Tag: Europol

  • Deficienţe şi disfuncţionalităţi privind măsurile împotriva terorismului

    Deficienţe şi disfuncţionalităţi privind măsurile împotriva terorismului

    La nivelul Parlamentului European a fost înfiinţată,
    anul trecut, o comisie specială care are ca obiectiv combaterea terorismului şi
    care a evaluat dimensiunea amenințării teroriste pe teritoriul European,
    subliniind posibilele erori, deficiențe și disfuncționalități privind măsurile
    împotriva terorismului.


    Principalele elemente pe care s-a concentrat această
    Comisie specială, sunt:


    ·implementarea măsurilor
    de gestionare a granițelor externe


    ·deficiențele în
    schimbul de informații juridice, de aplicare a legii și intelligence între
    statele member


    ·interoperabilitatea
    bazelor de date europene pentru schimbul de date


    ·interoperabilitatea bazelor
    de date europene pentru schimbul de date


    ·impactul legislației
    europene anti-teroriste


    ·spălarea banilor și
    finanțarea terorismului, inclusiv legăturile cu crima organizată


    ·practicile eficiente
    pentru protejarea țintelor ușoare și a infrastructurii critice, cum ar fi
    aeroporturile și gările


    Această Comisie trebuie să elaboreze un
    raport cu propuneri de corectare a deficienţelor existente în funcţionarea
    organismelor de luptă împotriva terorismului, ne declară Doru-Claudian
    Frunzulică
    singurul deputatul român şi unul din cei 30 de membri ai Comisiei de
    luptă împotriva terorismului.


    Această Comisie privind terorismul a fost înfiinţată în
    Parlamentul European în primul rând pentru a scoate în evidenţă
    deficienţele care au existat şi există a
    ora actuală în funcţionarea unor organisme europene. Sunt deficienţe practice
    şi legislative. Am început un program de audieri, cu factori responsabili, la
    nivel european şi la nivel naţional, cu vizite
    la anumite instituţii importante de luptă împotriva terorismului. Anul
    trecut s-a înfiinţat un departament
    antirerorist în cadrul Europol-ului, la Haga. Dar de ce ţările membre nu
    colaborează în materie de servicii secrete? La ora actuală doar 5 ţări din 27 schimbă
    permanent informaţii legate de securitate şi România este una dintre ele. De ce
    celelalte 22 de ţări nu schimbă informaţii? Mai ales în chestii atât de grave?
    Mai mult ca niciodată, este nevoie de colaborare între agenţiile de informaţii.
    În acelaşi timp, foarte importantă este partea juridică a lucrurilor – colaborarea
    numai cu Europolul şi cu Eurojust privind informaţii referitoare la
    infracţionalităţi grave, criminalitate organizată, trafic de droguri, trafic de
    persoane, în afară de terorism…, toate aceste probleme cu care, la ora
    actuală, Uniunea Europeană se confruntă. Gestionarea frontierelor externe a fost o mare
    problemă care trebuie, de asemenea, rezolvată de către Uniunea Europeană. Sunt
    atât de multe deficienţe în colectarea, de exemplu, şi în utilizarea
    informaţiilor. Uniunea Europeană a luat hotărârea de întărire a capacităţilor
    de securitate şi apărare europene.


  • Noi reguli pentru înghețarea și confiscarea bunurilor obținute din activități infracționale

    Noi reguli pentru înghețarea și confiscarea bunurilor obținute din activități infracționale

    Noi norme care să echipeze mai bine țările UE pentru înghețarea și confiscarea activelor infractorilor au fost votate de Comisia pentru libertăți civile, justiție și afaceri interne din Parlamentul European. Proiectul vizează îmbunătățirea combaterii finanțării terorismului și a crimei organizate. Astfel, va fi mai ușor pentru un stat membru să solicite înghețarea sau confiscarea bunurilor unui infractor dintr-un alt stat membru, în comparație cu măsurile existente în prezent în Uniunea Europeană. Textul convenit introduce termene mai stricte, precum și un document standard pentru a accelera procedura și lărgește domeniul de aplicare al tipului de active care pot fi confiscate.

