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Tag: European Political Community

  • EPC meeting in Budapest

    EPC meeting in Budapest

    European leaders met in Budapest to discuss security challenges facing Europe, with an emphasis on the situation in Ukraine, as well as the issues of migration and economic security. At the fifth Summit of the European Political Community (EPC), they evoked the significant impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on the entire continent and also at the global level. The officials emphasized the need for coordinated action at the European level to continue supporting Ukraine, which is fighting for the defense of its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

     

    At the talks held in a restricted format within the working group on migration, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, present at the meeting in Budapest, drew attention to the fact that migration remains an important challenge at the European level, which requires a common and comprehensive response. According to a press release from the Presidential Administration, he emphasized that developments regarding migration continue to be alarming against the background of the conflict in the Middle East and the continuation of the war in Ukraine. Thus, Klaus Iohannis spoke about the importance of an effective implementation at the EU level of the Pact on migration, a tool that can also prove useful in the relationship with partners outside the EU.

     

    At the same time, Klaus Iohannis mentioned that Romania is already implementing some of the provisions of the Pact, through the Pilot Project carried out on the border with Serbia, which proved to be an example of good practices in terms of returns, asylum procedures and the prevention of illegal migration. Also, the head of state referred to the importance of regional operational cooperation, which, he says, proves to be an effective tool for effective management of the phenomenon. In this context, Klaus Iohannis pointed out that Romania remains committed both to implementing effective measures in terms of migration management and to ensuring the security of the EU’s external borders and to fully assuming its role as a member state applying the Schengen acquis. In this sense, he reiterated that for Romania, the completion of the process of joining the free travel area reflects the firm commitment to the European project.

     

    On the other hand, at the meeting devoted to supporting the Republic of Moldova, which took place on the sidelines of the EPC meeting, Klaus Iohannis appreciated, together with the other European leaders, the reform efforts of the last period in Chișinău, materialized in constant progress, despite the challenges generated by threats from Russia.  He also emphasized the need to maintain the speedy pace of reforms, the high degree of institutional vigilance, as well as the application of the lessons learned during the current elections and in the perspective of the parliamentary elections in 2025. The other European leaders also declared their firm support for the Republic of Moldova, after the presidential election and the referendum that confirmed its European course. Moreover, at the end of the meeting, the participants pledged to continue their support for Chișinău to achieve its goals of peace and democracy. (LS)

  • November 7, 2024 UPDATE

    November 7, 2024 UPDATE

     

    SUMMIT The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, pleaded for short and long-term solutions at a roundtable on migration occasioned by the Summit of the European Political Community in Budapest on Thursday. At the talks on migration, Klaus Iohannis warned that this remains an important challenge at European level, which requires a common and comprehensive response. He emphasised that migration continues to be worrisome in the context of the conflict in the Middle East and the continued war in Ukraine. Mr. Iohannis also said that Romania remains committed both to the implementation of effective migration management measures and to ensuring the security of the EU’s external borders. On the sidelines of the summit, the Romanian head of state also attended a meeting focused on support for the Republic of Moldova, alongside president Maia Sandu and other European leaders. At the end of the meeting in Budapest, the European leaders adopted a joint statement welcoming the results of the referendum and the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova, and committing to providing further support so that the state can carry on its reforms and fight foreign interference. Klaus Iohannis also had a bilateral meeting with the secretary general of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will make a visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13, where he will have meetings with his counterpart Keir Starmer, with the Speaker of the House of Commons, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum. According to the spokesperson of the Romanian government, ahead of this visit, the Cabinet approved in Thursday’s meeting a memorandum updating the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and preventing tax evasion. The document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation in 2023 and those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD.

     

    DEFENCE “Russia’s aggressive actions in the Black Sea region force us to have a common perspective, able to generate a firm response to the emerging threats at our borders,” said the Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr at a meeting of defense ministers in South-Eastern Europe, held in Tirana (Albania). According to a ministry news release, the meeting was an opportunity to discuss the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications for regional security. In this context, Angel Tîlvăr highlighted Romania’s role as a pillar of stability in the extended Black Sea region, an area that has become a crucial point for Euro-Atlantic security. “Only through a united approach can we ensure the security of our region and stability at the borders of the EU and NATO,” he also said. On the sidelines of the meeting, in bilateral talks with his Moldovan counterpart, Anatolie Nosatiy, Tilvǎr emphasised the importance of firm support for the Republic of Moldova in the face of security challenges and destabilisation attempts, part of the Russian Federation’s hybrid actions.

