Radio România Internațional

Tag: EU

July 18, 2023 UPDATE

SUMMIT Romania’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the humanitarian and
food crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine was one of the topics
discussed by president Klaus Iohannis at the the EU – Latin America summit held
in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday. In his addresses during the meeting, the
Romanian official praised the organisation of this summit as a necessary
moment of reconnection of regional communities with largely converging
interests and approaches, the Romanian Presidency says. Klaus Iohannis stated
that Romania firmly supported dialogue and constructive cooperation with the
partners in the region, as well as regular top-level meetings between
representatives of the 2 blocs. President Iohannis also presented Bucharest’s views on the most
efficient measures to fight climate change. He pleaded for the concentration
of bilateral cooperation both on the more efficient combating of the risks
entailed by climate change, and on capitalising on the clean energy transition
as a new shared opportunity. The Romanian president also presented Romania’s
outlook on the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the
multidimensional support provided by Romania and the importance of joint action
in order to defend a rule-based international order. On the sidelines of the
summit, the Romanian official had a meeting with the head of the Community of
Latin-American and Caribbean States, Ralph Gonsalves, to discuss strengthening
the relations between Romania and the countries in that region.

ROMANIA – MEXICO Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu had talks
with her Mexican counterpart Alicia Barcena Ibarra on Monday on the sidelines
of the EU-CELAC summit. Talks focused on giving a new impetus to bilateral
relations, including by top level contact, identifying new areas of sectoral
cooperation, the presentation of Romania’s position on Russia’s military
aggression against Ukraine and an exchange of views on the future of EU-Mexico
relations. The areas in which Romania is seeking to improve cooperation with
Mexico include civil protection, cyber security and boosting economic ties with
emphasis on enhancing investments. The talks also highlighted the importance of
the Romanian community in Mexico and the support given by Romania in the
evacuation of Mexican nationals from Ukraine.

GRAIN NATO’s
deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană condemned, in a Facebook post, Russia’s
unilateral decision to pull out of the agreement that had guaranteed Ukraine’s
grain exports via the Black Sea for the past year. In spite of the efforts of
the UN and Turkey, the 4-party agreement signed by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and
the UN expired at midnight on Monday, after it was last extended for 2 months
in May. Russia declined a new extension of the deal signed on July 22 last year,
on grounds of the obstacles faced by the trade in Russian agricultural
products. The last shipment of agricultural products from Ukraine via the Black
Sea was inspected on Monday night in Istanbul, a few hours before the expiry of
the international agreement. The EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borell also
condemned Russia’s decision to withdraw from the agreement which, in spite of
the war, allowed the export of over 3 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain and
agricultural products.

MONEY LAUNDERING Moneyval calls on Romanian authorities to
strengthen its measures to counter money laundering and terrorism financing, reads
a report released on Tuesday by the Council of Europe’s monitoring body on
money laundering. Since 2014, when MONEYVAL last evaluated Romania, the country
has taken a number of actions to strengthen its legal and institutional
framework to tackle money laundering and the financing of terrorism. According
to Moneyval, Bucharest has achieved moderate levels of effectiveness in all
areas assessed except for international cooperation, where it has achieved a
substantial level of effectiveness and has been commended by other countries
for its constructive assistance. Romania has improved its ability to freeze,
seize and confiscate the proceeds and instrumentalities of domestic crime, the
report also says.

FOOTBALL The
Romanian Football Federation Tuesday announced submitting its candidacy for
organising the 2026 or 2027 Europa League final on the National Arena in
Bucharest. After having successfully organised the EURO 2020 and this year’s
Under-21 European Championship matches, the Federation seeks to continue
promoting Romania as a destination for major sports events, reads a news
release posted on the Federation’s official website. EURO 2020 brought us the
largest public investments in infrastructure, a solid heritage that influences
the development of Romanian football. Also, the Romanian Football Federation
has proved that it has developed its organisational capacity and it is a
competitive partner for UEFA in the European football circuit, and now we aim
to move to a new stage, one fostering further development for Romanian
football, the RFF president Răzvan Burleanu said. The National Arena has
already hosted a Europa League final in 2012, when Atletico Madrid defeated
Athletic Bilbao 3-0. For the next 2 years, the hosts of the Europa League final
are already known: Dublin (Irland), in 2024, and Bilbao (Spain), in 2025. (AMP)

18 July 2023
July 17, 2023

SUMMIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis
takes part on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels in the 3rd summit of
the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. The main goal of the summit is to revive the partnership
between the EU and Latin American countries, in the context of current
geopolitical developments, including Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to
the Romanian presidency, Mr. Iohannis will highlight the importance of the
cooperation between the 2 regions for the management of new global challenges,
of the complex challenges facing both regions, and of the new development
opportunities that may be capitalised on through enhanced cooperation. The
Romanian president will also emphasise that Romania’s active commitment to a
closer cooperation between the 2 regions was reconfirmed in all his meetings
with his counterparts, during his official visits to Brazil, Chile and
Argentina this April.

GOVERNMENT The
Social Democratic MPs Natalia Intotero and Simona Bucura-Oprescu have been
appointed by their party leaders today as the new ministries for family and
labour, respectively. The 2 positions were vacant after the resignation of Gabrielei
Firea as minister for family and of Marius Budăi as labour minister, following
a scandal concerning care home abuses in Ilfov County, near the capital
Bucharest, where prosecutors are investigating organised crime groups exploiting
vulnerable people. Simona Bucura-Oprescu chairs the Committee on public
administration and country planning in the Chamber of Deputies. She was elected
as Deputy for Argeş County as a Social Democratic candidate, first in 2012, and
then in 2016 and 2020. Natalia Intotero was a minister for the Romanian
diaspora in 2018-2019 and a state secretary with the Foreign Ministry. She is
also at her 3rd term in office as an MP, and since December 2020 she
has been chairing the Chamber’s committee on education.

