Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean

  • Activity Report of the European Commissioner for Transport

    Activity Report of the European Commissioner for Transport

    The European Commission has allocated 12 billion euros to Romania, in the last 5 years, for projects in the field of transport infrastructure, said the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, on the occasion of the presentation of her five-year activity report. The representative of Romania in the Brussels Executive specified that more than 850 million euros were transferred through the European Interconnection Mechanism, which she managed directly, and the money was allocated to finance 26 major projects. According to her, Romania ranks 6th in the EU in terms of the allocation of funds, after Poland, Italy, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

    Also, Valeanu stressed that during her mandate Romania received a new transport corridor, which will ensure a more efficient connection of the northeastern area with the rest of the country’s regions. It’s the International North-South Transport Corridor, which unites the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea and which requires new transport standards, new urban hubs and a new speed of movement on the railway. As for the port of Constanta, the largest Romanian port on the Black Sea, which Vălean called “the heart of the corridors of solidarity” as a result of the essential role it plays in helping Ukraine, it benefited from 162 million euros from the European Union for improving the railway infrastructure. The EU Commissioner said that she wanted to see that the port of Constanța remain the gateway to the community space for goods from Asia, on the middle transport corridor, and that she brought up this topic in an international format at the G7 level.

    The European official also said that the Fast Danube 2 project, which aims to improve navigation conditions on the common Romanian-Bulgarian sector of the Danube, is close to receiving European funding. Regarding the road transport industry in Romania, Adina Vălean said that this sector of the economy has a contribution of 6.5% to the Gross Domestic Product and that professional drivers have been declared essential workers for the economy of the European Union. At the same time, over 94 million euros from the European budget financed investments at the border crossing points between Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the commissioner also said.

    As regards the situation of the national airline TAROM, created by some pilots who declared themselves unfit to fly on Monday, Vălean said that this caused inconvenience to the passengers as they should have been notified ahead of time to be able to plan their trips differently. She stressed that this situation does not bode well, in the context in which the air operator benefits from a state aid approved by the European Commission, an influx of funds that was made on the basis of a restructuring plan, with precise conditions. Adina Vălean pointed out that this summer will be difficult from the point of view of air transport, especially for the countries of South-Eastern Europe, against the background of the increase in air traffic and the volume of passengers, and that incidents like the one at TAROM do not help . Regardless of the situation, the commissioner concluded, passengers’ rights must be respected. (MI)

  • May 9, 2023 UPDATE

    May 9, 2023 UPDATE

    Europe Day. In his message on Europe Day, Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis stressed that in 2023, the celebration was marked by profound changes at global level. The consequences of the war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine have multiplied, and the principles, values ​​and multilateral system that have been the foundation of peace after the Second World War are under threat, while at global level we see a tendency of fragmentation and geopolitical resettlement, Klaus Iohannis said in his message. In this global context, with so many challenges, Europe, a symbol of the values ​​of peace, freedom, democracy, and human rights, has an even more important role today. Defending these values ​​is a responsibility that will shape the world in which the future generations will grow. Romania, Klaus Iohannis, also said, is an active part of the European efforts and initiatives to implement common strategic priorities, for the benefit of our citizens. Unity and solidarity remain our main asset, and the last years have been clear proof that we are stronger only united and in solidarity, Klaus Iohannis concluded.



    Visit. The European Commissioner for Transport, the Romanian Adina Vălean, is paying formal visits to the Republic of Moldova and Romania, between May 9 and 11. In Chisinau, Adina Valean and the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Lilia Dabija, signed on Tuesday, in the presence of Prime Minister Dorin Recean, an agreement that affiliates Moldova to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEE). It will facilitate access to European funds for major infrastructure projects, in order to improve the countrys connectivity both with Europe and internally. Also in Chisinau, the agreements between the Republic of Moldova and Romania on the modernization of three bridges over the Prut River were signed. On May 10 and 11, the European Commissioner will be in Romania, to visit the Port of Constanţa, on the Black Sea coast, where she will hand over to Romanian beneficiaries two CEE grants for the funding of military mobility actions. One of the projects is about the modernization of the railway infrastructure in the Port of Constanţa – an essential crossing point within the EU-Ukraine solidarity corridors.



    Ordinance. The Romanian Finance Ministry published on its website, on Monday evening, the draft emergency ordinance by means of which the Government hopes to save over 5 billion lei (1 billion Euros) to the budget. The measures proposed include a 10% reduction in goods and service spending in public institutions, as well as a hiring freeze, with certain exceptions. Also, the number of positions in the offices and chancelleries of the central public administration is to be reduced by half. The government is expected to adopt the document this week.



    Cybersecurity. The new European Cybersecurity Competence Center was inaugurated, on Tuesday, in Bucharest, with the participation of Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and of several senior European officials, a press release from the European Commission Representation in Romania reads. This center aims to support innovation and industrial policy in the field of cyber security, as well as to develop and coordinate EU projects in the field. According to the prime minister, the presence in this part of Europe of an essential component for strengthening the EUs cyber resilience reconfirms the attention given to our common efforts to protect the economy, the citizens and the public institutions. The decision to select Bucharest as the host city of the Center also took into account the very attractive local ecosystem, the Romanians knowledge, skills, innovation and talent in the field of cyber security, Ciuca stressed. Attending the inauguration event, Roberto Viola, Director-General of the European Commissions Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) said that Bucharest competed with five other European cities to host such a center and won thanks to its vibrant system of researchers that promote innovation and thanks to the skills they have in the field of cyber security. “Europe is becoming increasingly digitized and there are risks and benefits during this process. The risk is that opponents of democracy will attack the foundations of democracy and the way of life of the citizens and of Europe” , the European official added.



    Milk. In Romania, the negotiations between the big milk retailers and processors have ended, so the price of milk has already dropped, on average by 20% in most stores. According to the Competition Council, in the case of some assortments, the decrease will even reach 34%. The president of the institution says that the measure should not affect farmers, on the contrary, by stimulating domestic consumption, demand will increase, and local producers will sell more. The voluntary agreement for cheaper milk between retailers and processors is valid 6 months, starting May 1st, and the Competition Council will monitor its application.



    Gaudeamus. The Gaudeamus Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania, opens its doors on Wednesday in Oradea (north-west). Over 50 brands, among which the most prestigious publishing houses and Romanian and foreign book distribution agencies, will present their offer in 45 stands. Visitors can choose from thousands of titles from various fields, for all ages and tastes, a large part of which are recent releases. According to the organizers, the editorial offer will be completed by a generous selection of educational games and quality music. (MI)