Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Commission

January 29, 2018 UPDATE

CABINET – The new government of Romania, headed by the Social Democrat Viorica
Dăncilă, was validated on Monday by the 2 chambers of Parliament, which
convened in a special meeting after the ministers designates were heard in the
specialised committees. The new Cabinet, nominated by the Social democratic
Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, got 282 votes, and it only needed 233. 136 MPs votes against
and there was one abstention.Also on Monday,
the new ministers were sworn in, in the presence of the head of state, Klaus
Iohannis.He voiced his hope that this 3rd
cabinet backed by the ruling coalition would put an end to the government
hopping that last year led to a deterioration of the social climate and an
atmosphere that cannot be conducive to
the development of society. There is
a red line that governments are not allowed to cross, and infringing upon the
independence of the judiciary is unacceptable, the President warned. The ruling coalition must not overlook the
signal conveyed by hundreds of thousands of Romanians, who continue to support
the rule of law through street rallies, Iohannis added. Previously, in
Parliament Viorica Dancila said the goal of her Cabinet was for Romania
to be in the top half of the EU economies in 2020. She added that the means
to achieve this included an increase in infrastructure upgrade investments, further increases in citizen incomes, a public administration reform
and reducing bureaucracy. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania
and ethnic minorities MPs decided to give the new Cabinet a chance, whereas the
National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party, all
in Opposition, voted against it. The new Cabinet is made up of 28 members, with 4
deputy PMs, as compared to 3 in the previous executive team.

JUSTICE – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, will meet in Brussels on Wednesday with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and with the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk. The focal points on the agenda of talks include the judicial overhaul, the fight against corruption and Romanias holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The Commission has recently voiced its concerns with the latest developments in Romania, and called on the Romanian Parliament to reconsider the changes brought to the justice laws. The independence of the judiciary and its capacity to fight corruption effectively are essential cornerstones of a strong Romania in the EU, the President and the First Vice-President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker and Frans Timmermans, respectively, said in a joint statement. At the end of 2017, the parliamentary majority made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania adopted changes to the justice laws, raising concern among European institutions and member states, generating wide-scale protests in the country and stirring harsh criticism from magistrates and the right wing opposition.

EU FUNDS – In 2007-2017 Romania has received 45.7 billion Euros from the EU budget, accounting for an annual average of 2.8% of the GDP, the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, said on Monday in a conference also attended by the EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu. The central bank governor has also said that taking into account Romanias contribution to the EU budget, net inflows of European funds stood at 30.4 billion Euro, that is 1.8% of the GDP per year on average. Corina Creţu Monday started a two-day official visit to Romania. Her agenda also includes a meeting with the Prime Minister designate, Viorica Dăncilă, for talks on European funds. The European official has said she comes to Bucharest to lay the foundations for a tight and fruitful cooperation with the new Government, with regard to the best use of resources available under the multi-annual 2014-2020 financial framework, and for talks on the new post-2020 financial framework.

EU – The European Commission organises a ministerial meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, with 9 member states taking part, including Romania, which may be subject to infringement over breaches in air quality regulations. The other participants, besides Romania, are the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Slovakia, Spain and Hungary. A 2008 European Directive defines air quality thresholds and binds member states to limit the exposure of their citizens to air pollution. In spite of this obligation, air quality standards are still breached in over 130 cities in Europe, the European Commission says.

DEFENCE – Romanian chief of staff, gen. Nicolae Ciucă, takes part on Tuesday in Bratislava, in a conference of the US European Command (EUCOM). According to a news release issued by the Romanian Defence Ministry, Central European military chiefs will discuss, at the EUCOM conference, NATOs best possible responses to global security challenges. Other topics include national and regional security challenges, including the southern and eastern flanks of NATO, the common training programme for 2018 aimed at enhancing interoperability and the development of crisis response capabilities, the development of USA projects in Europe, and means for NATO members and partners to contribute to agreed Allied initiatives.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

29 January 2018
24 January, 2018 UPDATE

Anniversary. On the 24th of January, Romania
celebrates the 159th anniversary of the Union of the Romanian Principalities.
In 1859, the elective assemblies of Moldavia and Wallachia elected Alexandru
Ioan Cuza as their sole ruler, which was followed by the wide-ranging
modernisation of the new state. Celebratory events included military and
religious ceremonies, laying of flowers and street performances. President
Klaus Iohannis said Romania’s progress is inherently linked to the existence of
coherent and stable legislation that punishes abuse and dishonesty. He also
said decision makers have a duty to pay more attention to people’s demands and
spoke about the thousands of hundreds of people who took to the streets in 2017
and 2018 to demand a more efficient government and an independent justice
system. Iohannis attended on Wednesday a conference entitled The Union of the
Romanian Principalities – the foundation of the Great Union of 1918 held by
the Romanian Academy. The Great Union of all Romanian historical provinces took
place 100 years ago, on the 1st of December 1918.

Judicial reform. The European Commission on Wednesday said
it was concerned about the recent developments in Romania and called on
Parliament in Bucharest to rethink its changes to the justice laws. The independence of Romania’s judicial system and its
capacity to fight corruption effectively are essential cornerstones of a strong
Romania in the European Union, reads a joint statement of European Commission
president Jean-Claude Juncker and First Vice-President Frans Timmermans. The
Commission will look closely at the final amendments to the justice laws to
determine their impact on efforts to safeguard the independence of the
judiciary and combat corruption, the statement also says. In a plenary meeting
in Strasbourg on the 7th of
February, the European Parliament will discuss the threats to the rule of law
posed by the reform of the judicial system in Romania. At the end of last year,
the parliamentary majority formed by the Social Democratic Party and the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats adopted a series of changes to the justice
laws that were met with criticism by magistrates’ associations and the
political opposition on grounds that they aim to place the judicial system
under political control. European states and institutions are also concerned
about how these changes may affect the independence of the judiciary and the
fight against corruption. Street protests were held over these changes last
year and have continued this year as well.

Davos. The European
Union must unite with a strong common foreign policy, said German chancellor Angela
Merkel on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The forum began on Tuesday and its
theme this year is Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured
World. The event brings together world leaders and 3,000 participants,
including economists, politicians, scientists, business people and
academics. US president Donald Trump will
deliver the closing address at the forum on Friday.

Australian Open.
World no. 1 Simona Halep on Wednesday defeated Karolina Pliskova to reach the
semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time in her career. Halep had a
slow start and was led 3-0 in the first set before winning 9 consecutive games.
The top seed in Melbourne, Halep has reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam
tournament for the 5th time and hopes to win her first Grand Slam
title this time. In the semis on Thursday, she faces former world no. 1 and
Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber of Germany, who defeated Madison Keys of the
US in the quarterfinals. In the other semifinal, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark
faces Elise Mertens of Belgium. In the women’s doubles, the Romanian pair Irina
Begu and Monica Niculescu lost in the semis to the Russian pair Ekaterina
Makarova and Elena Vesnina.