TAXATION The government of Romania is looking at a set of
tax increases to be applied as of September 1 in order to offset the budget
deficit. The planned changes include a new 1% tax on residential buildings
worth over EUR 500,000, and higher taxes on tobacco products and gambling. According
to governmental sources, 2 VAT rates will remain in force, with a 9% tax rate
for foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and prostheses, and a 19% rate for other
products and services. The government is also considering the introduction of
public health insurance contributions for employees in agriculture and
constructions, thus eliminating current exemptions in these sectors. Additional
taxes will be charged on transfers by companies that move their profits out of
the country. As many as 85.8% of the small and medium-sized enterprises are
against these proposed amendments to the Fiscal Code, the SME Council president
Florin Jianu says.

CULTURE This week’s agenda of the Timişoara – European Capital
of Culture programme includes theatre, performing arts, cinema, exhibitions and
gastronomy. The world-famous US actor John Malkovich stars in The Infernal
Comedy staged by the National Theatre in Timişoara, supported by the Vienna
Academy Orchestra, in 3 sold-out performances on Thursday and Friday. On
Tuesday, the Revolution Memorial Museum opens an exhibition on The Berlin
Wall, a border through Germany, and Wednesday sees the first screening of a travel
documentary by Florin Iepan, entitled My journey to Romania – Letter from
Timişoara, depicting the city as seen by a Norwegian traveller, Christoffer
Johansen.

SPORTS Romanian
football champions Farul Constanţa take on Sheriff Tiraspol, of the R. of
Moldova, on Tuesday night, in the Champions League’s first qualifying round. In the first leg, Farul won 1-0 on home
turf. The winning team is next to play against the winner of the round pitting Maccabi Haifa (Israel) against Hamrun Spartans (Malta), in
which the Israeli side won the first leg 4-0. Three
Romanian teams are playing in Conference League as well. In the 2nd
qualifying round, former champions CFR Cluj take on Adana Demirspor, of Turkey.
Cup winners Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe are pitting against CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria), while
vice-champions FCSB (Bucharest) are facing CSKA 1948 Sofia. The first leg is
scheduled for July 27, with the return leg due a week later. (AMP)

17 July 2023
EU-Parlament: Entschließung fordert schnellen Schengen-Beitritt für Rumänien und Bulgarien

Rumänien und Bulgarien sollten bis Ende dieses Jahres in den Schengen-Raum aufgenommen werden, so die am Mittwoch vom Europäischen Parlament angenommene Resolution. In dem Dokument, das bei der Abstimmung mit 526 Ja-Stimmen, 57 Nein-Stimmen und 42 Enthaltungen bedacht wurde, wird betont, dass Rumänien und Bulgarien bereits die notwendigen Voraussetzungen für die Aufnahme in den Schengen-Raum erfüllt haben und dass die Ausübung des Vetorechts gegen den Beitritt der beiden Länder antieuropäische Stimmungen schürt und der Wirtschaft schadet.

Die Abgeordneten bedauern die Entscheidung des EU-Rates vom 8. Dezember 2022, die Mitgliedschaft abzulehnen, ohne dass eine rechtliche Begründung im Zusammenhang mit den Beitrittskriterien vorgelegt wurde“, wie es in der Entschlie‎ßung hei‎ßt. Nach Ansicht der Abgeordneten werden rumänische und bulgarische Bürger diskriminiert, da sie im Vergleich zu den Bürgern der Schengen-Länder mit Verzögerungen, bürokratischen Schwierigkeiten und zusätzlichen Kosten konfrontiert sind, wenn sie ins europäische Ausland reisen oder dort Geschäfte abwickeln wollen. Die Resolution fordert die Europäische Kommission au‎ßerdem auf, die finanziellen und wirtschaflichen Verluste sowie die Umweltschäden zu schätzen, die Rumänien und Bulgarien seit Juni 2011 infolge der negativen und ungerechtfertigten Entscheidung“ über ihren Schengen-Beitritt erlitten haben, und mögliche Entschädigungsmechanismen zu prüfen.

In einem Interview mit Radio Rumänien legte der rumänische Europaabgeordnete Victor Negrescu jedoch Zurückhaltung nahe, da bis zum Jahresende noch drei Tagungen des Rates für Justiz und Inneres anstehen, bei denen eine Entscheidung über den Beitritt völlig offen bleibe. Aus Österreich, dem Land, das sich im Dezember 2022 stur gegen den Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens gestemmt hat, gebe es noch keine Anzeichen, dass Wien seine Position revidiert habe:

Unser Wunsch ist es, dass Rumänien bis Jahresende in den Schengenraum aufgenommen wird; dennoch ist keine voreilige Freude ratsam, sonst kommt es womöglich wie vergangenes Jahr, als wir viel über den Beitritt sprachen und dieser dann doch vereitelt wurde. Dieses Jahr sollten wir über die bestehenden diplomatischen Kanäle versuchen, Druck auszuüben, um die Meinung der österreichischen Regierung zu ändern und letztendlich eine positive Entscheidung zu erreichen. Aber im Moment sind wir noch nicht so weit. Ich denke, dieses Jahr ist es noch schwieriger als letztes Jahr, weil die Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament und die Nationalrastwahl in Österreich immer näher rücken, und das vom österreichischen Bundeskanzler forcierte Thema der Migration wird wohl in beiden eine Rolle spielen.“

Im Dezember 2022 hat Österreich den Schengen-Antrag Rumäniens blockiert — mit der Begründung, Rumänien sei Teil der Balkanroute für illegale Migration. Der Vorwurf wurde von der Regierung in Bukarest zurückgewiesen und von den europäischen Institutionen, einschlie‎ßlich der Europäischen Agentur für Grenzschutz und Küstenwache (Frontex), offiziell widerlegt. Derzeit sind von den 27 EU-Mitgliedstaaten nur Rumänien, Bulgarien, Zypern und Irland vom Schengenraum noch ausgeschlossen. Hingegen sind Nicht-EU-Länder wie Island, Norwegen, die Schweiz und Liechtenstein Teil des Freizügigkeitsabkommens.