     

    AGRICULTURE The Common Agricultural Policy needs a separate budget, and farmers need to be sure they will receive the funds without limitations linked to the rule of law or other unrelated conditions, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, said in Bucharest. On the sidelines of his official visit to Romania, the EU Commissioner attended the National Conference of the Romanian Farmers’ Club jointly with the minister of agriculture, Florin Barbu. The European official said that, at EU level, the agricultural trade balance with third countries reached a record-high surplus of EUR 70 billion in 2023. The Conference was attended by farmers, high-ranking Romanian and European officials with responsibilities in the development of agriculture policies and strategies, leaders in the field of agricultural technologies, as well as representatives of farmers’ associations at European and national levels.

     

    SALARIES The average annual full-time adjusted salary of Romanians is the fourth lowest in the European Union. Eurostat data shows an annual increase of approx.  EUR 2,600 for 2023, but the total amount remains less than half of the EU average. The EU adjusted average annual salary the last year was EUR 37,900, while in Romania it was approx. EUR 17,700. Luxembourg holds the record with an average full-time salary of over EUR 81,000, followed by Denmark and Ireland. At the opposite pole is Bulgaria, with EUR 13,500 per year, followed by Hungary and Greece.

     

    US ELECTION The US President Joe Biden gave assurances on Thursday that the American electoral system is fair and that a peaceful and orderly transition of power will be ensured. The statement was made in a speech addressed to the American nation on the election results and preparations for the transition on January 20, when President-elect Donald Trump will return to the White House, after defeating the Democrat Kamala Harris. “We accept the choice the country made. I’ve said many times that you can’t love your country only when you win,” Biden said in his first media appearance after Trump’s victory. As for the integrity of the American electoral system — “it is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent,” Biden said. “And it can be trusted, win or lose.” Leaders around the world reacted after Donald Trump announced his victory in the US presidential election. (AMP)

  • July 19, 2024 UPDATE

    July 19, 2024 UPDATE

    Energy – The government is preparing a plan of immediate and medium-term measures to cover the electricity consumption needs of both citizens and companies, regardless of the weather conditions, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday, at the end of the meeting of the Energy Command team. The immediate measures, as stated in the Government’s press release, include, among other things, the increase in energy production and the identification of a standard format for the conveyance/communication of electricity measurement data between distributors and suppliers. At the same time, the National Energy Regulatory Authority has announced that it will analyze the pricing mechanism in order to protect the final consumer from market fluctuations. Recently, the national energy system has been under pressure due to the heat wave. There have been problems with covering the energy needs, and the distribution infrastructure causes concern, as it is overloaded during periods of high temperatures, when electricity consumption is much higher than in normal periods.

     

    Meeting – At the 4th meeting of the European Political Community, held in Great Britain, Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, pleaded for cooperation in the field of energy and for the continuation of the support given to Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops, the Presidential Administration in Bucharest announced. The Romanian president stressed that the efforts to strengthen cooperation in the field of energy and connectivity ‘are essential goals for strengthening national and European resilience, in a context marked by the challenge of managing climate change, but also by developments such as those in Ukraine, which reconfirmed the need for action to limit strategic dependencies’. A meeting of the leaders from Romania, Great Britain, Poland, France and Germany with the pro-European president of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) Maia Sandu was held on the sidelines of the event. The Western partners have reiterated their determination to continue supporting the Republic of Moldova reach its goals of peace, prosperity and democracy, the quoted source said.

     

    IT outage – Numerous banks, media institutions, airports, transports, hospitals and other activities are still affected by the consequences of what is called the largest IT outage in history, produced this morning. Microsoft has suggested that multiple shutdowns and restarts of operating systems, even up to 15, would be required as an effective troubleshooting step. CrowdStrike, the cyber security company largely responsible for the outage, explained that some systems do not restore themselves automatically, but promised that it made it its mission to ensure that every customer would fully restore their systems. However, the impact of cyber security interruptions will affect some applications and consequently the activity of many companies for days. In Great Britain, for example, the Government held an emergency meeting to analyze methods of managing the problems caused by the IT outage that affected airports, banks, the health system, television channels and others. Key sectors of daily life, including health services and public transport, were also affected in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and Norway. Even the 911 emergency system went down in the United States. The first to report problems were airports all over the world, including Romania, where, at the “Henri Coandă” International Airport, several flights were delayed, and the online booking and check-in at some operators were not available. Out of the 110,000 commercial flights scheduled for Friday around the world, 1,390 have been canceled by midday, according to Cirium aviation analysis company, quoted by the BBC. Passengers are advised to inform themselves before leaving for the airport.