Football. The
Romanian football squad will play in League C Group 4 in the UEFA Nations
League alongside Serbia, Montenegro and Lithuania, after a draw held on
Wednesday in Lousanne, Switzerland. Matches will be played at home and away in
September, October and November 2018. The group winners will promote to the higher
league for the next Nations League season, while the last-placed teams will
relegate to the lower league. The Nations League is a new structure divided
into four leagues based on the teams’ UEFA rankings. The draw for EURO 2020
preliminary matches will be held on the 2nd of December. Teams will
be divided into six pots based on their performance in the Nations League
groups.

24 January 2018
Brussels’ perspective on the Romanian economy

The European Commission has warned Romania that it took no effective measures to reduce its medium-term budget deficit, as the EU Council recommended it in June. European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, has reminded that the public deficit in Romania will reach 3% this year, 3.9% in 2018 and 4.1% in 2019. In his opinion, the EU Council should adopt a revised recommendation to Romania, of an annual structural adjustment of at least 0.8% of the GDP in 2018 that means a drastic cut in expenditure.

Moscovici says this objective is reasonable and attainable given the significant economic growth expected in Romania. The European Commission recommends Bucharest to use any windfall gains for budget deficit reduction, while the budgetary consolidation measures should secure a lasting improvement in the general government structural balance, in a growth-friendly manner. Romania must report to the EU Council by April 2018 on the action taken in response to the EC’s recommendation.

Pierre Moscovici also presented the results of the assessment for the euro-zone, where six countries, namely France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Austria and Slovenia were warned that their budgetary forecast for 2018 risk being non-compliant with the European regulations. In Bucharest, economist Aurelian Dochia says that Romania’s budget deficit has an accelerated growth tendency and that in 2018 it will inevitably exceed 3% of the GDP.

In is opinion, the increase in the budget deficit coming at a time when the economy goes up by a high rate, of 7%, which is very dangerous for the economy. He has explained that “it will be very difficult to reduce the budget deficit next year, given that most budget expenditure is already a must. It is no longer possible to reduce budget expenditure when it is linked to salaries, pensions and so on. The expenses with the investments, which are usually sacrificed, have already been decreased starting this year. So there is little that can be done next year in this respect, which is why I believe the Government will have a problem securing the 3% deficit target,” Aurelian Dochia has explained.

23 November 2017
November 22, 2017 UPDATE

LANGUAGE – The Romanian Government passed on Wednesday a series of measures aimed at granting direct support to the Romanian ethnics who study in their mother tongue in the neighbouring Ukraine and also to the teachers who teach courses in the Romanian language. The measures, proposed by the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad, consolidate the legal framework that allows for educational support from Romania for the Romanian ethnics in Ukraine. The Ministry for the Romanians Abroad will continue dialogue with the Ukrainian side, in trying to promote and protect the minorities’ right to study in their own language. The purpose is to find solutions so that the Romanian ethnics’ right to linguistic identity be respected.

EC — The European Commission has established that Romania took no effective action in response to the EU Council’s recommendation of June to correct its significant deviation from the adjustment path towards the medium-term budgetary objective, according to a EC release on Wednesday. In this context, the Commission proposes that the EU Council should adopt a revised recommendation to Romania, of an annual structural adjustment of at least 0.8% of the GDP in 2018. The European Commission recommends Bucharest to use any windfall gains for budget deficit reduction, while the budgetary consolidation measures should secure a lasting improvement in the general government structural balance, in a growth-friendly manner. Romania must report to the EU Council by April 2018 on the action taken in response to the EC’s recommendation.

WAR CRIMES — Former Bosnian Serb army leader Ratko Mladic was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of genocide, for atrocities committed during the Bosnian war from 1992 to 1995.The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted Mladic of crimes it labelled as some of the “most heinous” in human history. Mladic, aged 75, is responsible for the slaughter of 8,000 unarmed Bosnian Muslim men and boys in the town of Sebrenica and for his role in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, during which 100,000 people were killed and another 2.2 million displaced. Mladic had pleaded not guilty to all charges. His legal team said he would appeal against the verdict.

SMART CITIES – Romania is a good place for investors, but there are two things that scare business people off, namely, the unpredictable legal system and the bribes, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday in Ploiesti, in the south. Taking part in the debate “Romania’s cities 100 years since the Great Union. A smart future for Ploiesti”, the head of state signalled again the fact that the government’s so-called fiscal reform created confusion likely to affect investors’ confidence. Iohannis also said that the concept of smart city means a more active involvement of the citizens in the local governing and the communitys life.

PARLIAMENT — The no-confidence motion introduced by the right wing opposition against the ruling coalition in Bucharest will be debated and voted on in full Parliament session on Thursday, as decided by the two chambers on Wednesday. The motion calls for the resignation of the cabinet headed by the Social Democrat Mihai Tudose, who is accused of sparking confusion in the economic environment and the legal system, as well as of lowering the living standard of the population. In response, PM Tudose claimed that the fiscal reform will bring more money to the budget and the pension fund, while companies will benefit from simplified procedures.

PARADE — About 3,500 Romanian and foreign soldiers take part in the December 1st parade in Bucharest for Romanias National Day, the Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday. 50 aircraft will fly over the city’s Triumphal Arch, with 300 vehicles being part of the parade. December 1st marks the moment, right after WWI, when Greater Romania was formed of formerly divided territories with a majority Romanian population. This date was proclaimed the national day after the 1989 regime change in Romania.

FAIR – The 24th edition of the Gaudeamus – Book of Learning International Fair, organized by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, opened on Wednesday in Bucharest. It features 300 participating companies and over 800 editorial and professional events. The honorary president of the fair is Matei Visniec, a French based writer and journalist from Romania while the honorary guest this year is the European Commission. The event marks 60 years from the signing of the Rome Treaties, three decades since the launch of the Erasmus program, and 10 years since Romania joined the EU.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

22 November 2017
November 15, 2017 UPDATE

UPDATE: The US
Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is currently in Romania. He made a stopover
in Bucharest, upon returning from a trip to Asia, the AGERPRES news agency
reports.

The US Embassy in Bucharest has confirmed the presence of the US
high ranking official in Romania, underlining however that Rex Tillerson does
not have an official agenda in Romania.

According
to diplomatic sources, the US Secretary of State was welcomed
at the airport by the Romanian foreign
minister, Teodor Meleșcanu.