13 July 2023
July 1, 2023

Russia — 40 employees of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, together with their family members, are to leave Romania on board a civil aircraft belonging to a Russian airline. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Romanias decision to reduce the staff of the Russian diplomatic mission reflects the current level of bilateral relations, in the context of Moscows launching a war of aggression against Romanias neighboring Ukraine. We remind you that, at the beginning of this month, the Romanian diplomacy announced Russia that it must reduce the number of posts in Romania by 61%. It was Russia’s choice to reduce posts and to ask its officials to leave Romania.

Shipyard — The Severnav shipyard from Drobeta-Turnu Severin (south-west of Romania) launched the first fully equipped ship on Friday, after a 12-year production break. The cargo named “Napoleon” was made for a Romanian ship owner. It is a chemical tank, equipped with the latest technologies and equipment, dedicated to river transport of petroleum products – gasoline, diesel or bio-components. The shipyard on the Danube, with an experience of about 170 years, is trying to resume the construction of turnkey ships. This year, at Severnav, at least nine more ships are going to be launched for the Romanian market as well as for the Western European market.

B-FIT Street! — This weekend July 1 and 2 promises to be a festive one in Bucharest, where the biggest international street theater festival in the city, B-FIT in the Street! is scheduled. After a three-year break, the event returns to Bucharest and transforms the central streets into pedestrian areas, where spectators can witness aerial acrobatics and interactive music performances. They will also enjoy sound installations, street musicians, cabaret dancers, fantastic characters who perform in itinerant shows, creative workshops and sports activities.

Migration — The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the management and strengthening of the Union borders are among the main elements in the fight against illegal migration. She hopes that the ongoing pilot projects in Bulgaria and Romania will serve as a model of good practices for other external borders as well. The European leaders, gathered on Thursday and Friday, in Brussels, had heated debates on the issue of migration management, without reaching an agreement. Poland and Hungary are opposed to the pact that provides for the relocation of asylum seekers on the principle of solidarity. However, the reform continues its course, after last month it was approved by the Council through a qualified majority, instead of consensus.

Attack – A citizen from Tajikistan shot dead two people, on Friday, at the Chisinau airport, after the Moldovan authorities refused him entry into Moldova. The head of the Moldovan Police said that there is no evidence that the 43-year-old man belongs to foreign military or paramilitary structures. The interim chief prosecutor stated that the incident is, however, being investigated as a terrorist act. The attacker opened fire after he managed to take the weapon of a border policeman, then barricaded himself in a room at the airport. The special forces captured him, the man is injured and was hospitalized under guard. Flights and commercial activity at the Chisinau airport were temporarily suspended. (LS)

1 July 2023
June 30, 2023

PRICES The government of Romania is discussing today an emergency
order introducing temporary measures to curb the excessive rise of foodstuff
prices. Under the new regulation, food processors may charge a maximum 20%
mark-up on production costs. The combined mark-up throughout the distribution
chain, regardless of the number of distributors, may not exceed 5%, while
retailers may charge an additional maximum 20% on purchase prices plus
overheads and direct expenses. The emergency order will be valid for 90 days
after endorsement.

EU Europe’s relations with China
are on the agenda of Friday’s talks at the European Council meeting in Brussels.
Some member states believe the West relies too much on an undemocratic country
that has close ties with Russia. The invasion of Ukraine highlighted the West’s
dependence on Russian oil and gas, and there are concerns that a similar
mistake is being made with respect to China, the source of many consumer goods,
the BBC notes. On Thursday, the first day of the Council meeting, the situation
in Ukraine and Russia was in the focus on the talks. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, EU leaders have undertaken
to help Ukraine in the long run to defend itself against Russia’s military
aggression. The meeting was also attended by the NATO secretary general Jens
Stoltenberg, with the president of Ukraine Volodymyr
Zelenskyy joining in via video link. The
president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said both the EU and NATO must provide
proportional support to the R. of Moldova as well, which is waiting to take the
next step towards European integration. As regards the transit of Ukrainian
grain, which has affected Romanian farmers, the president says Romania may
provide an answer to Kyiv’s request for more intensive use of the Danube as a
transit option.

SALARIES Teaching staff in the Romanian public
undergraduate education sector will receive more benefits under the new
collective bargaining agreement signed on Thursday. The announcement was made
by the education minister, Ligia Deca. On the other hand, Sanitas trade union
announced they have secured pay raises for public healthcare staff.

PENSIONS The Constitutional Court of Romania will discuss on 26 July
a notification filed by the High Court of Cassation and Justice against the
scrapping of special pensions and the law prohibiting the payment of both
public sector salaries and pensions to the same person at the same time. Both
bills were passed on Wednesday in Parliament and are being checked for
compliance with the Constitution, before being sent for promulgation by
president Klaus Iohannis. Supreme Court judges decided to notify the
Constitutional Court with respect to the two bills, which they claim violates
several of their rights.

SUPPORT The PM of Spain Pedro Sanchez travels to Kyiv on Saturday to
reiterate the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine, on the first day of Spain’s
rotating presidency of the EU Council, 1 July. The announcement was made by the
president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine is an EU candidate country
and is hoping to open accession negotiations at the end of this year.