    Parlamentarii europeni doresc ca statele membre care primesc un ordin de înghețare sau confiscare să fie obligate să-l execute în termen de 20 de zile, spre deosebire de cele 60 de zile propuse de Comisie, astfel încât infractorii să nu aibă timp să își mute activele. Cu toate acestea, termenul poate fi amânat, de exemplu, în cazul în care confiscarea ar afecta o anchetă penală în curs. Pe de altă parte, cei păgubiți vor fi primii care urmează să primească despăgubiri la distribuirea bunurilor confiscate.

    Raportorul Nathalie Griesbeck (ALDE) explică: Acest raport completează pachetul de măsuri privind combaterea spălării banilor și a sistemelor financiare necontrolate și sporește foarte concret colaborarea dintre statele membre în privința confiscării bunurilor provenite din infracțiuni sau a înghețării acestora; este, de altfel, în logica dreptului penal să se completeze acest sistem care e acum pus în aplicare pentru a putea recupera o mulțime de bani legați de activități infracționale, precum și de terorism, dar nu numai, iar, o dată recuperați, acești bani vor putea fi folosiți pentru compensarea păgubiților, a familiilor acestora și a companiilor care au suferit din cauza fenomenului criminalității organizate.

    În cazul confiscărilor în valoare de peste 10.000 de euro, banii care rămân după compensaţii vor fi împărțiți între statul membru de proveniență și cel care execută, 70% și, respectiv, 30%. O instanță poate dispune ca banii, casele sau alte bunuri ale unei persoane suspectate că este angrenată în activități criminale să fie înghețate. Astfel, după ce are loc procesul, se poate emite un ordin de confiscare. Înghețarea și confiscarea bunurilor reprezintă o modalitate eficientă de prevenire a atacurilor teroriste, precum și de împiedicare a activităților altor infractori organizați. Cu toate acestea, Europol estimează că doar 1,1% (1,2 miliarde de euro) din toate veniturile încasate dinactivitățile infracționaledin UE sunt confiscate.


  • Noi instrumente privind combaterea fraudei în domeniul TVA

    Noi instrumente privind combaterea fraudei în domeniul TVA

    Frauda transfrontalieră
    în domeniul Taxei pe Valoarea Adăugată reprezintă o cauză majoră a pierderii de
    venituri pentru statele membre UE, susţin oficialii Comisiei Europene,
    pierderi, care potrivit unor estimări se ridică la circa 50 de miliarde de
    euro/an, bani care ar trebui să se îndrepte către investiţii publice în
    spitale, şcoli şi drumuri. În plus, rapoarte recente sugerează că mecanismele de
    fraudă în domeniul TVA pot fi utilizate pentru a finanţa organizaţii criminale,
    inclusiv terorismul.

    Comisia Europeană a propus, pe
    30 noiembrie, noi instrumente pentru combaterea fraudei în domeniu şi pentru eliminarea lacunelor care pot conduce la
    fraudă pe scară largă în acest sector. Noile norme ar permite statelor membre să schimbe informaţii importante
    şi să coopereze mai strâns în lupta împotriva acestor activităţi.