     

    Fires – The number of wildfires in Romania in June this year was almost three times higher than in the same period of last year, the National Agency for Environmental Protection announced. Despite the measures taken by the authorities and the checks carried out, in the first six months of the year there have already been 60 fires, while throughout 2023 there were 82 such incidents. The fire affected not only stubble fields and agricultural land, but also protected areas, such as national parks. According to the relevant Agency, stubble burning causes a reduction in agricultural harvests by 25-35%. Burning releases very large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are some of the main causes of acid rain. Also, fires cause casualties among animals and birds in the affected perimeters.

     

    Aid – The European Commission has approved an amendment to an existing aid scheme notified by Romania, including an increase in the total budget by 54.4 million Euros to support tomato producers in protected spaces, such as greenhouses, and garlic producers. The Commission concluded that the measure requested by the Romanian government is necessary, adequate and proportionate to remedy a serious disruption of the economy of a member state, in accordance with European legislation. Brussels’ decision comes in the context of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine and against the backdrop of the temporary crisis framework for state aid, the EC stated.

     

    July 20 – The Day of Romanian Aviation and Air Forces is celebrated on Saturday, July 20, when the Orthodox calendar celebrates the Holy Prophet Elijah – the spiritual protector of aviators. A military ceremony and an air show will take place on Saturday morning at the Air Heroes Monument in Aviatorilor Square in Bucharest, when aircraft such as F-16, F-18 or Black Hawk will fly over the capital of Romania. (LS)

  • July 18, 2024

    July 18, 2024

    Meeting – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, today, in the fourth meeting of the European Political Community, which is taking place in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. According to a Presidential Administration press release, the program of the meeting includes a plenary session and working groups, and the discussions focus on topics such as security in Europe, support for Ukraine, challenges related to migration, protecting democracy and promoting energy security. During the debates, President Iohannis will address current issues regarding the continuation of support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression. On the sidelines of the plenary session, an informal meeting of the Coordination Group for the Republic of Moldova is scheduled. The members of the group, which includes the leaders from Romania, France, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, the EU, alongside the Republic of Moldova, will discuss aspects related to Chişinău’s resilience in dealing with multiple current threats.

     

    EP – Today, the European Parliament is voting on a proposal for Ursula von der Leyen to obtain a new mandate as President of the European Commission. To be re-elected, Ursula von der Leyen (65) needs the votes of at least 361 of the 720 MEPs. On Wednesday, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) announced that it found irregularities related to the transparency of the contracts concluded by the European Commission for the purchase of anti-COVID-19 vaccines, a case that directly targets Ursula von der Leyen. Also on Wednesday, the new European Parliament voted its first resolution, aimed at financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, to help it repel Russia’s attacks.

     

    Football – The winner of the Romanian Football Cup, Corvinul Hunedoara (from center-western Romania), plays, today, in Sibiu (center) against the Hungarian team Paksi FC in the decisive leg of the first preliminary round of the Europa League. In the first match, Corvinul, returning to the European cups after a break of 42 years, won, away from home, 4-0 against the vice-champion Hungary. If it passes Paksi FC, Corvinul Hunedoara will play in the second preliminary round of the Europa League with the Croatian team HNK Rijeka. The other Romanian teams participating in the European competitions are the Romanian football champions, FCSB (Bucharest), CFR Cluj (from north-western Romania) and Universitatea Craiova (south-western Romania).

     

    Campaign – The Romanian government has today launched the campaign “We qualify Romania”, whose objective, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, is to allow Romanians access to the “Visa Waiver” program. The PM claims that there is “a huge opportunity” and urged all Romanians who have valid B1 or B2 visas and those who had such a visa to apply for its renewal. The Romanian government has committed to meeting the accession criteria by the end of the American fiscal year, which ends on September 30. The renewal of the visa for the United States costs the same as a normal visa, i.e. 185 dollars (approx. 840 lei). Romania can enter the “Visa Waiver” program in 2025 if the visa refusal rate is below 3%. Over the past three years, it has fallen from 17% in 2021 to 8% last year. The “Visa Waiver” is a US government program that allows citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days for tourism, business, or transit through the US territory without a visa.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian plays, today, against the Italian Lucia Bronzetti, in the round of 16 of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo (Italy), with total prizes up for grabs worth over 230,000 Euros. Jaqueline Cristian has qualified for the round of 16 after defeating the Argentinean Julia Riera in two sets, 6-3, 6-2, on Tuesday. The Romanian Irina Begu has also qualified for the quarter-finals of the Palermo tournament, after defeating the Dutch Arantxa Rus, seed no. 5, score 6-2, 7-5. (LS)