EUROPEAN GAMES Romania is placed 13th in the nations
ranking at the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska (Poland), 9 days into the
competition. Romanian athletes have so far won 14 medals (5 gold, 4 silver and
5 bronze). Cyclist Vlad Dascălu in the mountain bike event, athlete Claudia
Bobocea in the 1,500m race, Bernadette Szocs in the table tennis final, as well
as Kinga Barabasi and Apor Gyorgydeak in teqball are Romania’s gold medallists.
Silver medals went to athletes Bianca Ghelber in the hammer throw event and
Daniela Stanciu in the high jump, to rower Cătălin Chirilă in the 500m canoe
race and to Ilinca Pantiş in the saber event. Ştefan Comănescu in the 67 kg kumite,
Andrea Miklos in the 400 m race, Mălina Călugăreanu in the foil event, Ovidiu
Ionescu/Bernadette Szocs in the mixed doubles and Elizabeta Samara in the women’s
table tennis competitions, respectively, won bronze medals. Romania takes part
in this year’s edition of the European Games with 150 athletes in 18 sports. (AMP)

30 June 2023
Aufbau- und Resilienzplan: EU-Kommission gibt grünes Licht für 2. Zahlungsantrag Rumäniens

Die Europäische Kommission hat den zweiten Zahlungsantrag Rumäniens im Rahmen des Nationalen Konjunkturprogramms in Höhe von 3,22 Mrd. EUR positiv bewertet. Zuvor hatte die Kommission festgehalten, dass Rumänien 49 von den insgesamt 51 vereinbarten Meilensteinen und Zielen erreicht habe. Bei den beiden verbleibenden Teilzielen, die u.a. Energieinvestitionen betreffen, hat Rumänien die Bedingungen bisher nicht erfüllt, was die Kommission veranlasst hat, das Verfahren zur Aussetzung der Zahlungen für diese Meilensteine einzuleiten.

Da zwei Meilensteine nicht zufriedenstellend erreicht wurden, erhält Rumänien um 53,36 Mio. EUR weniger im Rahmen der Darlehenskomponente, hat aber weitere sechs Monate Zeit, um nachzuweisen, dass diese Meilensteine ebenfalls zufriedenstellend erreicht wurden. Nach den Regeln für die Umsetzung des Konjunktur- und Resilienzmechanismus erhalten die Mitgliedstaaten jene Mittel, die sich auf die in einem Auszahlungsantrag enthaltenen Ziele und Meilensteine beziehen, und haben danach zusätzliche Zeit zur Verfügung, um die verbleibenden Meilensteine zu erreichen.

Der neue Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu (PSD) ist der Ansicht, dass diese Bewertung die Regierung ermutigt, weiter auf die Erreichung ihrer Ziele hinzuarbeiten. Er versprach, dass sein Kabinett die beiden unerreichten Meilensteine im Energiebereich schnell berücksichtigen werde, damit alle zugewiesenen Mittel abgerufen werden können. Ciolacus Vorgänger an der Spitze der Exekutive, Nicolae Ciucă (PNL), sagte, dass die EU-Gelder einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Modernisierung Rumäniens in allen Schlüsselbereichen leisten werden, insbesondere in den Bereichen Infrastruktur, Gesundheit und Bildung.

In einer Gesamtbewertung erklärte die Leiterin der Europäischen Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, dass Rumänien bei der Umsetzung seines Konjunkturprogramms Fortschritte gemacht habe, etwa mit Reformen in den Bereichen Verkehrssicherheit, erneuerbare Energien und Cloud-Dienste im öffentlichen Sektor. Von den 3,22 Milliarden Euro sind etwa zwei Drittel Zuschüsse und ein Drittel Darlehen. Die Kommission wird ihre Bewertung des Zahlungsantrags Nr. 2 dem Wirtschafts- und Finanzausschuss gemä‎ß dem Verfahren zur Genehmigung vorlegen.

Der erste Zahlungsantrag im Rahmen des Konjunkturprogramms (PNRR) wurde Rumänien im Oktober 2022 mit 2,6 Mrd. EUR ausgezahlt, davon 1,8 Mrd. EUR als Zuschüsse und 0,8 Mrd. EUR als Darlehen. Rumänien soll insgesamt mehr als 29 Mrd. EUR erhalten, davon die Hälfte in Form von Zuschüssen und die andere Hälfte als Darlehen. Für die Umsetzung des Nationalen Konjunkturprogramms kamen Rumänien bereits zwei Vorfinanzierungstranchen in Höhe von insgesamt rund 3,79 Mrd. EUR zugute.

28 June 2023
Meeting for the reconstruction of Ukraine

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced, on Wednesday, at the Conference for the reconstruction of Ukraine, organized in London, the creation of a European fund worth 50 billion Euros in the coming years, necessary for the reconstruction of the country invaded by Moscow’s troops on February 24, 2022. The head of the European Commission says that the European Union has an additional responsibility towards Kyiv, since the authorities there claim that they are determined to lead their country towards admission into the Union.

The community program will be financed in three ways: European grants, loans and money obtained from the confiscation of Russian assets. The experts’ estimates regarding the costs of reconstruction already exceed 300 billion pounds and continue to grow, so, the international media write, the contribution of the private sector will also be necessary. And the US will provide additional aid, worth 1.3 billion dollars, for the Ukrainian economy, especially for its essential infrastructure, the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, announced, also in London.

The meeting is attended by dozens of political leaders and businesspeople from around the world, and for the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, it was another opportunity to advocate for his country’s rapprochement to the European Union and NATO. The reconstruction of Ukraine, Zelensky added, must be based on trust between partners and a geopolitical context that guarantees that such conflicts will not occur again.