The
American official will spend the night in Bucharest, after having flown back from Myanmar,
where he met with Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi and with the commander of the army, general
Min Aung Hlaing, against the backdrop of the humanitarian crisis facing the Rohingya minority.

CVM – The European Commission on Wednesday released its latest report on Romania’s progress as regards its reforms of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, two aspects monitored under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, set up in 2007, the year of Romania’s EU accession. According to this report, Romania has reported some progress in such fields as investigating conflicts of interest in the field of public procurement, although reform momentum in the course of 2017 was lost overall, slowing down the fulfilment of the remaining recommendations the Commission set out for Romania to address the unresolved identified shortcomings. Thus Romania runs the risk of re-opening issues which the January 2017 report had considered as fulfilled. Challenges to and questioning judicial independence have also been a persistent source of concern, the report also reads. I count on the Romanian Government to pursue the necessary reforms, and to avoid backtracking, so that we can work together towards the goal of ending the CVM under this Commission’s mandate, European Vice-President Frans Timmermans said. President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday said the report represents a serious warning for the current ruling coalition to consider, adding that Romania’s sustained efforts to strengthen reforms in the field of the judiciary and combat corruption might be endangered by the actions of a group of politicians who refuse to accept that their duty is to serve citizens, not personal or partisan interests. In turn, Romania’s Justice Minister Tudorel Toader believes the report highlights significant progress, and that the country can fulfil its objective to have the CVM lifted over the coming year. The Commission’s next report will be at the end of 2018.

COMMEMORATION – The city of Brasov in central Romania on Wednesday marked 30 years since the workers’ anti-communist uprising. On November 15, 1987, the employees of a factory protested against the leadership, chanting slogans against dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The state police repressed the uprising violently. Hundreds were arrested over the coming days, many of whom never returned to the city. The Prosecutor’s Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice announced the start of a new investigation into the violence that stifled the workers’ anti-communist uprising. Classified as part of the communist-era crimes ongoing investigation, the prosecutors’ efforts will focus on crimes against humanity, perpetrated by those who systematically repressed the groups of protesters.

BUDGET ADJUSTMENT – The Romanian Government on Wednesday made a second budget adjustment this year, observing the budget deficit target of 2.9% of the GDP. According to the Finance Ministry, the adjustment will be positive and based on an economic growth that exceeded the original forecast. Additional funds will be made available to cover salaries in the primary education sector and for the child protection system. The Labour Ministry will also get additional funds for payments to disabled people and for covering child-rearing benefits. The Interior Ministry will get funds to pay the law-enforcement pensions, while the Health Ministry will be able to pay the salaries of resident medical officers. The Ministries for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship, of Finances, Culture, the Environment, for Regional Development and European Funds, respectively, will see their budgets slashed. In another development, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose attended a meeting with the leaders of one of the biggest trade confederations in Romania, CNSLR Frăţia, which has warned it would stage an all-out strike if net salaries will go down as a result of the newly adopted Fiscal Code. Prime Minister Tudose has repeatedly said the transfer of social security contributions from employers to employees, stipulated in the Government’s emergency decree, will not lead to income cuts.

THE VATICAN – Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Tuesday had talks with Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States with the Holy See’s Secretariat of State. In 2017 Romania and the Vatican mark 90 years since the two states signed the Concordat and 80 years since the set-up of the PIO Romeno College. The two officials looked at the best ways to diversify bilateral relations and boost top-level dialogue. The two officials also discussed the forthcoming visit of Pope Francis to Romania. Teodor Melescanu expressed Romania’s deep gratitude towards the Catholic Church for hosting several communities of Orthodox or Catholic Romanians in Western Europe, as well as for the Holy See’s special support for opening a Lecturers’ Office for Romanian Literature, Culture and Civilization with the Pontifical Oriental Institute. We recall that Pope John Paul II paid a historic visit to Romania in 1999, the first a Pontiff ever made to a country with an Orthodox majority population.

FOOTBALL – Romanian’s national football team on Tuesday lost nil-3 the home friendly match against the Netherlands. In last week’s friendly match, Romania won 2-nil against Turkey. We recall that Cosmin Contra is Romania’s new coach, taking over from German Cristoph Daum, who was sacked in September. With Daum at its helm Romania failed to qualify to the 2018 World Cup, to be hosted by Russia. Also on Tuesday, Romania’s under-21 team drew nil-all against Wales away from home, in a matching counting towards the 2019 Under-21 European Championship preliminaries. With three wins and three draws, Romania ranks first in the group, which also includes Bosnia Herzegovina, Switzerland, Wales, Portugal and Lichtenstein.

15 November 2017
November 15, 2017

CVM — The European Commission today released its latest report on Romania’s progress as regards its reforms of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, two aspects monitored under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, set up in 2007, the year of Romania’s EU accession. According to this report, Romania has reported some progress in such fields as investigating conflicts of interest in the field of public procurement, although reform momentum in the course of 2017 was lost overall, slowing down the fulfillment of the remaining recommendations the Commission set out for Romania to address the unresolved identified shortcomings. Thus Romania runs the risk of re-opening issues which the January 2017 report had considered as fulfilled. Challenges to and questioning judicial independence have also been a persistent source of concern, the report also reads. I count on the Romanian Government to pursue the necessary reforms, and to avoid backtracking, so that we can work together towards the goal of ending the CVM under this Commissions mandate, European Vice-President Frans Timmermans said. President Klaus Iohannis today said the report represents a serious warning for the current ruling coalition to consider, adding that Romania’s sustained efforts to strengthen reforms in the field of the judiciary and combat corruption might be endangered by the actions of a group of politicians who refuse to accept that their duty is to serve citizens, not personal or partisan interests. In turn, Romania’s Justice Minister Tudorel Toader believes the report highlights significant progress, and that the country can fulfill its objective to have the CVM lifted over the coming year. The Commission’s next report will be at the end of 2018.

COMMEMORATION — The city of Brasov in central Romania today marks 30 years since the workers’ anti-communist uprising. The employees of a factory at the time protested against the leadership, chanting slogans against dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The state police repressed the uprising violently. Hundreds were arrested over the coming days, many of whom never returned to the city. The Prosecutor’s Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice announced the start of a new investigation into the violence that stifled the workers’ anti-communist uprising. Classified as part of the “communist-era crimes” ongoing investigation, the prosecutors’ efforts will focus on crimes against humanity, perpetrated by those who systematically repressed the groups of protesters.