     

  • October 6, 2023

    October 6, 2023

    Madrid. Dozens of European heads of state and government are participating in the 3rd European Political Community Summit, which continues today in the Spanish city of Granada. Among those present are representatives of EU member states, including the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, but also leaders of countries with European aspirations, including the presidents of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. Energy, cyber security, military security, migration and climate change are among the topics addressed. Regarding a new enlargement of the EU, the participants agree that a formula must be found to bring the countries of the Balkans and Eastern Europe into the European family, but only after a reform of the functioning of the Union. In this context, according to President Iohannis, setting deadlines for enlargement is unrealistic.



    Visit. After representing Romania at the high-level meetings in Spain, President Klaus Iohannis will pay a state visit to Portugal until Monday, at the invitation of his counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. According to the Presidential Administration, the visit will begin with the participation of President Iohannis, as a special guest, in the anniversary meeting of the Arraiolos Group, hosted by the President of the Portuguese Republic, which will take place on Friday in Porto. The Group meeting marks 20 years since the initiation of this informal platform for consultation at presidential level between 16 states of the European Union. The head of state will deliver, as the main speaker, a presentation focused on the challenges faced by the European Union in the context of Russias aggression against Ukraine, the necessary measures to continue the multidimensional support for Ukraine and ensuring the unity of European and Euro-Atlantic positions in addressing the security effects of the war. On Saturday, President Iohannis will be received by his Portuguese counterpart in Lisbon. The field of defense is one of the key components of bilateral cooperation, with the aim of strengthening allied defense on NATOs Eastern Flank, a result of this cooperation being the participation of Portugal with a contingent of ground forces in the multinational NATO brigade in Romania, the presidential administration has stressed. On the sidelines of the state visit, bilateral documents will be signed in the field of energy, investment and trade. In another move, Klaus Iohannis will pay an official visit to Hungary on Wednesday, where he will talk with his Hungarian counterpart, Katalin Novak.



    Mechanism. The mechanism that will allow the import of limited quantities of grain from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova only on the basis of a license was discussed by the Bucharest Government in Thursdays meeting. The measure aims to protect Romanian farmers after the European Commission lifted the restrictions imposed on Ukrainian grain imports, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. He stated that this mechanism, agreed with all parties involved, will allow imports only on the basis of an authorization for limited quantities of grain and will apply only to Romanian farmers and processors who demonstrate that they need additional quantities to replenish stocks. “This is how we ensure that products that comply with quality standards will arrive on the Romanian market”, Ciolacu pointed out. He also said that Romania continues to support Ukraine “with all its strengh”, but that it is mandatory for the Bucharest administration to protect the work of Romanian farmers. Recently, the Romanian Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, has said that the agricultural products that are subject to import and will fall under the scope of this mechanism are wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed.



    Inflation. The National Bank of Romania (NBR) has decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 7% per year, a value that has remained unchanged since January. The board of directors of the NBR also kept unchanged the interest at which commercial banks can borrow from the NBR and the interest they receive when they keep money in deposits established at the central bank. According to the new assessments of the BNR, the annual inflation rate will continue to decrease until the end of the current year. Starting next year, however, inflation will be influenced by the existence of major risks, arising from the new fiscal-budgetary measures adopted by the government and the degree of absorption of European funds, as well as the war in neighboring Ukraine and economic developments below expectations from Europe.



    Attack. At least 51 people lost their lives yesterday in a Russian missile attack on a village in northeastern Ukraine, not far from the front line. A cafe and a grocery store were hit where the victims had met for the reburial ceremony of a soldier from that village, who had been killed in battle. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Russian military of deliberately targeting civilians. The bombardment took place in the context in which Moscows forces intensified their attacks in the Kupiansk – Lîman front sector, where they are said to have mobilized one hundred and ten thousand soldiers. The last assaults of the Russians in the area were supported by aviation. On the other hand, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army announced that the troops under its command have made progress both in the east, in the area of ​​the city of Bahmut, and on the southern front, where they are engaged in an offensive in the direction of the Sea of ​​Azov. This went, however, much slower than initially expected, so that it is unlikely that the objective will be reached before the onset of bad weather.