    Comisarul
    pentru afaceri economice şi financiare, impozitare şi vamă, Pierre Moscovici, a
    dat detalii: În primul rând să întărim puterile a ceea ce numim
    Euro Fisc. Euro Fisc este o reţea de servicii naţionale de anchetă, compuse
    din experţi, care lucrează să găsească cele mai mari fraude transfrontaliere,
    în special a celor axate, din nou, pe vapoare,
    avioane, autoturisme. Vrem să dăm Euro Fisc posibilitatea să se bazeze
    pe schimburi rapide de informaţii, fiabile, ţintite, să coopereze în domeniul
    informaţiilor, să evalueze riscurile. Cei care fraudează, au adesea, trebuie să
    recunoaştem, un avans faţă de noi. Trebuie, deci, să putem reacţiona rapid, mai
    rapid decât astăzi, cu mijloace informatice potrivite, mai ales în
    sectoare-cheie, precum comerţul electronic. Propunem să dăm experţilor Euro
    Fisc posibilitatea de a lucra mai bine împreună şi de a realiza controale
    fiscale comune, altfel spus, de a face echipă atunci când se dovedeşte că
    frauda e de natură transfrontalieră. În al treilea rând propunem să înfiinţăm
    o cooperare operaţională între administraţiile fiscale naţionale, vămi,
    partenerii europeni, ca Europol, OLAF, noul Parchet European.

    Cooperarea
    cu organismele europene ar permite verificarea încrucişată a informaţiilor
    naţionale cu cazierele judiciare, bazele de date şi alte informaţii deţinute de
    Europol şi de OLAF, pentru a identifica adevăraţii autori ai fraudelor şi
    reţelele lor. Schimbul de informaţii între autorităţile fiscale şi cele vamale
    ar fi îmbunătăţit în continuare pentru anumite proceduri vamale care sunt în
    prezent propice fraudelor în domeniul TVA. Noile propuneri ale Comisiei vor fi transmise
    Parlamentului European pentru consultare şi Consiliului European pentru
    adoptare.

    Amintim, că în luna octombrie, CE a propus o reforma profundă a sistemului de
    TVA din UE, cea mai amplă din ultimii 25 de ani. Această restructurare ar
    îmbunătăţi şi ar moderniza sistemul de TVA atât pentru autorităţile publice,
    cât şi pentru întreprinderi. Graţie reformei propuse se estimează că, în cazul
    pierderilor cauzate de fraudele transfrontaliere în domeniul TVA, acestea ar
    putea fi reduse cu 80%.

  • Le flash 14.05.2017 (mise à jour)

    Le flash 14.05.2017 (mise à jour)

    Banque – La Roumanie est devenue membre de la Banque asiatique d’investissement dans les infrastructures. Le ministère des AE de Bucarest salue cette adhésion et précise qu’elle représente une reconnaissance de la capacité du pays de participer à la promotion des objectifs de cette institution financière, notamment les projets d’infrastructure et développement économique. En même temps, pour la diplomatie de Bucarest, l’adhésion de la Roumanie à la Banque asiatique d’investissement dans les infrastructures est une continuation des démarches censées promouvoir les relations avec les pays asiatiques. La Roumanie et les compagnies roumaines auront ainsi la possibilité d’accéder aux mécanismes financiers de l’institution afin de diversifier la coopération avec les partenaires asiatiques dans des domaines tels l’énergie, le développement urbain, les transports, la technologie de l’information et l’agriculture. Parmi les pays membres de la banque mentionnée figurent aussi la France, l’Allemagne, la Grand Bretagne, les Pays-Bas et la Pologne.

    Hackeurs – Au moins 150 pays, dont la Roumanie, ont été victimes de la plus récente attaque cybernétique d’une ampleur sans précédent, selon un nouveau bilan. Parmi les quelque 200.000 cibles l’on retrouve des organisations et entreprises, des hôpitaux britanniques, le système bancaire russe ou encore le constructeur automobile français Renault. L’attaque relève du chantage : un virus bloque l’accès à des fichiers tant qu’une rançon n’a pas été versée. Les victimes de ces cyberattaques sont conseillées de ne pas payer la rançon aux pirates informatiques. Les experts recommandent également aux usagers des ordinateurs de mettre à jour les systèmes informatiques, d’utiliser un logiciel antivirus et de stocker les informations importantes ou sensibles sur un dispositif externe. L’Office européen de police (Europol) affirme qu’il s’agit de l’attaque informatique la plus grave de l’histoire et craint que le nombre des victimes n’augmente dès lundi, au moment où les gens arriveront au travail et allumeront leurs ordinateurs.