BUDGET ADJUSTMENT — The Government is today discussing the second budget adjustment this year. According to the Finance Ministry, the adjustment will be positive and based on an economic growth that exceeded the original forecast. Additional funds will be made available to cover salaries in the primary education sector and for the child protection system. The Labour Ministry will also get additional funds for payments to disabled people and for covering child-rearing benefits. The Interior Ministry will get funds to pay the law-enforcement pensions, while the Health Ministry will be able to pay the salaries of resident medical officers. The Ministries of Culture, the Environment, Regional Development, European Funds and the Finance Ministry will see their budgets slashed. In another development, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose is attending a meeting with the leaders of one of the biggest trade confederations in Romania, CNSLR Frăţia, which has warned it would stage an all-out strike if net salaries will go down as a result of the newly adopted Fiscal Code. Prime Minister Tudose has repeatedly said the transfer of social security contributions from employers to employees, stipulated in the Government’s emergency decree, will not lead to income cuts.

THE VATICAN — Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Tuesday had talks with Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States with the Holy Sees Secretariat of State. In 2017 Romania and the Vatican mark 90 years since the two states signed the Concordat and 80 years since the setup of the PIO Romeno College. The two officials looked at the best ways to diversify bilateral relations and boost top-level dialogue. The two officials also discussed the forthcoming visit of Pope Francis to Romania. Teodor Melescanu expressed Romania’s deep gratitude towards the Catholic Church for hosting several communities of Orthodox or Catholic Romanians in Western Europe, as well as for the Holy See’s special support for opening a Lecturers’ Office for Romanian Literature, Culture and Civilization with the Pontifical Oriental Institute. We recall that Pope John Paul II paid a historic visit to Romania in 1999, the first a Pontiff ever made to a country with an Orthodox majority population.

FOOTBALL — Romanian’s national football team on Tuesday lost nil-3 the home friendly match against the Netherlands. In last week’s friendly match, Romania won 2-nil against Turkey. We recall that Cosmin Contra is Romania’s new coach, taking over from German Cristoph Daum, who was sacked in September. With Daum at its helm Romania failed to qualify to the 2018 World Cup, to be hosted by Russia. Also on Tuesday, Romania’s under-21 team drew nil-all against Wales away from home, in a matching counting towards the 2019 Under-21 European Championship preliminaries. With three wins and three draws, Romania ranks first in the group, which also includes Bosnia Herzegovina, Switzerland, Wales, Portugal and Lichtenstein. (Translated by V. Palcu)

15 November 2017
Holiday in the countryside

Each of the country’s regions now boasts guesthouses built in the traditional style, as well as local customs and crafts that have been promoted at a growing pace through festival and events. A holiday spent in a Romanian village is a special experience for tourists, says Cristian Catana, a PR officer with the National Rural Ecological and Cultural Tourism Association known as ANTREC.

Cristian Catana: “There are many places in the country where tourists can experience genuine Romanian customs and traditions. We can start in Transylvania with a brunch in one of the Saxon fortresses in Crit or Viscri. A parish house there was turned into a guesthouse, where tourists can take part in crafts and learn about the uniqueness of local cuisine. Next would be a tour of the fortresses of Sighisoara, Rupea, Viscri and Saschiz. If tourists are interested in the Romanian Black Sea Coast, then we recommend first a tour of the Danube Delta for bird watching or a visit to the local Lipovans, ethnic Russians, who are known for the pleasant way in which they greet their guests. We personalize our recommendations in keeping with tourists’ preferences.”

Many of the tourists who have visited Romania have been highly impressed with the items made by local craftspeople. Obviously, the best place to meet the craftspeople is in their own villages, and according to Cristian Catana, villages have indeed turned into a favourite destination for tourists.

Cristian Catana: “We can be proud that over the past five years we’ve had a constant increase of 5 to 13%, whether we speak about classic destinations such as Bran, Moeciu, Fundata and Sirnea or less known ones, such the Covasna area, where rural tourism has developed significantly. The Gorj region is also representative thanks to its rural constructions. It’s worth mentioning the interest that travel agencies show in this respect, by providing tourists with personalized offers, such as visits to the craftsmen’s homes. In the Rucar area, in Arges county, handicraft workshops are being held occasionally, mostly at weekends, for Romanian and foreign tourists. Also, in Maramures and Cluj workshops are being held to pass on local tradition. Old craftsmen are teaching tourists and students with the Arts University how to make certain objects.”

In the western region of Banat, and even in Oradea, Satu Mare and Alba regions, traditions are promoted through modern means, according to Cristian Catana.

Cristian Catana: “There are programmes and maps that can be used on smart phones. Tourists can opt for a map of the living museums, whether it’s about accommodation in old traditional facilities or gastronomy. There are special programmes from May to November, when guesthouse owners are less busy. We have special offers that include five nights plus one free night or one free lunch. Thus we try to keep rural tourism lovers as close as possible. Many of them are interested in special programmes such as Holidays at the Countryside, organized in May-June and October-November. We collaborate very well with both domestic and foreign tourist agencies and tour operators.”

For instance, for the northern region of Bukovina there is a calendar of events, usually centralized by the National Tourism Information Center, available online, as we found out from university lecturer Carmen Chasovschi, representing the Save the Bukovina Village Association. This is an organization that works to blend the old with the new, convinced that the old is not something to be discarded, or that the new is better. They work on the principle that to build does not necessarily mean to tear down.

Carmen Chasovschi: “People who want to take part in these rural events are invited to the Trout Festival, or to the Mushroom Festival in Vama. There are several spectacular events. I see Maramures and Bukovina as sister regions. They are similar for several reasons, due to their traditions and their being so rooted in the past, for better or worse. When I say worse, I am thinking of the cultural landscape, the traditional wooden houses, which are disappearing fast. As for accommodation in such traditional houses, adapted to receive tourists, here in Bukovina we have that. We want to promote intensely this idea over the next few years, precisely to prevent the demolition of old, traditional houses. We want to suggest to owners that they can develop them and adapt them for accommodating tourists.”

Nicolae Marighiol represents the Most Beautiful Villages in Romania Association, who says that all these aspects are well known:

Nicolae Marighiol: “In 10 or 20 years we may become Europe’s main travel destination in terms of rural, agrotourism and ecotourism. We have three villages in three counties, Carlibaba, Dragus, and Polovragi, which have been recognized by the European Commission as top tourist destinations. These are villages with accommodation for tourists that preserve their traditions, customs, traditional architecture, dances and traditional garb. These places are full of life, drawing their strength from their heritage.”

Cristian Catana, PR head of the National Rural Tourism Association, told us that in 2016 the countries that had the most tourists visit Romanian villages were Austria, Germany and France. The French prefer the wine tour in Buzau and Prahova counties. By the same token, Austrians and Germans are more interested in the Saxon culture and the noblemens mansions in Transylvania.

