Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Chief Prosecutor

  • February 25 – March 1

    February 25 – March 1




    Protests
    by magistrates in Romania




    Unprecedented protests by magistrates,
    prosecutors and judges in Romania have been staged after the adoption by the
    government of a new emergency ordinance changing the justice laws. The activity
    of several prosecutors’ offices has been suspended this week in token of
    protest. The Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism,
    DIICOT, has decided for the first time to suspend its activity over February 26
    -March 8, with only emergency cases being solved during this time span. Judges
    from the Bucharest Tribunal have suspended their activity, too, until March 7,
    in token of protest, all ongoing cases, with the exception of emergencies,
    being postponed. The magistrates also demand that Ordinance no.7 be repealed
    and ask for measures to suspend the activity of the Section for the Investigation
    of Criminal Offences in the judiciary until the EU Court of Justice issues a
    ruling on the challenges against this special section. Meanwhile, the justice
    minister, Tudorel Toader, has announced he has
    drafted a new emergency ordinance, which repeals several provisions of
    Ordinance no. 7, which has stirred a wave of protests. The changes are meant to
    abrogate the article which stipulates that judges, alongside prosecutors, may
    become top level prosecutors.





    The
    former head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania, favourite
    to become the European Union’s Public Prosecutor




    The formerhead of the Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania, Laura Codruţa Kovesi,
    has got the largest number of votes following hearings in the European
    Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), in
    the race to become chief prosecutor of the future European Public Prosecutor’s
    Office. Earlier she had got the best result in the European Parliament’s
    Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT). Ranking on the second and third
    positions were French Jean-François
    Bohnert and German Andres Ritter. Laura Codruţa Koveşi says the vote in
    the European Parliament is more than a personal victory to her:


    This vote is not only for me, but for the
    Romanian justice system as a whole. This vote is for all the citizens in
    Romania who over the past few years have supported the fight against corruption
    and the rule of law. It is a vote for all the prosecutors and judges in Europe
    who work under pressure. I had no support from the Government of Romania, I
    have neither asked for it nor expected it.


    In Bucharest, the
    right-of-centre parliamentary opposition has hailed the remarkable achievements
    by the former DNA chief prosecutor and criticised the ruling coalition made up
    of the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats,
    saying it has betrayed Romania and has orchestrated a denigration campaign to
    tarnish the image of the Romanian candidate. The negative vote cast by the MEPs
    of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and
    the reactions of the left-of-centre power in Bucharest are edifying. The Social-Democratic senator Claudiu Manda has said
    the Social-Democratic MEPs voted against appointing Laura Codruţa Kovesi at the
    helm of the European Union’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, claiming she has
    committed abuses during her tenure at the DNA. The future chief prosecutor of
    the European Prosecutor’s Office will be appointed following negotiations
    between the European Parliament and the EU Council.







    European
    Commission recommendations for Romania




    The Romanian economy
    is facing higher risks, the European Commission warns, in the half-yearly
    report on each member state. The EC mentions in the document released on
    Wednesday, among other things, that the emergency ordinance no.114 issued by
    the Government, as well as a law adopted by Parliament which retroactively caps
    interest rates for mortgage loans might severely impact the normal functioning
    of the financial sector. The European
    Commission report shows the measures stipulated by the emergency ordinance no.
    114 weaken the second pillar of pensions based on defined contributions, which
    is privately administered. Experts say the measures have a negative impact on
    the Romanians’ future pensions and will hamper the development of the capital
    market and future investment, will increase uncertainty and make Romanian
    economy less attractive for both domestic and foreign investors. The high risks
    run by the Romanian economy are stemming from the increase in the current
    account deficit and higher costs with the labour force, following the increase
    in the minimum wage in economy and in the salaries of public sector employees.
    The European Commission draws attention to the weak performance in the field of
    education and research. The EC underlines, in its analysis, the need to promote
    investment, to pursue responsible budgetary fiscal policies and to implement
    well designed reforms.