Meanwhile, the number of Ukrainian citizens who found employment in neighboring Romania after the outbreak of the war reached a new record on Wednesday, said the Romanian Labor Minister, Marius Budai. According to him, at the national level, 6,810 employment contracts were concluded for the Ukrainian citizens, the highest level since February 24, 2022 until now. Most Ukrainians employed in Romania, 1,452, are working in the manufacturing industry, and 1,181 in constructions. Another 737 are employed in the commercial field. From the point of view of the areas in which they chose to work, most Ukrainians, 2,770, found work in Bucharest, and 418 in Timiş county (west). More than four and a half million Ukrainians fled through Romania from the menace of the Russian invasion troops. Most of them continued their way to Western European countries, but over 85 thousand chose to stay here.

The Ukrainians say that especially the language barrier – their Slavic language has very few similarities with Romance Romanian – prevents them from finding a job and enrolling their children in school, in order to benefit from the financial aid offered by the Romanian state. The new program adopted by the Romanian authorities to support the refugees obliges every member of the family to work, and the children to go to a Romanian school. (LS)

22 June 2023
May 31, 2023 UPDATE

EDUCATION The government’s new salary offer for teachers will be
presented to unions in an expedited procedure, so as to allow teachers to
decide on whether to continue the strike, the education union leaders announced
at the end of Wednesday’s negotiations. The government proposed a monthly gross
EUR 200 payment to teaching staff and EUR 80 for non-teaching staff in the
sector. An emergency order will also be passed, allowing entry-level teachers
to have a starting salary equal to the national average gross wage. The all-out
strike in Romanian undergraduate education has reached its 10th day.

MOLDOVA The Republic of Moldova Thursday hosts the European
Political Community Summit, attended by 50 heads of state and government. The
European Commission is represented by its president Ursula von der Leyen and
the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. The most important subjects on the
agenda of the summit are security, stability and cooperation in Europe. Also attending will be the
president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. On
Tuesday, the EU Council decided to double the macro-financial aid for the
Republic of Moldova from EUR 150 to 295 million.

POLICE On Wednesday in Romania prison officers protested salary
levels and the working conditions. Penitentiary police workers say they work
extensive extra hours in order to make up for personnel shortages, and oppose
the planned increase of retirement age in the sector. Trade union
representatives had a meeting with the justice minister, who said the dialogue
was constructive and promised that the rights of prison officers will be
respected. Cătălin Predoiu added that in the following two years at most, up to
2,000 officers will be recruited in order to fill the vacancies in the penitentiary
system.

CHAMPIONSHIP The 2023 World Rescue Championship takes place in
Craiova, southern Romania, between June 1 and 4. This is the largest such event
of the International Canine Federation, with more than 60 search and rescue
dogs taking part, from 10 countries (Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Italy,
Japan, Romania, Slovenia, Ukraine and the Netherlands). The world’s top 19
teams will compete in various sections, including surface search for missing
persons, obedience and dexterity, and search for victims in the rubble.
Craiova is the first city in the world to have organised five World Rescue
Championships (2009, 2016, 2021, 2022, and 2023).

GRAIN EU agriculture ministers meeting in the AGRIFISH council have
not managed to unblock 100 million euros worth of aid for farmers affected by
Ukraine’s export of cheap grain. Romania is one of the five countries that may
benefit from the aid and it stands to receive around EUR 30 million. The
European commissioner for agriculture Ianusz Wojciechowski gave assurances that
the aid will be unblocked and the situation monitored. He said he was not in
favour of using the EU budget to buy Ukrainian grain to be supplied to the
world food programme because the cost would be three times that of the cereals
themselves. He believes the money would be better used, in the long term, to
improve the infrastructure, for example that of Romania, and said he would have
talks in this regard with the European commissioner for transport and
infrastructure Adina Vălean.

TENNIS The only Romanian
athlete left in the Roland Garros competition, Irina Begu, Wednesday defeated
Italy’s Sara Errani, in 2 sets, 6 – 3, 6 – 0. On Tuesday, Sorana Cirstea was
kicked out of the competition by another Italian player, Jasmine Paolini. Also
on Tuesday, the Canadian athlete Bianca Andreescu won against Victoria
Azarenka (Belarus) in 3 sets. (AMP)

31 May 2023
Double EU aid for the Republic of Moldova

For a long time included
in specialized rankings as the poorest European state, the Republic of Moldova
(ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking) is dependent on the financial
assistance of Western partners. Things got worse after, on February 24, 2022,
Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Moldova had to manage a huge flow of Ukrainian
refugees, to find solutions to the economic issues caused by
the war in the neighboring country and to resist the assiduous attempts of
Moscow, which has never accepted the idea that there is a pro-Western regime in
Chisinau, to destabilize the political situation in that country.

The state of emergency
in Moldova has actually been extended by 60 days, starting June 4. The decision
was motivated by the risks and threats generated by the war unleashed by the
Russian Federation in Ukraine. According to the authorities, the republic is
exposed to asymmetric threats and a wide spectrum of manifestations of hybrid
warfare. The risk of new cyber attacks on public institutions and critical
national infrastructure was also raised. The Republic, therefore, still needs
the legal mechanisms related to the state of emergency, in order to manage any
unpredictable developments.

Against this
distressing background, the Council of the European Union decided, on Tuesday,
to practically double the macro-financial aid earmarked for the Republic of
Moldova, from 150 to 295 million euros. Last month, the Romanian MEP Siegfried
Mureșan (PPE-PNL), the head of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU -
Moldova Association Committee stated: we offer the Republic of Moldova
the financial support it needs to ensure that, throughout this year, the
Government has sufficient funds available to support people and ensure economic
stability. He added that the Republic of Moldova is a candidate
state for EU accession and we must help it overcome the challenges it faces and
continue its European integration.

Also on Tuesday, the
member states of the European Union adopted sanctions against seven people,
accused, in particular, of being connected with Russia’s efforts to
destabilize the Republic of Moldova. Their assets will be frozen inside
the Union, where their access will also be banned. According to Brussels, the
seven are politicians and
businesspeople of Moldovan or Russian nationality who engaged in destabilizing
activities, by planning violent demonstrations or by supporting the Russian
Federal Security Service (FSB).