9 March 2017
February 28, 2017 UPDATE

BUDGET DEFICIT – European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis and EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici have sent a letter to Romanian Finance Minister Viorel Stefan, calling on the Government to announce in a “reliable manner the measures they envisage to cut the budget deficit within the targets set by the Stability Pact by April, when the Commission makes public its Spring Economic Forecast. The Commissions latest estimate regarding Romanias budget for this year and the forecast for 2018 differs significantly from the Governments estimate. While for 2017 the Government announced a deficit of 2.96% of the GDP, the Commission claims the deficit will be as high as 3.6%, expecting it to climb to 3.9% in 2018, as a result of major tax cuts and the increase of public spending. EU officials have warned that Romania risks exceeding its budget deficit target.

NATIONAL DEFENCE – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, said on Tuesday, during a meeting devoted to the Defence Ministrys 2016 activity report, that Romanias increasing defence spending to 2% of the GDP in 2017 creates the prerequisites for and is indicative of Bucharests reaching the objectives it has pledged to fulfil. The president underlined that the most precious resource of the countrys Army consists in the military and civilians active in the field. In turn, defence minister Gabriel Les expressed Romanias readiness to face the complex security evolutions in the region. Les underlined that, after years of under-financing, the budget of the Defence Ministry stands at 2 % of the GDP as of this year, which allows for the restructuring and modernisation of the military system, which are necessary mainly because of the volatile security situation around the country. The line minister also revised the military exercises that the Romanian Army participated in, within NATO, the efforts to tighten the Alliances eastern flank as well as the efforts that are being made to modernise ground, air and naval structures.

EXERCISE – The Platinum Eagle 17.1 military exercise underway at the shooting range in Smardan, south-eastern Romania, saw its press opening on Tuesday. Kicked off on February 20 and set to end on Wednesday, the exercise brings together over 500 military from seven countries in Eastern Europe and the United States. Its main purpose is to engage all participant military units in joint training sessions to increase interoperability. Platinum Eagle 17.1 is being led by the US Marine Corps Commander for Europe and Africa. In another development, a US military helicopter drill scheduled to take place on Tuesday at the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in Constanta, south-eastern Romania, had to be rescheduled due to bad weather.

CORRUPTION – Former Social-Democrat MP Sebastian Ghita is the target of a new corruption investigation conducted by the National Anticorruption Directorate. Ghita faces charges of influence peddling, aggravated money laundering and the set-up of an organized crime group. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, the former MP allegedly received up to 10 million euros over the 2007-2014 period from two IT companies in exchange for facilitating contracts awarded by public institutions and authorities. Ghita used the money to bribe ministers and public servants in exchange for awarding state contracts to the two companies. On Monday, prosecutors detained another two suspects in this case, Sebastian Ghitas brother-in-law, Cristian Anastasescu, and a businessman. The former MP is being investigated in several cases, and has been listed among Europols most wanted fugitives. Ghita disappeared without trace at the end of last year.

TENNIS – The tennis pair made up of Romanian Florin Mergea and Serbian Viktor Troicki has qualified to the quarter finals of the men doubles at the Dubai tennis tournament, in the United Arab Emirates, after defeating the pair Karen Haceanov (Russia) / Benoit Paire (France), 6-7, 6-4, 10-6. Mergea and Troicki will face in the quarterfinals the pair Rohan Bopanna (India)/ Marcin Matkowski (Poland). Also on Tuesday, Marius Copil qualified to the eighth finals of the Dubai tournament, after defeating German Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-4, 6-2. Copil will face in the eighth finals French Lucas Pouille. The tournament in Dubai has total prizes worth 2,5 million dollars. (Translated by V. Palcu and D. Vijeu)

28 February 2017
February 27, 2017

BUDGET DEFICIT – European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis and EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici have sent a letter to Romanian Finance Minister Viorel Stefan, calling on the Government to announce in a “reliable manner the measures they envisage to cut the budget deficit within the targets set by the Stability Pact by April, when the Commission will make public its Spring Economic Forecast. The Commissions latest estimate regarding Romanias budget for this year and the forecast for 2018 differs significantly from the Governments estimate. While for 2017 the Government announced a deficit of 2,96% of the GDP, the Commission claims the deficit will be as high as 3,6%, expecting it to climb to 3,9% in 2018, as a result of major tax cuts and the increase of public spending. EU officials have warned that Romania risks exceeding its budget deficit target.

DEFENCE – Romania is ready to cope with the complex security developments in the region, Defence Minister Gabriel Les said today, upon presenting the Ministrys activity review for 2016. Minister Les highlighted the fact that the Ministrys budget for this year stands at 2% of the GDP after several years of being underfinanced, thus allowing for the reconfiguration and modernization of the military system, a necessary move in response to the volatile security context right now in Romanias vicinity. The Romanian Minister reviewed the NATO military exercises held with the participation of the Romanian Army, efforts to strengthen NATOs Eastern Flank and the actions taken to modernize the countrys land, air and naval forces. Attending the event were President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu and the Chief of General Staff, General Nicolae Ciuca.

CORRUPTION – Former Social-Democrat MP Sebastian Ghita is the target of a new corruption investigation conducted by the National Anticorruption Directorate. Ghita faces charges of influence peddling, aggravated money laundering and the setup of an organized crime group. According to anticorruption prosecutors, the former MP allegedly received up to 10 million euros over the 2007-2014 period from two IT companies in exchange for facilitating contracts awarded by public institutions and authorities. Ghita used the money to bribe ministers and public servants in exchange for awarding state contracts to the two companies. Yesterday prosecutors detained another two suspects in this case, Sebastian Ghitas brother-in-law, Cristian Anastasescu, and a businessman. The former MP is being investigated in several cases, and has been listed among Europols most wanted fugitives. Ghita disappeared without trace at the end of last year.

EXERCISE – The Platinum Eagle 17.1 military exercise underway at the shooting range in Smardan, south-eastern Romania, saw its press opening earlier today. Kicked off on February 20 and set to end on Wednesday, the exercise brings together over 500 military from seven countries in Eastern Europe and the United States. Its main purpose is to engage all participant military units in joint training sessions to increase interoperability. Platinum Eagle 17.1 is being led by the US Marine Corps Commander for Europe and Africa. In another development, a US military helicopter drill scheduled to take place today at the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in Constanta, south-eastern Romania, had to be rescheduled due to bad weather.

