them the unfair situation in which Romania finds itself and the need to find a solution for admission to the Schengen Area.

OECD – Romania submitted, on Thursday, at the Paris-based headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the initial memorandum regarding its accession to this structure. The document was handed to the Secretary General of the OECD, Mathias Cormann, by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, who is on a working visit to the French capital. Currently, the OECD has 38 member states, representing established democracies and consolidated economies. Together, the OECD member states provide about 70% of the global production and trade and 90% of the worlds foreign direct investments. The OECD facilitates the exchange of experience and good practices between countries and makes available to them its own data, analyzes and expertise regarding the establishment of public policies.

Protests – The Federation of Free Trade Unions in Romanian Education continues its protest actions started last week. The employees are dissatisfied with the authorities failure to grant the pay increase for working conditions and overtime. At the same time, they are asking for the index-linking of salaries to cover the inflation rate. On Thursday, the education trade unionists protested in front of the prefects offices in several cities of the country, including Galati (southeast) and Vaslui (east). On the other hand, in Bucharest, policemen and penitentiary workers took to the streets in front of the Finance Ministry. They request the full payment of outstanding salary differences, the updating of food and equipment standards, as well as the indexation of military pensions and salaries.

Swimming – The Romanian swimmer David Popovici ranked fourth, on Thursday, with a time of 45 sec and 64/100, in the 100 m freestyle final of the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Melbourne. Popovici, the world champion in the Olympic pool event, was only seven hundredths of a second away from the bronze medal, but he set a new junior world record, breaking the one set on Wednesday, in the semi-finals (45 sec and 91/100). He will also participate, in Melbourne, in the 200m freestyle, after failing to pass the heats in the 400m freestyle. Also on Thursday and also in Melbourne, another Romanian, Andrei Anghel, qualified for the semifinals of the 50m backstroke event, after being recorded with the seventh time of the series, 23 sec and 12/100. Romania is represented by three swimmers at the World Championships in Australia.

Energy – The leadership of the National Energy Regulatory Authority met, on Thursday, with the representatives of the electricity suppliers in Romania, to explain them how the new price cap law is applied. The law will enter into force on January 1 next year. The suppliers claim that almost 9 million Romanians should submit applications to benefit from capped tariffs, while the Authority says that the number is much lower. The institution points out that each customer can automatically benefit, without any other formalities, from the capping of bills for one single household, if they do not exceed the consumption levels provided by law. (LS)

15 December 2022
December 12, 2022 UPDATE

TALKS The vote in the JHA
Council is very problematic for all of us in Romania. I was disappointed and
upset following this vote, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on
Monday, after receiving the president of the Swiss
Confederation Ignazio Cassis in Bucharest. The Romanian president added that he
would most certainly raise the issue of Romania’s denied Schengen bid at the
meeting of the European Council due on December 15. Romania should be a part of
Schengen, the Swiss president said in his turn. The 2
officials discussed bilateral relations and economic cooperation, with an emphasis
on boosting investments and identifying new areas of cooperation, and exchanged
views on the latest international developments, including the war in Ukraine
and its implications for the energy market and global security.

FUNDING Romania’s PM Nicolae Ciucă Monday requested all ministries
and coordinating institutions to give maximum priority to completing the 51 benchmarks
and targets in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan related to the second
payment request, amounting to EUR 2.8 bln, which Romania is scheduled to submit
to the European Commission this month. This amount adds to the EUR 3.7 bln pre-financing
amount and to a first EUR 2.6 bln instalment already cashed in by Romania. We
cannot afford to deviate from our commitments, because a lot of elements
related to reform processes, investments and even economic stability depend on
us accessing this money, the PM said at a meeting of the inter-ministry
Committee Coordinating the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Committee
also reviewed the progress with respect to the 55 targets and benchmarks due
for the 3rd and 4th quarters of this year, related to the
3rd payment request that Romania is scheduled to submit to the EC
this spring.

BUDGET In Bucharest, Parliament’s specialist committees Monday approved
the draft budgets of several ministries. The education, transport, development
and defence ministries will have higher budgets next year, while the energy,
justice and healthcare ministries will receive less money in 2023. The ruling
coalition said the budget bill is based on record high investments and accounts
for 7.2% of GDP. It takes into account an economic growth rate of 2.8% of GDP,
an annual inflation rate of 8%, a growing number of people in employment and a
lower unemployment rate of 2.7%. The opposition has criticised the budget bill.
Both the power and the opposition have submitted amendments. The final vote is
due on Thursday.

MOTION Save Romania Union in
opposition Monday tabled a simple motion against the interior minister Lucian
Bode, whom they see as responsible for Romania’s failure to join the Schengen free-movement
area. According to the party, Bode shares this responsibility with the
president Klaus Iohannis, with the parliamentary majority and the diplomacy in Bucharest.
USR also invited the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu to give Parliament
explanations on this topic. Several EU member states voiced their
disappointment with the denial of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession bids.
Moreover, the EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, said this would
be a priority of her term in office.