The decisions adopted
by the community leaders preface the Thursday meeting in the Republic of
Moldova of leaders from almost 50 countries, for the second summit of the
European Political Community (EPC), whose assumed values are democracy,
respect for human rights and the rule of law . (MI)

31 May 2023
Customs duty waiver for Ukraine

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 May 2023
May 25, 2023 UPDATE

Strike — The strike in the education system in Romania continues, after the unions rejected the latest offer made by the government, which they consider offensive. The teachers were to receive 2,500 lei this year, in two installments, and the non-teaching staff 1,000 lei. The money would have been granted on a “professional career card”. The trade unions are asking for a rise in incomes of 25% and a law under which the salary of a beginner teacher should be the equivalent of the average gross salary. A new round of negotiations took place on Thursday in Bucharest. Employees in the pre-university education system started an all-out strike on May 22, dissatisfied with the level of salaries and working conditions. The union leaders have stated that they will not give up the protest until their demands are resolved.

Deficit – The European Commission Executive Vice-President, Valdis Dombrovskis on Wednesday called on the member states to more effectively apply their plans of recovery and resilience, to make investments and cut on spending. The European Commission has again drawn attention to the economic situation in Romania, the only EU country for which the excessive deficit procedure has been activated. According to Brussels, Romania spends more money than it has and must cut its deficit under 3% by the next year. According to the Romanian government, the budget deficit is expected to go down under 4.4% of the GDP this year and 2.9% next year.

Visit — Currently, “a real war is going on in Europe” said, on Thursday, in Sibiu (center), the president of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who reiterated the call for unity in this context. ‘Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, we have considerably strengthened NATOs Eastern Flank and have considerably expanded our cooperation in the field of security policy. Both within the European Union and within NATO, our countries collaborate closely, based on trust’, the German official emphasized. Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, stated, in turn, that the Romanian-German friendship, with an old tradition, has now reached an unprecedented point of development. The two met with the representatives of the German community in Romania and visited the “Samuel von Brukenthal” National College, with tuition in German, a school attested in documents almost 650 years ago. The German president is on a state visit to Romania until Friday.

Football – Sepsi OSK Sfantu Gheorghe won Romanias football cup after a 5-4 win against Universitatea Cluj in the shootouts on Wednesday evening. 120 minutes into the game, the score was nil-all. The hero of Sepsi was its goalkeeper, Roland Niczuly, a former player of Universitatea Cluj. Niczuly managed to save three shots, after Universitatea had got the upper hand but wasted two chances. Sepsi has won the trophy for the second time in a row. We recall that this ambitious football side from central Romania, lost the finals of the aforementioned competition in 2020. Universitatea Cluj was left with the trophy they won in 1965, losing the Romanian Cup finals for the fifth time.

Moldova – Less than 0.5% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova who spent their holiday abroad last year chose the Commonwealth of Independent States – CIS as their destination – reveals a study published in Chişinău. The research appeared in the context in which the Moldovan government made the decision to withdraw from the CIS, given the fact that one of its founding members, Russia, attacked another founding member, Ukraine. 40% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova would, however, like the country to remain in the CIS, and Moscow claims that, by leaving the organization, the Republic of Moldova risks losing economic advantages. Official statistics show, however, that the commercial relations of the Republic of Moldova are currently mainly oriented towards the European Union. The Republic of Moldova wants to join the European Union “as soon as possible” in order to protect itself from the Russian threat and hopes for a decision “in the next few months” regarding the opening of negotiations, President Maia Sandu had previously said.

Banks – The banks in Romania will have to issue new repayment schedules, where the amount of the principal on the loan will be paid by consumers in equal installments over the entire loan term, said the general director of the National Authority for Consumer Protection, Paul Anghel. Also, the president of the institution, Horia Constantinescu, pointed out that he had already signed the orders to stop these deceptive practices for 11 banks that were previously fined because the installments was mainly composed of interests in the first years of repayment. The Authority for Consumer Protection announced on Thursday that eight other banks were sanctioned for the way in which they calculate loan rates. Moreover, the Authority notified the Competition Council over what it called the cartel attitude of some banking institutions. However, the Romanian Association of Banks contradicted the Authority and showed that this calculation method was included in the Romanian legislation since the setting-up of regulations on lending activity. (LS)

25 May 2023
Allied support for Ukraine

EU member states have managed to supply, in just the
past few days, one-quarter of the artillery shells promised to Ukraine for the
entire year. In Tuesday’s meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels,the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said the European
bloc provided Ukraine with some 220,000 shells and 1,300 missiles. He also said
the Union mobilised EUR 10 bln to be able to provide military support to
Ukraine, of which EUR 5.6 bln under the European Peace Facility and the balance
from the military industry and member states.

NATO also carries on ammunition deliveries. Attending
the EU meeting, the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg pointed out that,
over the past few months, Ukraine received Leopard, Challenger and Abrams heavy
tanks. The UK has sent modern long-range missiles, while other Allies, including
the US, Germany, Poland and the UK have started training Ukrainian pilots for
the F-16 aircraft to be supplied to Kyiv.

Also attending Tuesday’s meeting in Brussels, the
Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr said the current context proved that the
defence budget must be increased. In this sector, there are no expenses, but
investments, and Romania has understood this, Angel Tîlvăr said:

Angel Tîlvăr: Romania’s reputation is improving
steadily, thanks to its consistency and to the fact that it understands that in
defence it’s not about spending, but about investing. And the situation today
proves that we have made the right decision when we increased the budget to 2% over
the past 6 years. And the 2.5% of GDP earmarked this year for defence enables
us to purchase or produce further equipment and high-tech capabilities able to
meet citizens’ expectations that the Army must ensure peace, predictability and
stability.