TRUMP – US President Donald Trump is today delivering his first address to a Joint Session of Congress. According to our Washington correspondent, President Trump will list his achievements since he took office last month as well as the political and legislative priorities for the coming period. The President promised he would also tackle budget proposals after voicing his plans to boost military spending to pre-war levels. His supporters within the Republican Party expect the president to end his conflicts with the media, the special services and the justice system. The Democrats have instead invited to the House of Representatives illegal immigrants who risk deportation in the wake of Trumps crackdown on migration.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Florin Mergea and his team mate Viktor Troicki are today playing Karen Haceanov of Russia and Benoit Paire of France in the first round of the mens doubles at the ATP tournament in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Yesterday, Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands, the competitions fourth seeds, qualified to the quarterfinals, where they will play the winners of the match pitting Lucas Pouille of France and Fernando Verdasco of Spain against Philipp Kohlshreiber and Florian Mayer of Germany. Also yesterday, Marius Copil, 124th ATP, qualified to the main draw, where he will play Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany, 59th ATP, in the opening round. The tournament in Dubai has total prizes worth 2,5 million dollars. (Translated by V. Palcu)

28 February 2017
February 27, 2017

BUDGET DEFICIT – European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis and EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici have sent a letter to Romanian Finance Minister Viorel Stefan, calling on the Government to announce in a “reliable manner the measures they envisage to cut the budget deficit within the targets set by the Stability Pact by April, when the Commission will make public its Spring Economic Forecast. The Commissions latest estimate regarding Romanias budget for this year and the forecast for 2018 differs significantly from the Governments estimate. While for 2017 the Government announced a deficit of 2,96% of the GDP, the Commission claims the deficit will be as high as 3,6%, expecting it to climb to 3,9% in 2018, as a result of major tax cuts and the increase of public spending. EU officials have warned that Romania risks exceeding its budget deficit target.

DEFENCE – Romania is ready to cope with the complex security developments in the region, Defence Minister Gabriel Les said today, upon presenting the Ministrys activity review for 2016. Minister Les highlighted the fact that the Ministrys budget for this year stands at 2% of the GDP after several years of being underfinanced, thus allowing for the reconfiguration and modernization of the military system, a necessary move in response to the volatile security context right now in Romanias vicinity. The Romanian Minister reviewed the NATO military exercises held with the participation of the Romanian Army, efforts to strengthen NATOs Eastern Flank and the actions taken to modernize the countrys land, air and naval forces. Attending the event were President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu and the Chief of General Staff, General Nicolae Ciuca.

CORRUPTION – Former Social-Democrat MP Sebastian Ghita is the target of a new corruption investigation conducted by the National Anticorruption Directorate. Ghita faces charges of influence peddling, aggravated money laundering and the setup of an organized crime group. According to anticorruption prosecutors, the former MP allegedly received up to 10 million euros over the 2007-2014 period from two IT companies in exchange for facilitating contracts awarded by public institutions and authorities. Ghita used the money to bribe ministers and public servants in exchange for awarding state contracts to the two companies. Yesterday prosecutors detained another two suspects in this case, Sebastian Ghitas brother-in-law, Cristian Anastasescu, and a businessman. The former MP is being investigated in several cases, and has been listed among Europols most wanted fugitives. Ghita disappeared without trace at the end of last year.

EXERCISE – The Platinum Eagle 17.1 military exercise underway at the shooting range in Smardan, south-eastern Romania, saw its press opening earlier today. Kicked off on February 20 and set to end on Wednesday, the exercise brings together over 500 military from seven countries in Eastern Europe and the United States. Its main purpose is to engage all participant military units in joint training sessions to increase interoperability. Platinum Eagle 17.1 is being led by the US Marine Corps Commander for Europe and Africa. In another development, a US military helicopter drill scheduled to take place today at the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in Constanta, south-eastern Romania, had to be rescheduled due to bad weather.

TRUMP – US President Donald Trump is today delivering his first address to a Joint Session of Congress. According to our Washington correspondent, President Trump will list his achievements since he took office last month as well as the political and legislative priorities for the coming period. The President promised he would also tackle budget proposals after voicing his plans to boost military spending to pre-war levels. His supporters within the Republican Party expect the president to end his conflicts with the media, the special services and the justice system. The Democrats have instead invited to the House of Representatives illegal immigrants who risk deportation in the wake of Trumps crackdown on migration.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Florin Mergea and his team mate Viktor Troicki are today playing Karen Haceanov of Russia and Benoit Paire of France in the first round of the mens doubles at the ATP tournament in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Yesterday, Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands, the competitions fourth seeds, qualified to the quarterfinals, where they will play the winners of the match pitting Lucas Pouille of France and Fernando Verdasco of Spain against Philipp Kohlshreiber and Florian Mayer of Germany. Also yesterday, Marius Copil, 124th ATP, qualified to the main draw, where he will play Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany, 59th ATP, in the opening round. The tournament in Dubai has total prizes worth 2,5 million dollars. (Translated by V. Palcu)

28 February 2017
The European Commission publishes country report on Romania

The routine assessment
of Member States made by the European Commission in the form of semester
country reports looks at the progress or delays in key fields, from the economy
to social policy, education and justice. According to the latest such analysis,
in most EU countries the economic recovery has contributed to a decrease in
unemployment, although this figure is still above pre-crisis levels.

For Romania,
which celebrated a decade of EU membership on January 1, the report highlights
the good state of the economy and social policies, but expresses concern for a
prospective miss of the budget deficit ceiling of 3% of the GDP and for threats
to the progress made so far in curbing corruption. Financial stability improved
in 2016, and so did banks’ capital positions and liquidities. According to the
report of the European Commission, over the past two years Romania has seen
steady economic growth, with the rate peaking at 4.9% in 2016. On the downside,
the substantial tax cuts prompted the widening of the budget deficit last year
to 2.8% of the GDP, with a further deepening, to 3.6% and 3.9% expected in 2017
and 2018 respectively.

The labour
market improved, salaries went up and unemployment rates lowered. The poverty
rate, one of the highest in the Union, decreased, but social inequality remains
a problem, affecting in particular the youth, large families, disabled people,
the Roma and rural population. In healthcare, reforms were initiated in 2016,
but the system is struggling with inefficiency and corruption, and access to
healthcare is limited, particularly in rural communities. In education, the
report mentions insufficient measures to prevent school dropout and low access
to higher education for rural youth. Reforms in public administration were
stepped up in 2016, but according to the European Commission, these are still
not enough.

Corruption
remains an obstacle for business and a problem in all fields. Although Romania
has made efforts to fight it in recent years, the progress in this respect is
now under threat, says the report, mentioning as an example the emergency
decrees issued by the new government, formed by the Social Democratic Party and
the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, in an attempt to amend the Criminal
Code and Code of Criminal Procedure. The measure, seen as an attempt to clean
the slate for influential local and central administration officers and
politicians under criminal investigation or prosecution, was eventually
abandoned, but only as a result of warnings from Romania’s Western partners, of
criticism from the media and the opposition and, more importantly, after
massive protests from hundreds of thousands of people who took to the streets
in Bucharest and other major cities in Romania and abroad.