    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis,
    attended the Bucharest Format (B9) Summit in Slovakia




    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has
    pleaded in Kosice, Slovakia, for a more consistent NATO presence to the Black
    Sea, during the Bucharest Format (B9)
    Summit, which is made up of EU and NATO member states on the eastern flank of
    the Alliance. The B9 leaders agreed, in the final declaration, that the
    European Union and NATO are stronger together. The focal points of the talks,
    attended by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, too, included
    security evolutions in the eastern neighbourhood and in the Black Sea region.
    Klaus Iohannis has expressed concern with the evolution in the Black Sea
    region, in the context in which Russia further threatens regional stability. He
    underlined that the evolutions in the Black Sea region show that the allied
    countries should do more, for a robust land, air and sea defence. President
    Iohannis says NATO’s eastern partners, such as Ukraine and Georgia, should be
    supported more, to enhance their capacity to defend themselves from any type of
    threats, be they military, cyber or purely propagandistic threats. Launched at
    the initiative of the heads of state of Romania and Poland, B9 Format Summits
    were first held in November 2015 in Bucharest and then in Warsaw, in June 2018.



  • February 5, 2019 UPDATE

    February 5, 2019 UPDATE


    DRAFT BUDGET – According to experts with the Fiscal Council in Bucharest, Romanias budget deficit at the end of this year might stand at around 3% of the GDP, against an overestimation of revenues from VAT and social contributions. The experts believe that, in the event of macroeconomic developments less favourable than those taken into account in building the budget, the level could be even exceeded. Fitch rating agency too believes that the budget deficit target proposed by the Romanian Government is unrealistic, and the premises that the 2019 budget is based on, such as the economic growth rate, are too optimistic. The 2019 draft budget is based on a 5.5% economic growth rate, a budget deficit of 2.5% of the GDP and an annual inflation rate of 2.8%.



    JHA – Over February 6-8, Bucharest is hosting an informal meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers, under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The participants will discuss terrorism, migration and asylum seeking, the Schengen area and means of developing judicial collaboration in civil and commercial matters. Attending the meeting will be, among others, the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, the Eurojust president Ladislav Hamran, the Executive Director of Europol, Catherine de Bolle, and the Frontex Director Fabrice Leggeri.



    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian foreign minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, has held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, on the sidelines of the EU and the League of Arab States ministerial meeting held in Brussels on Monday. During the talks, the Romanian foreign minister approached issues related to the future bilateral agenda, laying emphasis on boosting political, economic and sectoral cooperation. Meleşcanu has reiterated Romanias commitment to maintaining its support for Iraq. He has also expressed concern over the escalation of violence in Yemen and gave assurances that Romania will get actively involved in all the EUs demarches to politically solve the conflict in the region. The Romanian foreign minister has also reiterated Bucharests support for Lebanons unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for the European and international initiatives aimed at consolidating the stability of the Lebanese state.



    EUROPEAN CHIEF PROSECUTOR – The former chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania, Laura Codruta Kövesi, is the first on the list of preferences for the position of European Chief Prosecutor. She is followed by prosecutors from France and Germany, respectively. The selection procedure for the position of European Chief Prosecutor does not depend on the candidates country of origin, as it is unfolding exclusively at European level. The New European Prosecutors Office will closely cooperate with OLAF, to detect and investigate cases of fraud all across the European Union. The European Prosecutors Office will have competence to research and prosecute crimes which impact the EU budget, such as corruption and fraud related to European funds. Laura Codruta Kovesi has been removed from office as chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, following a decision issued by the Constitutional Court. Earlier, President Klaus Iohannis had rejected as ungrounded the proposal to remove Kovesi from office, a proposal formulated by the Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader.



    POPE – Pope Francis on Tuesday ended his historical visit to the United Arab Emirates, with a grand mass celebrated in the open, in a country which authorises the practice of the Christian faith, on condition this is done in churches, FP reports. One of the organisers has announced some 170,000 people attended the event, an unprecedented public gathering in the United Arab Emirates. Participating have been Catholic believers from some 100 countries, alongside some 4,000 Muslims. According to the local media, that was the largest gathering ever in that small Gulf country, which is home to approximately half of the 2 million Catholic expats who live on the Arabian Peninsula. On Monday, the Pope gave a speech in the United Arab Emirates, urging people to build bridges between peoples and cultures.