According to the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr, the
talks in Brussels revealed enhanced cohesion between the EU and NATO:

Angel Tîlvăr: The NATO secretary general taking part
in the EU meeting was important, because the discussions we had and the fact
that there were nuances in our solidarity led to enhanced cohesion in terms of
the cooperation between the European Union and NATO.

On Monday, one day before the meeting of EU defence
ministers, Brussels also hosted a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers. For
Romania’s diplomacy chief, Bogdan Aurescu, this was an opportunity to point out
that Romania supports uninterrupted support for Ukraine at all levels,
concurrently with further sanctions and international isolation for Russia. (AMP)

24 May 2023
Pro-European assembly in Chişinău

Faced with an unprecedented energy crisis, which it is coping with thanks to the help offered by Romania and the European Union, and subjected to hybrid threats from Russia, the Republic of Moldova understood, after three decades of swinging between the East and the West, who its true political friends are. And the European Union is among those that the small Eastern European state, with a majority Romanian-speaking population, can really rely on.

The confirmation came directly from the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who was invited, on Sunday, to the great pro-European assembly convened by President Maia Sandu in Chişinău. Moldova is not alone, Europe is Moldova, Moldova is Europe – said, in Romanian, the European official. She has given assurances to Moldova that the European Union will support it in the integration process. Roberta Metsola said that they gathered there at a special moment, to send a pro-European message to the international community, adding that she gave them, in the month of May, the answer of the European Parliament: go ahead, keep it up, Moldova is not alone!

Roberta Metsola praised the Moldovan citizens for the solidarity they showed toward the aggressed Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees, and on the other hand she condemned the Russian policies of threats and blackmail towards Moldova.

The best way to get rid of Russian blackmail is integration into the European Union, Maia Sandu told her fellow citizens: European Moldova means a Moldova with strong and reliable friends, who will not leave us alone in front of the aggressors who bring wars and kill people. We can only be safe together with the European family. This war clearly shows us that we no longer want to be blackmailed by Moscow.

The Republic of Moldova became an EU candidate country in June last year, a few months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Maia Sandu is now pleading for accession until the end of this decade.

Maia Sandu: Moldova’s place is in the European Union. Our country project and our goal is for Moldova to be, by 2030, a full member of the European family. This is not just my commitment. We have the support of the European Union on this path and that is what the people of the Republic of Moldova demand. They asked for it every time they went out in the street to defend their rights. They asked for it in the elections. They are asking for it now, when we have once again got together to decide the fate of Moldova. Europe is more than a political slogan. Europe is a way of life, a dream that must come true and it is the chance for our people to live in peace, tranquility and plenty.

More than 75,000 people participated in the demonstration in Chişinău, where a resolution was adopted confirming the citizens’ support for the country’s European path. (LS)

22 May 2023
May 21, 2023 UPDATE

EDUCATION On Monday the staff in Romania’s public undergraduate
education will go on strike, the trade unions in the sector announced after
Sunday’s talks with government officials. The protest will continue until
unions have received a credible solution from the government, the leader of
the Spiru Haret Trade Union Federation, Marius Nistor, said. The government put
forth a clear roadmap for the endorsement of the new salary law and promised pay
raises for non-teaching staff, which according to unionists would only amount
to EUR 20 a month. Financial incentives for entry-level teachers and experienced
staff teaching in underprivileged areas have also been proposed. The higher
education staff will also go on token strikes as of Monday, the head of the Alma
Mater National Trade Union Federation Anton Hadăr announced. Trade unions said
negotiations would continue in the coming days.

MOLDOVA
A large-scale rally was held in Chişinău on Sunday, at the initiative of
president Maia Sandu, in order to prove Moldovans’ support for the country’s EU
accession. Europe is the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova is
Europe. Moldova is not alone, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta
Metsola said in Romanian at the European Moldova National Assembly. Participants
adopted a resolution confirming the support of Moldovan citizens for the
country’s EU accession efforts. The rally takes place as the Republic of
Moldova, an EU accession candidate country, would like to begin accession
negotiations by the end of this year. For this stage to begin, Moldova must
complete 9 recommendations, which will be assessed by this autumn in a European
Commission report. In Bucharest, the Organisation of Moldovan Students
organised a similar rally in front of Moldova’s Embassy. Scores of people
watched the speeches in Chisinau jointly with the Moldovan Ambassador to
Bucharest, Victor Chirila.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part on
Monday in the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The EU
foreign ministers will discuss measures to mitigate the effects of Russia’s
aggression in Ukraine and the situation in the Horn of Africa. The EU officials
will also touch on the bloc’s commitment in Central Asia, developments in Tunisia,
the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the context of high-level EU
diplomatic contacts with both countries. According to the Romanian foreign
ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s firm, multidimensional and
continuing support for Ukraine and will express hopes that an agreement will be
reached as soon as possible on the 8th support package for the
Ukrainian air forces under the EU Peace Facility. Minister Aurescu will also
highlight the importance of keeping pressure on Russia by consolidating
sanctions, and will reiterate the idea of setting up a special international tribunal
for the crime of aggression to prosecute Russian crimes of aggression during
the war in Ukraine.

RAILWAYS The president of Romania’s Competition Council, Bogdan
Chiriţoiu, made statements concerning Carpatica Feroviar, a new company that
will take over the operations of the state-owned railway freight corporation CFR
Marfă. The new company will take over the profitable contracts and the
equipment needed for completing them, while the other assets will be sold in order
to cover as much as possible of the old company’s debts to the state budget
Chiriţoiu explained. He emphasised that current operations will not be
discontinued. The financial performance of CFR Marfă improved slightly in 2022,
but the company still owes some EUR 400 mln to the state budget and social
security budget.