    Gymnastique – La gymnaste roumaine Larisa Iordache a remporté dimanche la médaille d’or de la finale à la poutre, à l’étape FIG World Challenge Cup tenue à Koper en Slovénie. C’est la 2e médaille de la sportive roumaine dans cette compétition, après l’or gagné samedi aux barres asymétriques. L’étape FIG World Challenge Cup est le premier concours international auquel participe Larisa Iordache, après le Championnat d’Europe déroulé à Cluj Napoca (nord-ouest de la Roumanie), où elle a été récompensée du bronze à la poutre. Par ailleurs, en tennis, la meilleure joueuse roumaine du moment, Simona Halep a remporté pour la 2e année consécutive le Tournoi de Madrid, après avoir vaincu la Française Kristina Mladenovici.

    Météo – La météo sera plutôt instable en Roumanie dans les 24 prochaines heures, avec des phénomènes orageux et des pluies de courte durée, notamment en montagne. Les températures maximales iront de 17 à 25 degrés.

  • Nachrichten 28.02.2017

    Nachrichten 28.02.2017

    Der Vizepräsident der Europäischen Kommission, Valdis Dombrovskis und der Wirtschaftskommissar Pierre Moscovici verlangen der rumänischen Regierung, bis zur Frühjahrsprognose im April glaubhafte Maßnahmen für die Beibehaltung des Haushaltsdefizits in den Grenzen des EU-Stabilitätspakts anzukündigen. Das steht in einem Schreiben, das die beiden EU-Verantwortlichen an den rumänischen Finanzminister Viorel Stefan geschickt haben. Die Schätzungen der Kommission zur Entwicklung des Haushalts in diesem und nächsten Jahr weichen signifikant von den Prognosen der rumänischen Regierung ab – für 2017 gab die Regierung ein Defizit von 2,96% vom BIP vor, während die Kommision aufgrund der Steuerentlastungen von 3,6% in 2017 und 3,9% in 2018 ausgeht. Die Kommission warnt vor einem klaren Risiko, dass Rumänien das Defizitziel von 3% verfehlt.



    Der rumänische Staatspräsident, Klaus Iohannis, hat am Dienstag bei der Bilanzsitzung des Verteidigungsministeriums für das Jahr 2016 erklärt, die Zuweisung von 2% des BIP für den Verteidigungshaushalt im Jahr 2017 schaffe die Voraussetzungen, dass Rumänien seine Zielsetzungen erreicht. Die wertvollste Ressource der rumänischen Armee seien die Soldaten und auch die Zivilisten, die im Verteidigungsbereich tätig sind, so Präsident Iohannis. Nach Angaben von Verteidigungsminister Gabriel Leş sei Rumänien fit, mit den komplexen Entwicklungen im regionalen Sicherheitsumfeld fertig zu werden. Auf der Bilanzsitzung des Verteidigungsministeriums sagte Leş, dass nach Jahren der Subfinanzierung der Wehretat bei 2% vom PIB liege, was eine von der volatilen Sicherheitslage erforderlich gemachte Neugestaltung und Modernisierung des Militärsystems ermöglicht. Der Minister deutete auf die Beteiligung der rumänischen Streitkräfte an Übungen im Rahmen der NATO hin, sowie auf die Bemühungen zur Befestigung der NATO-Ostflanke und die Initiativen zur Modernisierung von Heer, Luftwaffe und Marine. An der Sitzung beteiligten sich auch Premierminister Sorin Grindeanu und Generalstabschef Nicolae Ciucă.