    Protest. Representatives of several associations of patients with chronic and autoimmune diseases in Romania have protested in front of the Ministry of Health, dissatisfied with problems in the system that directly affect them. They signaled the delay in payments to pharmacies for compensated drugs and are waiting for the emergency budget rectification or the increase in the GDP allocation for the medical system. The relevant minister, Alexandru Rafila, has discussed with the patients representatives and assured them that at the beginning of next month the budgetary adjustment regarding health will take place and that the payments of the compensated medicines for the pharmacies have been made for May. However, the president of the Association of Patients with Autoimmune Diseases, Rozalina Lăpădatu, has said that the payments are still delayed, and the pharmacies are at risk of collapse. She has stated that the Government Decision on updating the list of free and compensated medicines is blocked at the Ministry of Finance, which is supposed to approve it, and announced that patient organizations will decide whether to organize a protest in front of this ministry as well, to ensure that “the budget adjustment it will actually be done at the beginning of November”. (MI)

  • October 6, 2022

    October 6, 2022

    EPC – Leaders from 42 countries are meeting today in Prague for the first meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), a new structure proposed by the French President Emmanuel Macron in response to Russias war in Ukraine. The Russian invasion generated a total geopolitical rethinking, and the EPC wants to be a platform for cooperation on security issues between EU countries and the partners on the continent, candidates for accession or not. Romania is represented by the president Klaus Iohannis, who, together with the leaders from the countries of the EU bloc, will talk with the presidents of Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) about the peace and security of the whole of Europe, the economic situation, energy, climate and migration. During the informal meeting of the European Council, which will take place on Friday, also in Prague, the EU leaders will address the situation in Ukraine from the perspective of the European response to Russias moves to escalate the conflict and of the continuation of providing support to Ukraine on the financial, political, military and humanitarian levels. Also, the situation on the energy market will be addressed from the point of view of the impact of the high energy prices on the cost of living and the efforts to ensure the security of energy supply.



    Refugees — The Border Police General Inspectorate (IGPF) informs that on Wednesday, 71,642 people, including 8,486 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania through border points throughout the country, an increase of about 10% compared to the previous day. According to a communiqué sent on Thursday, starting on February 10, 2022, two weeks before the Russian army invaded Ukraine, 2,508,047 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most of them continued their journey to Western European countries, but, according to the Romanian Interior Ministry, more than 4,300 applied for and received asylum in Romania and benefit from all the rights provided by the national legislation. About 70 thousand others have residence permits, for the beneficiaries of temporary protection.



    Moldova – The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet country with a majority Romanian-speaking population) votes, on Thursday, on the request of the pro-Western Government led by Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița regarding the extension of the state of emergency for another 60 days, in the context of the war in neighboring Ukraine. As the prime ministers party, Action and Solidarity (PAS), has about two-thirds of the 101 deputies mandates, the vote would be a simple formality. According to the government, the need to extend the state of emergency, starting on October 7, is caused by the persistent risks regarding the security of the supply of the Republic of Moldova with energy resources, the possible new flows of refugees from Ukraine and the need to ensure security at the border. The state of emergency was introduced on February 27, three days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was later extended. By introducing the state of emergency, the Parliament cedes part of its powers to the Commission for Exceptional Situations, led by the head of the Government.



    Football — On Thursday evening Romanias football champions, CFR Cluj (north-west), will take on Slavia Prague, away from home, in a match counting for Group G of the Conference League. In the same group, Sivasspor, from Turkey will be up against Ballkani, from Kosovo. After two stages, Slavia takes first place in the group, with 4 points, followed by Sivasspor, 4 points, Ballkani, 1 point, and CFR, 1 point. Also on Thursday and also away from home, the vice-champions of Romania, FCSB, from Bucharest, meet the Danish team Silkeborg, in Group B, in which the match between the Belgians from Anderlecht Brussels and the English from West Ham United is also scheduled. West Ham is the leader, with 6 points, Anderlect has 4, FCSB 1 point, and the Danes have zero points.



    IAEA — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will try to talk with officials in Kyiv and Moscow about the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the occupied southern Ukraine, the largest in Europe, which the Russians have taken hold of as part of the so-called annexation of the region. For weeks on end, the plant has been the target of intense bombing, for which Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other, and which fueled fears of a nuclear catastrophe. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the military situation will “stabilize” in the annexed Ukrainian territories, where his forces are suffering a series of setbacks against Kievs army. Ukraine had announced that it had again gained ground in the Luhansk region (east), after the successes in Kherson (south) and Kharkov (northeast). In what analysts call a sign of confusion in Russia, the armys failures prompted a senior parliamentary official, deputy Andrei Kartapolov, a former military commander, to ask defense ministry chiefs to “stop lying” about the defeats. (LS)