BEEKEEPERS Romanian beekeepers say they are left with large amounts
of unsold honey because of imports of cheaper and poorer-quality honey. The
head of the Romanian Beekeepers Association, Ioan Fetea, says the situation is
particularly serious as last year’s yield was a lot smaller than in previous
years. Last year beekeepers saw modest yields, but they could not even sell those,
precisely because of these dumping practices, obviously explained by the fact
that that honey is not in line with EU regulations. Almost half of the honey
imported into Europe is adulterated, counterfeit, and obviously sold very
cheaply, which puts tremendous pressure on local producers, Fetea explained. Beekeepers
are also struggling with a fall in the number of bee families, because of the
use of insecticides in agriculture.

UKRAINE The US president Joe Biden Sunday announced new military aid
measures for Ukraine, following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The new aid package will
consist of ammunitions, artillery and armoured vehicles, Joe Biden explained, just
days after approving the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According
to Reuters, this new package is worth up to USD 375 mln and is designed to
strengthen Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia. The British PM Rishi
Sunak also announced in Hiroshima that his country would start training
Ukrainian pilots this summer, to support Ukraine’s air forces in the conflict.
Rishi Sunak added that no one wants peace more than Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but
the terms for peace, he added, should be based on Ukraine’s principles. In the
3-day summit in Japan, the G7 nations voiced their willingness to stand by
Ukraine in the long run.

ROWING Romania won 2 gold and 3 silver medals at
the 2023 European Rowing Under 19 Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France,
in which it took part with 11 boats. Romania came out second in the overall nations
tables, behind Italy and ahead of Turkey. In last year’s competition, Romania
had won 5 medals (3 gold, one silver and one bronze), and finished top of the
ranking by nations. (AMP)

21 May 2023
May 21, 2023

EDUCATION
In Bucharest, the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă, the Social Democratic leader Marcel
Ciolacu and the labour minister Marius Budăi invited trade unions in public
education to talks in order to avoid an all-out strike announced for tomorrow. Unionists
said protests could only end when the solutions to their demands, particularly
concerning salaries, were introduced in officially endorsed legislation. The
finance minister Adrian Câciu said the teaching staff’s demands could have been
solved, if Romania had received the money in the second disbursement round
under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is currently suspended
because of targets that have not been met in the field of energy, for which the
National Liberal Party is responsible. On the other hand, PM Nicolae Ciucă said
the solution to the unions’ demands has to do with the unified salary law that
the labour ministry headed by the Social Democrats has failed to finalise in
spite of the support of the entire ruling coalition. Amid these disagreements, the
president of the Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, demanded that
negotiations on the new cabinet make-up following the PM rotation should be
suspended until the issue in the education sector has been solved, and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, a junior partner in the ruling
coalition, agreed. The Liberals on the other hand argue that the government
transition should be completed quickly in order to maintain stability and
balance. Under a protocol signed by the 2 parties, on 26 May the Social
Democrats should take over the prime minister post from the Liberals, for the
next 1,5 years, until the next general elections.

MOLDOVA
A large-scale rally is held in Chişinău today, at the
initiative of president Maia Sandu, in order to prove Moldovans’ support for
the country’s EU accession. Europe is the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of
Moldova is Europe. Moldova is not alone, the president of the European
Parliament, Roberta Metsola said in Romanian at the European Moldova National
Assembly. Participants adopted a resolution confirming the support of Moldovan
citizens for the country’s EU accession efforts. The rally takes place as the Republic
of Moldova, an EU accession candidate country, would like to begin accession
negotiations by the end of this year. For this stage to begin, Moldova must
complete 9 recommendations, which will be assessed by this autumn in a European
Commission report. In Bucharest, the Organisation of Moldovan Students
organised a similar rally in front of Moldova’s Embassy. Scores of people
watched the speeches in Chisinau jointly with the Moldovan Ambassador to
Bucharest, Victor Chirila.

UKRAINE The US president Joe Biden Sunday announced new military aid
measures for Ukraine, following talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. The new aid package will
consist of ammunitions, artillery and armoured vehicles, Joe Biden explained, just
days after approving the provision of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. According
to Reuters, this new package is worth up to USD 375 mln and is designed to
strengthen Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia. The British PM Rishi
Sunak also announced in Hiroshima that his country would start training
Ukrainian pilots this summer, to support Ukraine’s air forces in the conflict.
Rishi Sunak added that no one wants peace more than Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but
the terms for peace, he added, should be based on Ukraine’s principles. In the
3-day summit in Japan, the G7 nations voiced their willingness to stand by
Ukraine in the long run.

FLOODING
In Italy, code red alerts for heavy rainfalls with landslide risks are valid
today as well, in the Emilia Romagna region in the north of the country, already
affected by unprecedented flash floods. Fourteen people died and 36,000 others
were evacuated by the authorities. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent
in Italy, in Ravenna province alone, the most severely hit by the floods, over 16%
of the territory has been evacuated. A preliminary estimate by Confagricoltura,
the association of Italian farmers, indicates that the flooding in Emilia
Romagna caused crop damages of over EUR 1.5 bln.

GREECE
Greece is holding elections today for its single-chamber 300-seat parliament, with
around 9.5 million people expected to take part in the vote. As many as 36 parties
and political associations are running for parliamentary seats, for which they
need at least 3% of the votes. The most likely to win is incumbent PM Kyriakos
Mitsotakis’s party, New Democracy, with 33% of the voting intentions in polls. The
left-of-centre Syriza party, headed by Alexis Tsipras, is predicted to carry
26% of the votes. A novelty in this election is the scrapping of the 50-seat
bonus for the winning party. Unless the parties manage to form a new
government, early elections will be held in July, with a return to the previous
bonus system. (AMP)

21 May 2023