    Der frühere Abgeordnete Sebastian Ghiţă steht im Mittelpunkt eines neuen Ermittlungsverfahrens wegen Korruption, Geldwäsche und Bildung einer kriminellen Vereinigung. Staatsanwälte der Antkorruptionsbehörde DNA werfen ihm vor, zwischen 2007- 2014 Beträge zwischen drei und zehn Millionen Euro von zwei IT-Unternehmen kassiert zu haben. Das Geld sei dann an Minister und Beamte geflossen, um staatliche Beschaffungsaufträge zu vermitteln. Zwei weitere Verdächtige, darunter ein Schwager von Sebastian Ghiţă und ein Geschäftsmann, sind festgenommen worden. Ghiţă ist in mehreren Verfahren beschuldigt und steht auf der Fahndungsliste von Europol, nachdem er Ende 2016 flüchtete.



    Tennis: Der Rumäne Marius Copil hat sich am Dienstag für das Achtelfinale des Turniers von Dubai mit Gesamtpreisen von 2,5 Millionen Dollar qualifiziert. Er besiegte den Deutschen Jan-Lennard Struff in zwei Sätzen 6-4 und 6-2.



    Wetter: Ungewöhnlich warm bei wechselhaftem Himmel. Im Westen des Landes regnet es, im Gebirge geht der Regen in Schneeregen und Schneefall über. Die THT werden zw 10 und 20 Grad C erreichen.

  • February 28, 2017 UPDATE

    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)

  • February 27, 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)

  • February 27, 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)

  • 07.02.2017

    07.02.2017

    Protestations – A Bucarest, les protestations contre le gouvernement se sont poursuivies lundi, pour le 7e jour consécutif, sur la toile de fond de la tentative de l’Exécutif de modifier la législation pénale. Les protestations ont été toutefois moins amples que les jours précédents, avec environ 15.000 personnes réunies hier devant le siège du gouvernement. C’est dimanche dernier que l’on a enregistré le plus grand nombre de protestataires, à savoir plus d’un demi-million de personnes descendues dans les rues de Bucarest et de nombreuses villes roumaines pour demander la démission du cabinet de Sorin Grindeanu. Cela, malgré le fait que le décret portant modification à la législation pénale avait été abrogé le même jour. Lundi encore, plusieurs centaines de manifestants se sont réunis, de nouveau, devant le siège de la présidence de Bucarest, pour protester contre le chef de l’Etat, Klaus Iohannis. Entre temps, l’Exécutif a fait savoir qu’il renonçait pour le moment à l’idée de modifier les codes pénaux. Le ministre de la Justice, Florin Iordache, a expliqué que sa préoccupation actuelle n’était pas d’élaborer un nouveau projet de loi à ce sujet, et qu’il était en train de centraliser des décisions prononcées par la Cour Constitutionnelle sur les actes normatifs en question, pour les soumettre à une analyse ultérieure.

    Discours – Le président de la Roumanie Klaus Iohannis s’adresse aujourd’hui au Parlement de Bucarest, avec un message sur la révision, par le gouvernement social-démocrate, des Codes pénal et de procédure pénale et sur les réactions à cette action gouvernementale. Le chef de l’Etat a dès le début désapprouvé la modification de la loi pénale par décret d’urgence, une démarche qui a provoqué d’amples manifestations partout dans le pays, obligeant l’Exécutif à abroger l’acte normatif en question. Le président Iohannis a précisé qu’il avait pour mission de rétablir l’Etat de droit et qu’il ferait tout ce qui était dans son pouvoir pour que la Roumanie soit délivrée de la corruption. M. Iohannis a aussi annoncé l’ouverture de la procédure d’organisation d’un référendum sur la continuation de la lutte contre la corruption et l’intégrité de la fonction publique. Par ailleurs, les leaders de la coalition gouvernementale PSD – ALDE ont déclaré qu’ils attendaient aussi, de la part du chef de l’Etat, un appel au calme et à la stabilité, dans le contexte des manifestations qui continuent dans plusieurs villes de Roumanie.