    FLU – The number of people who have succumbed to the flu in Romania stands at 82, according to the latest data released by National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases. The last three people who succumbed to the flu had pre-existing conditions and had not been vaccinated. A flu epidemic has officially been declared in Romania, because of the fast-paced spread of the virus and the high number of flu-infections and deaths.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Marius Copil on Monday qualified for the eighth finals of the ATP tennis tournament in Sofia, with over 500,000 Euro in prize money up for grabs, after he defeated the Swiss Stan Wawrinka, in three sets 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. Copil, no. 56 ATP, got his first victory over his famous contender, no.57 ATP and three times winner of a Grand Slam. Copil will meet in the eighth finals the winner of the match between Spains Fernando Verdasco, 6th seed, and Bulgarian Alexandar Lazarov.


  • February 5, 2019

    February 5, 2019

    DRAFT BUDGET – Talks on Romania’s 2019 draft budget continue. The budget bill should have been approved by the Government today, as planned, but it has been postponed once again after on Monday evening the leaders of the ruling coalition made up of the Social-Democratic Party- the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats failed to reach general consensus, mostly on local budgets. Both mayors and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania have been critical of these budgets. The leader of the Union, Kelemen Hunor, says the 2019 draft budget, in its current form, has some serious problems, especially as far as local administration is concerned. He has said that after talks with the Prime Minister he will decide whether or not the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania endorses the budget. The opposition parties are also critical of the budget.



    DIPLOMACY — The Romanian foreign minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, has held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, on the sidelines of the EU and the League of Arab States ministerial meeting held in Brussels on Monday. During the talks, the Romanian foreign minister approached issues related to the future bilateral agenda, laying emphasis on boosting political, economic and sectoral cooperation. Meleşcanu has reiterated Romania’s commitment to maintaining its support for Iraq. He has also expressed concern about the escalation of violence in Yemen and gave assurances that Romania will get actively involved in all the EU’s demarches to politically solve the conflict in the region. The Romanian foreign minister has also reiterated Bucharest’s support for Lebanon’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for the European and international initiatives aimed to consolidate the stability of the Lebanese state.



    EUROPEAN CHIEF PROSECUTOR — The former chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania, Laura Codruta Kövesi, is the first on the list of preferences for the position of European Chief Prosecutor. She is followed by prosecutors from France and Germany, respectively. The selection procedure for the position of European Chief Prosecutor does not depend on the candidate’s country of origin, as it is unfolding exclusively at European level. The New European Prosecutor’s Office will closely cooperate with OLAF, to detect and investigate cases of fraud all across the European Union. The European Prosecutor’s Office will have competence to research and prosecute crimes which impact the EU budget, such as corruption and fraud related to European funds. Laura Codruta Kovesi has been removed from office as chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, following a decision issued by the Constitutional Court. Earlier, President Klaus Iohannis had rejected as ungrounded the proposal to remove Kovesi from office, a proposal formulated by the Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader.



    POPE — Pope Francis on Tuesday ended his historical visit to the United Arab Emirates, with a grand mass celebrated in the open, in a country which authorises the practice of the Christian faith, on condition this is done in churches, FP reports. One of the organisers has announced some 170,000 people attended the event, an unprecedented public gathering in the United Arab Emirates. Participating have been Catholic believers from some 100 countries, alongside some 4,000 Muslims. Accordign to the local media, that was the largest gathering ever in that small Gulf country, which is home to approximately half of the 2 million Catholic expats who live on the Arabian Peninsula. On Monday, the Pope gave a speech in the United Arab Emirates, urging people to build bridges between peoples and cultures.



    FLU — The number of people who succumbed to the flu in Romania stands at 82, according to the latest data released by National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases. The last three people who succumbed to the flu had pre-existing conditions and had not been vaccinated. A flu epidemic has officially been declared in Romania, because of the fast-paced spread of the virus and the high number of flu-infections and deaths.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Marius Copil on Monday qualified for the eighth finals of the ATP tennis tournament in Sofia, with over 500,000 Euro in prize money up for grabs, after he defeated the Swiss Stan Wawrinka, in three sets 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. Copil, no. 56 ATP, got his first victory over his famous contender, no.57 ATP and three times winner of a Grand Slam. Copil will meet in the eighth finals the winner of the match between Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, 6th seed, and Bulgarian Alexandar Lazarov. (Translated by D. Vijeu)