EU European democracy is under attack, the head of the European
Parliament Roberta Metsola said on Monday, voicing her outrage and sadness following
allegations of corruption in the European Parliament in relation to Qatar. In
turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, Monday
called for EU institutions to be governed by the highest standards of
independence and integrity. The EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep
Borrell described the EP corruption allegations as being of the utmost
concern. Eva Kaili, a vice-president of the European parliament from Greece, and
3 other individuals were detained and charged in Belgium in an international corruption
investigation related to Qatar. The 4 were charged with participation in a criminal
organisation, money laundering and corruption.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian diplomacy chief Bogdan Aurescu took part on Monday in Brussels in an informal meeting concerning the future of the Eastern
Partnership, organised at the initiative of Minister Aurescu and his counterparts
from Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and in a meeting of the Eastern Partnership
foreign ministers. In
his addresses, Bogdan Aurescu pleaded for revitalising the Eastern Partnership
and for adapting it to the new regional context, and reiterated Romania’s firm
and continuing support for it. He argued that the Eastern Partnership can make
a significant contribution to strengthening the stability, security and
prosperity in the Eastern Neighbourhood, by consolidating regional cooperation,
the security and resilience of partners and through an adequate joint response to
the challenges facing the region. Mr. Aurescu also emphasised that in the new
context generated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a more robust
and more efficient security dimension of the Eastern Partnership is necessary.

MEETING The Romanian justice minister, Cătălin
Predoiu, had a meeting on Monday in Luxembourg with the head of the European
Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Laura Codruţa Kovesi. According to the
Romanian justice ministry, the 2 officials discussed the protection of the EU’s
financial interests, the EPPO human resources issue and the broadening of the
Office’s powers to include the prosecution of breaches of EU sanctions. I am
confidence that an in-depth dialogue with the EPPO may lead to ideas and
solutions to make the cooperation between national and EPPO prosecutors more
efficient. After all, they all fight crime, which affects both the interests of
the EU and the national interests of member states, Catalin Predoiu said. (AMP)

12 December 2022
December 11, 2022 UPDATE

Budget — The state budget and social insurance draft laws will be debated in Romania’s Parliament on Monday. The final vote is to be given in the plenary sessions of the two chambers on Thursday. The state budget for next year is based on an economic growth of 2.8% and a revenue increase of 14%. The budget deficit is forecast to increase by almost 4.4% of the GDP, and the main novelty is the increase to 2.5% of the Defense budget. The state budget for next year will allow, according to the authorities, an increase in pensions by 12.5% and a minimum wage of 3,000 lei (about 600 Euros). According to the document, the Ministries of Defense, Development, Agriculture, Transport and Education will receive more funds. The fields of Energy, Justice and Health will receive less money. The opposition criticizes the Governments budget bill and announces that it will submit amendments in Parliament.

Visit — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will receive, on Monday, in Bucharest, the president of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis. The two will discuss the bilateral relationship and economic cooperation, with an emphasis on stimulating investments and identifying new areas of collaboration. At the same time, they will also exchange views on current topics on the international agenda, including the developments in Ukraine, humanitarian aid measures for the Ukrainian population and refugees, the consequences of the conflict in terms of energy, as well as in terms of global food security. Romanian-Swiss multilateral cooperation is also on the agenda of the discussions, including from the perspective of Switzerlands future mandate as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, which it will exercise in the period 2023-2024. On the other hand, the signing ceremony of the Romanian-Swiss Framework Agreement will take place, through which the second Swiss financial contribution to reduce economic and social disparities in the EU will be operationalized. President Ignazio Cassis also has a scheduled meeting with the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and will also be received by Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown.

Meeting — The Romanian Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea, is participating, on Sunday and Monday, in the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) in Brussels. According to an agriculture ministry communiqué, the meetings agenda includes important aspects for the Romanian agricultural sector, such as the market situation, the strategic plans of the CAP, animal welfare and fishing opportunities for next year. The ministers are discussing the progress of the new EU forest strategy for 2030 and the actions taken at EU and national level. At the same time, the ministers will debate the current situation of the market in the member states, the main issues related to the energy and fertilizer crisis, the high prices of production factors, as well as the pressure that the crisis exerts on both farmers and consumers. Also, the European officials will tackle the strategic plans included in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the context of the current situation in Ukraine and the new challenges facing both the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Agreement — The EU member states reached an agreement, on Saturday, regarding the unlocking of a financial assistance package worth 18 billion Euros, which will be granted to Ukraine in 2023. ‘Ukraine can count on the EU. We will continue to support Ukraine also from a financial point of view, as long as it is necessary’ shows a press release from the European Council. The proposal was adopted by the Council and will be presented to the European Parliament to be adopted next week. On Tuesday, Hungary vetoed the package proposed by the European Commission.

Handball — Romania’s handball champions Rapid Bucharest scored a prestigious victory in the Champions League in womens handball, 30-27 against the multiple champion Gyori Audi ETO KC (Hungary), on Sunday, at home, in a Group B match. After this victory, the Romanian handballers have reached 12 points in the group, as many as Gyori and Esbjerg (Denmark) and one below Metz (France). In the last match of this year, Rapid will meet, away from home, Storhamar (Norway), on December 17. The first two teams in the group go directly to the quarter finals, and the next 4 to the play-offs.

Corruption – The Greek vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, and three other people were indicted and imprisoned, on Sunday, in Belgium, in an investigation regarding suspicions of corruption in connection with Qatar. The four were accused of belonging to a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption. Eva Kaili could not benefit from her parliamentary immunity because she was caught in the act of committing the offence she is accused of was on Friday. According to the Federal Prosecutors Office, they suspect the payment of significant sums of money or the offering of significant gifts to third parties in a political and/or strategic position that allows them, within the European Parliament, to influence the decisions of this institution. On Saturday, the president of the European Parliament, the Maltese Roberta Metsola, decided on a first sanction against Eva Kaila. The Greek vice-president was left without all delegated responsibilities, including that of representative for the Middle East region. Left-wing MEPs and environmentalists demanded the resignation of Eva Kaili, who was also excluded from the Greek Socialist Party.

11 December 2022