    Budget – Le débat sur le budget de l’Etat pour 2017 continue aujourd’hui au Parlement de Bucarest. Lundi, le premier ministre social-démocrate Sorin Grindeanu a affirmé que la construction budgétaire envisagée allait contribuer à l’amélioration de la qualité de vie des Roumains et qu’elle reposait sur un PIB de 815,2 milliards de lei (près de 200 milliards d’euros), sur une croissance économique de 5,2% et sur un déficit de 3%. Le chef du gouvernement a souligné le fait que la confiance des investisseurs devait être maintenue et que la nation roumaine devait rester unie et solidaire. L’opposition de droite considère, quant à elle, que les recettes budgétaires estimées sont surévaluées. Le vote sur le budget 2017 de la Roumanie est attendu dans la soirée.

    Europol – Une action d’Europol ciblée sur le trafic illicite d’armes dans les Etats des Balkans occidentaux s’est soldée par 58 interpellations et la confiscation de 48 armes à feu. Dans le même temps, 127 personnes ont été empêchées de franchir illégalement les frontières, 8 tentatives d’utilisation de faux documents et de faux visas ont été bloquées, et 12 personnes qui avaient excédé les dates des permis de séjour ont été interpellées. Cette action a été menée en coopération par les Etats de l’espace ex-yougoslave, l’Albanie, la Bulgarie, la Hongrie, la Roumanie, l’Espagne, la Suède, la Suisse, le Royaume Uni, la Belgique et les Etats Unis, ainsi que l’Agence Frontex et Europol.

    Moldova – Le président moldave, le socialiste pro-russe, Igor Dodon poursuit sa visite officielle à Bruxelles. Il doit s’entretenir aujourd’hui avec le président du Conseil de l’UE, Donald Tusk, avec le haut représentant de l’UE pour la politique étrangère et la sécurité, Federica Mogherini et avec le président du Parlement Européen, Antonio Tajani. A l’agenda de la visite d’Igor Dodon figurent aussi des rencontres avec des responsables de l’OTAN, y compris une visite au siège de l’Alliance. Elu en 2016, Igor Dodon a choisi Moscou pour sa première visite officielle à l’étranger, où il s’est déclaré en faveur de l’idée de renoncer à l’Accord d’association avec l’UE et pour un rapprochement de l’Union Eurasiatique. Rappelons que la République de Moldova a un Traité d’association avec l’UE, qui a déjà été ratifié, ainsi qu’un partenariat avec l’OTAN.

    Météo – En Roumanie, le temps s’est refroidi. Le ciel est nuageux et des précipitations sont signalées à travers le pays. Une alerte jaune aux chutes de neige est en vigueur dans plusieurs départements du nord-est. Les maximales de la journée vont de moins 2 à 8 degrés. 2 degrés en ce moment dans la capitale.

  • February 7, 2017

    February 7, 2017

    ADDRESS In a Parliament address Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has called on the left-wing government to find solutions to the crisis it caused with the ordinance on amending the Penal legislation, an ordinance they later withdrew. The head of state has blamed the ruling PSD-ALDE coalition for having collided with a large part of society only a month after coming to power and has recollected the large-scale protests triggered by the government’s decision. Iohannis has pleaded for a responsible governing predictable and transparent and has called on Parliament to issue laws for Romania, not for a group of politicians with penal issues. He has cautioned that unless the PSD finds a rapid solution to the crisis he will summon talks to settle the issue. At the same time, the president has reiterated his decision to call a referendum in which the Romanians will have their say on the continuation of the anti-graft fight and on ensuring the integrity of public functions. Leaders of the ruling PSD-ALDE coalition have accused the president of partisanship and of not playing his part as a mediator in society.



    BUDGET Parliament in Bucharest will today host talks on the 2017 state budget. On Monday, Prime Minister Grindeanu has underlined the budget contributes to raising the Romanians’ standard of living and is based on a GDP under 200 billion euros, an economic growth of 5.2% and a deficit of 3% of the GDP. Grindeanu has pointed out the investors’ trust in the economy must be maintained and the Romanians must be a nation that is united and shows solidarity. The right-wing opposition believes the income estimates at the basis of the budget have been overestimated. The final vote has been scheduled for tonight.