23 February 2017
February 19, 2017 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY – Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu reiterated Romanias support for increasing the role of the EU in the field of defence, in line with NATO requirements. Attending the NATO Security Conference in Munich, Melescanu underlined the importance of consolidating the EU as a viable and influential global actor, outlining Romanias contribution to securing Euro-Atlantic and global security. On the sidelines of the conference, the Romanian Foreign Minister met with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, who congratulated and thanked Romanian authorities for allotting 2% of the countrys GDP to defence. Melescanu also had talks with his Georgian and Azeri counterparts, with the Secretary General of the League of Arab Nations, as well as with other high-ranking officials attending the conference.

EMERGENCY DECREE – The Chamber of Deputies is still debating the emergency decree on the withdrawal of the controversial decree by means of which the Government attempted to amend criminal legislation. According to the head of the Chambers judicial committee, which is the decision-making body in this case, adopting the former would make null the latter. Aimed at partially decriminalising abuse of office, the decree has been the target of mass street protests since its adoption on January 31.

CVM – Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu announced he would send a letter of enquiry to the European Commission next week regarding the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, so that the Government can take the necessary measures. Grindeanu told Realitatea television station that he wants the mechanism to be lifted in the shortest time possible. The Prime Minister recalled that, during his meeting with European Commission president, Jean-Claude Junker held on Friday, the latter insisted that Romania should no longer be monitored under the CVM by the end of his term in office. In his talks with high-ranking European Commission officials, Prime Minister Grindeanu gave assurances that the Government in Bucharest remains committed to fighting corruption.

ECONOMY – Romania reported a 292 million euro deficit in trading foodstuffs in the first 11 months of 2016, given that, over the similar period of 2015, our country reported a surplus of over 65 million euros, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry. Exports stood at 5,4 billion euros, up by 2.7% as against the same period of 2016, while imports exceeded 5,7 billion euros, by 9.6% more than the period under scrutiny. The EU was Romanias main trade partner in terms of exports and imports of foodstuffs, with deliveries accounting for over 54% of total exports, while EU purchases accounted for some 74% of total imports.

BRANCUSI – Romanian embassies, consular offices and cultural institutes abroad on Sunday marked the Brancusi Day, devoted to the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Considered the “father of modern sculpture, Constantin Brancusi was born on February 19, 1876 in Hobita, Gorj County, southern Romania. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, 2017 bears a triple significance for promoting Brancusi and his works. March 16 will mark 60 years since the death of Brancusi. Also, in 2018, the year Romania celebrates 100 years since its Great Unification, our country will also celebrate 80 years since the great sculptor accomplished his greatest monument ensemble, “The Heroes Path in Targu Jiu, an homage to the Romanian soldiers who gave their lives for people and country in the Great War. Also this year on June 15 we mark 40 years since the inauguration of the “Brancusi Workshop in 1977 at the Pompidou Cultural Centre in Paris.

FILM – Romanian image editor Dana Bunescu on Saturday scooped the Silver Bear award for editing at the 67th edition of the International Berlin Film Festival, for the feature film Ana, mon amour, directed by Calin Peter Netzer. The feature was selected in the main competition for the Golden Bear, which this year went to Hungarian filmmaker Ildko Enyedis feature On Body and Soul. We recall that Calin Peter Netzer won the Golden Bear in 2013 with his feature Childs Pose.

CARNIVAL OF VENICE – This year as well Romania is represented in the main program at the Venice Carnival. Romanian traditional costumes were presented on Sunday at the official parade opening the Carnival, while alphorn players from Campeni, Alba County, performed on stage in San Marco Square. On Saturday, the “Zestrea exhibition of Romanian traditional costumes designed by Liliana Turoiu was opened and can be visited until February 28. (Translated by V. Palcu)

19 February 2017
February 19, 2017

DIPLOMACY — Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu reiterated Romania’s support for increasing the role of the EU in the field of defence, in line with NATO requirements. Attending the NATO Security Conference in Munich, Melescanu underlined the importance of consolidating the EU as a viable and influential global actor, outlining Romania’s contribution to securing Euro-Atlantic and global security. On the sidelines of the conference, the Romanian Foreign Minister met with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, who congratulated and thanked Romanian authorities for allotting 2% of the country’s GDP to defence. Melescanu also had talks with his Georgian and Azeri counterparts, with the Secretary General of the League of Arab Nations, as well as with other high-ranking officials attending the conference.

EMERGENCY DECREE — The Chamber of Deputies is still debating the emergency decree on the withdrawal of the controversial decree by means of which the Government attempted to amend criminal legislation. According to the head of the Chamber’s judicial committee, which is the decision-making body in this case, adopting the former would make null the latter. Aimed at partially decriminalising abuse of office, the decree has been the target of mass street protests since its adoption on January 31.

CVM — Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu announced he would send a letter of enquiry to the European Commission next week regarding the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, so that the Government can take the necessary measures. Grindeanu told Realitatea television station that he wants the mechanism to be lifted in the shortest time possible. The Prime Minister recalled that, during his meeting with European Commission president, Jean-Claude Junker held on Friday, the latter insisted that Romania should no longer be monitored under the CVM by the end of his term in office. In his talks with high-ranking European Commission officials, Prime Minister Grindeanu gave assurances that the Government in Bucharest remains committed to fighting corruption.

ECONOMY — Romania reported a 292 million euro deficit in trading foodstuffs in the first 11 months of 2016, given that, over the similar period of 2015, our country reported a surplus of over 65 million euros, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry. Exports stood at 5,4 billion euros, up by 2.7% as against the same period of 2016, while imports exceeded 5,7 billion euros, by 9.6% more than the period under scrutiny. The EU was Romania’s main trade partner in terms of exports and imports of foodstuffs, with deliveries accounting for over 54% of total exports, while EU purchases accounted for some 74% of total imports.

BRANCUSI — Romanian embassies, consular offices and cultural institutes abroad on Sunday marked the Brancusi Day, devoted to the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Considered the “father of modern sculpture”, Constantin Brancusi was born on February 19, 1876 in Hobita, Gorj County, southern Romania. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, 2017 bears a triple significance for promoting Brancusi and his works. March 16 will mark 60 years since the death of Brancusi. Also, in 2018, the year Romania celebrates 100 years since its Great Unification, our country will also celebrate 80 years since the great sculptor accomplished his greatest monument ensemble, “The Heroes’ Path” in Targu Jiu, an homage to the Romanian soldiers who gave their lives for people and country in the Great War. Also this year on June 15 we mark 40 years since the inauguration of the “Brancusi Workshop” in 1977 at the Pompidou Cultural Centre in Paris.