    EUROPOL 58 people have been arrested and 48 firearms seized in a Europol operation against arms trafficking in the Western Balkans. 127 persons have been prevented from illegally crossing borders, 8 of them trying to use false documents; 12 people have exceeded the legal period of staying in a foreign country. The Europol operation involved countries from the ex-Yugoslav area and also from countries like Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Great Britain, Belgium and the USA. Frontex and Europol have reported a significant information exchange during the operation.



    PROTESTS Romania’s capital city Bucharest has seen another day of anti-government protests in front of the government building in Bucharest for the seventh day in a row. Roughly 15 thousand people have taken to the streets calling for the resignation of the left-wing government. However the latest rally was of a lower intensity as compared to the previous days. Sunday saw the largest protests so far, when over half a million people took to the streets of Bucharest and other cities of Romania to protest the government ordinances aimed at amending the penal codes, although the law was abrogated on the same day. Also on Monday, several hundreds of people protested against president Klaus Iohannis. The government has announced it gives up amending the Penal Codes for a while. The Justice Ministry has explained that it is not concerned about drawing up a draft law on this issue, but presently centralizing Constitutional Court rulings on the aforementioned laws, which are to be further analyzed.


  • December 2, 2016 UPDATE

    December 2, 2016 UPDATE

    DIPLOMACY Romanian diplomats have announced their surprise and amazement over a decision by the Foreign Ministry in neighboring Hungary to forbid the Hungarian diplomats to participate in receptions and festivities staged on Thursday on the occasion of Romanias National Day. The Ministry said, upon request from Radio Romania, that such a decision is hard to understand all the more so as the respect for a countrys national symbols and values are an undisputable part of the set of values the European Union and the Transatlantic community are based upon. The Foreign Ministry adds that Romania has been a country deeply attached to such values. We recall that Romania celebrates its National Day on December 1st, to mark the union in 1918 of the province of Transylvania with the Romanian kingdom. The union completed the process of forming the Romanian unitary state after the First World War, when all the Romanian provinces belonging to various multinational empires, united.



    CYBER CRIME The Romanian police have joined authorities from 29 other countries to dismantle the worlds largest computer network responsible for launching cyber-attacks the world over, the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police has announced. Code-named Avalanche, the operation was launched last week at the end of investigations that lasted five years. Five people have been detained, 37 buildings searched and 39 servers seized. According to Romanian Police sources, over 500 thousand computers were being affected on a daily basis from this infrastructure, which became operational in 2009. The perpetrators used viruses to hack into computers and withdraw money from the victims accounts. Avalanche was the largest police operation of this kind with 800 thousand web domains blocked or closed down in order to be taken out of the hackers control. Among the countries involved in the Avalanche operation were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Britain and the United States.



    PROTEST Around 15 hundred workers protested on Friday morning in front of Romanias biggest carmaker Dacia, in Mioveni, southeastern Romania, denouncing the condition of commuter buses assuring the transport of employees and the drivers lack of experience. Production was stopped for an hour at the plant. The protest has been triggered by two collective accidents, the first in early August, when 13 people were wounded, and another one last week, when 17 other people were wounded. Trade union leaders have cautioned this is only the first in the series of protests that will follow unless their claims are met. We recall the first Dacia car was produced in Romania in 1966. Since 1999 the brand has belonged to French group Renault accounting for roughly 30% of the French carmakers sales.



    UN The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has expressed appreciation for the significant progress Romania has made in terms of implementing democratic values as well as for Bucharests contribution to the efforts of promoting peace, sustainable development and human rights the world over. The UN official has highlighted the activity of Romanias public servants, including officers in charge of the UN high officials protection. Ban Ki-moon and the president of the UN general assembly, Peter Thomson, on Thursday attended the reception offered by Bucharests permanent mission at the United Nations on the occasion of Romanias National Day. In turn Peter Thomson has said he appreciates Romanias activism and the wide range of commitments assumed at all levels in over 60 years of UN membership.