FILM — Romanian image editor Dana Bunescu on Saturday scooped the Silver Bear award for editing at the 67th edition of the International Berlin Film Festival, for the feature film Ana, mon amour, directed by Calin Peter Netzer. The feature was selected in the main competition for the Golden Bear, which this year went to Hungarian filmmaker Ildko Enyedi’s feature On Body and Soul. We recall that Calin Peter Netzer won the Golden Bear in 2013 with his feature Child’s Pose.

CARNIVAL OF VENICE — This year as well Romania is represented in the main program at the Venice Carnival. Romanian traditional costumes were presented on Sunday at the official parade opening the Carnival, while alphorn players from Campeni, Alba County, performed on stage in San Marco Square. On Saturday, the “Zestrea” exhibition of Romanian traditional costumes designed by Liliana Turoiu was opened and can be visited until February 28. (Translated by V. Palcu)

19 February 2017
February 16, 2017

VISIT – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is today meeting European Commission chief-negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, who is on a visit to Bucharest. The meeting is scheduled ahead of Romanias taking over the EU presidency in 2019, a year when Brexit negotiations are due to enter their final phase. President Iohannis has repeatedly said that Brexit negotiations should observe the rights of Romanians living in the UK. Michel Barnier visited Romania on October 5, 2016, when he met with Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos.

EMERGENCY DECREE – The Chamber of Deputies is today debating the emergency decree rescinding the controversial decree by means of which the Government tried to amend criminal legislation. According to the chairman of the Chambers judicial committee, which is the decision-making body is this matter, approving the former would make null the latter. The decree, which among other things partially decriminalized abuse of office, was at the centre of mass street protests in Bucharest and other large cities, started on January 31. Protesters called for the withdrawal of the decree and called for the resignation of the Government. Anti-presidential protests were also staged against Klaus Iohannis. Protesters accuse the president for failing to act as a mediator in the current crisis.

ACTIVITY REPORT – The total value of assets seized or frozen last year by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism stood at 930 million euros. According to the institutions activity report for 2016, total crime-related damages, as shown by cases solved last year, stood at 135 million euros, as compared to 173 million euros in 2015. Anti-mafia prosecutors solved over 13,000 cases last year, up by 12.5% as against 2015, with almost 4,000 people being prosecuted. Another 13,000 cases are still pending.

INFRINGEMENT – The European Commission has sent a letter of formal notice to Romania on retail trade of agricultural and food products. Large retailers from Romania are required to purchase at least 51% of food and agricultural products from local producers. The Commission raised concerns on the basis of the principle of free movement of goods. The joint Senate committees on European affairs and agriculture decided to set up a task force to harmonize Romanian legislation with EU regulations.

NATO – NATO Defence Ministers are today discussing cyber security at the end of their two-day formal meeting in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said cyber-attacks on NATO networks went up by 60% over 2015-2016 and there are reports from some Member States indicating that Russia might be behind some of these attacks. On Monday NATO Defence Ministers agreed to set up a new regional centre to respond to threats from the south. The centre will be integrated into the NATO Command Centre in Napoli, Italy, and will function as a response force to threats from the Middle East and Northern Africa. Attending the meeting, Romanian Defence Minister Gabriel Les said that Romania has observed its commitment to allotting 2% of its GDP to defence this year. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Defence Ministers of Romania, the Czech Republic and Germany signed agreements to consolidate cooperation.

TRAVEL FAIR – Over 250 travel agents from 14 countries on Thursday and Friday are taking part in Romanias Travel Fair. Agencies from Romania and Austria, Bulgaria, Egypt, Croatia, the Russian Federation, Greece, Israel, Moldova, Palestine, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Turkey and Hungary will be presenting visitors with customised offers, based on individual budgets and preferences, travel packages for Easter, the summer holidays as well as circuits. Travel agents have offers at 40-50% discounts, available only during the fair, transport offers for one euro only, air travel costs included and other benefits.

FOOTBALL – Romanias football champions Astra Giurgiu is today playing KRC Genk of Belgium in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. Qualified to this phase for the first time, Astra previously played in a group with AS Rome of Italy, Viktoria Plezen of the Czech Republic and Austria Vienna. Astra is the only Romanian team left in the competition. The return leg will be played away from home next Thursday. (Tranlsated by V. Palcu)

16 February 2017
European Commission Decisions Concerning Romania

Just like any other EU member country, Romania has both benefits and obligations arising from its membership. Failure to observe the latter triggers warnings and sanctions issued by the European Commission. On Wednesday, the Commission submitted several demands for compliance.

The first concerns the trade of agricultural and food products. Last summer, the Romanian Parliament adopted, and President Iohannis promulgated, a law that forced hypermarkets to have 51% domestic products on their shelves. The initiator of the bill regarded the measures as a win for Romanian producers.

However, the big chains of retailers warned that the decision would affect the normal functioning of food trade. Indeed, on Wednesday the European Commission decided that the law hampered the free circulation of merchandise. Also, restrictions were imposed on retailers regarding the decision on what products to be promoted, which runs counter to several provisions of the EU Treaty. Therefore, Romanian authorities have two months to respond to the European Commission’s arguments.

In another move, the European Commission has decided to sue Romania for failing to close or rehabilitate 68 illegal waste storage facilities, which pose a serious threat to people’s health and the environment. Under the EU provisions, Romania should have closed or rehabilitated them by December 2016.

The current Minister of the Environment Daniel Constantin has given assurances that measures will be taken to avoid fines: “Since I took over the office, I’ve had several meetings with owners and local public authorities and we have tried to identify solutions. There are also other situations in which we will have to disburse funds in the form of loans from the state budget, for things to get back to normal as soon as possible.”

The vice-president of the Romanian Association for Waste Management Constantin Damov has warned that other sectors are faced with the same risks: “Actions for infringement might be taken on flows of packaging waste, as well as electronics and constructions waste. Each of these infringement actions might trigger penalties ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 Euros a day. So, the money, which is scarce anyway, instead of being placed in investments, will be used to pay penalties for failure to reach the set targets.”

Also on Wednesday, the European Commission called on Romania to make sure it fully implements the EU regulations regarding the trading and use of explosives precursors. Also, Romania must observe the principle of equal access to the Black Sea water and resources, a principle it has violated several times during incidents that involved ships under the Bulgarian flag. (Translated by M. Ignatescu)

16 February 2017