    EUROPOL In a report published in the Hague, the European police, EUROPOL, have warned that the Islamic State has been planning new attacks in Europe in the near future. There is risk for the refugees from Syria to be recruited and radicalized, while IS fighters can get infiltrated among the refugees, the report says. Experts believe that car bomb attacks can be carried out in France, but also in Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain and Germany. The US Department of State also last week announced there is credible information about the Al Qaeda and the Islamic State and their branches, which are planning terror attacks in Europe around the winter holidays. Jihadists have this year carried out bloody attacks in Belgium, France, Germany and Turkey.



    UNESCO – Traditional handwoven fabrics from Romania and the Republic of Moldova are starting Friday part of UNESCOs immovable cultural list. These tapestry works are produced in local communities of craftsmen and are considered genuine works of art, used to decorate the interior of homes, but also part of certain celebrations. UNESCO added to the same list the El Callao Carnival of Venezuela, the puppet theatre of Slovakia and the Czech Republic and traditional pottery from Cini, Turkey.



    HANDBALL Romanias national handball side leaves for Sweden on Saturday to participate in the European Championship due over December 4th and 18th. In the final tournaments group D Romania will be playing Norway on December 5th, take on Russia two days later and on Croatia on December 9th. The first three sides in each group will qualify for the second stage, which has two series of six groups each. Romanias team is being lead by Spanish coach Ambros Martin, who last week replaced Swedish Thomas Ryde, under whose guidance our handballers won bronze at the World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2013 and 2014, Ambros Martin was designated the worlds best coach after having won two Champions Leagues trophies with Hungarian side Gyor.


    (Translated by D. Bilt and V. Palcu)

  • December 2, 2016

    December 2, 2016

    CYBER CRIME The Romanian police have joined authorities from 29 other countries to dismantle the world’s largest computer network responsible for launching cyber attacks the world over, the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police has announced. Code-named Avalanche, the operation was launched last week at the end of investigations that lasted five years. Five people have been detained, 37 buildings searched and 39 servers seized. According to Romanian Police sources, over 500 thousand computers were being affected on a daily basis from this infrastructure, which became operational in 2009. The perpetrators used viruses to hack into computers and withdraw money from the victims’ accounts. Avalanche was the largest police operation of this kind with 800 thousand web domains blocked or closed down in order to be taken out of the hackers’ control. Among the countries involved in the Avalanche operation were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Britain and the United States.



    HANDBALL Romania’s national handball side leaves for Sweden on Saturday to participate in the European Championship due over December 4th and 18th. In the final tournament’s group D Romania will be playing Norway on December 5th, take on Russia two days later and on Croatia on December 9th. The first three sides in each group will qualify for the second stage, which has two series of six groups each. Romania’s team is being lead by Spanish coach Ambros Martin, who last week replaced Swedish Thomas Ryde, under whose guidance our handballers won bronze at the World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2013 and 2014, Ambros Martin was designated the world’s best coach after having won two Champions League’s trophies with Hungarian side Gyor.



    UN The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has expressed appreciation for the significant progress Romania has made in terms of implementing democratic values as well as for Bucharest’s contribution to the efforts of promoting peace, sustainable development and human rights the world over. The UN official has highlighted the activity of Romania’s public servants, including officers in charge of the UN high officials’ protection. Ban Ki-moon and the president of the UN general assembly, Peter Thomson, on Thursday attended the reception offered by Bucharest’s permanent mission at the United Nations on the occasion of Romania’s National Day. In turn Peter Thomson has said he appreciates Romania’s activism and the wide range of commitments assumed at all levels in over 60 years of UN membership.



    EUROPOL In a report published in the Hague, the European police, EUROPOL, have warned that the Islamic State has been planning new attacks in Europe in the near future. There is the risk for the refugees from Syria to be recruited and radicalized, while IS fighters can get infiltrated among the refugees, the report says. Experts believe that car bomb attacks can be carried out in France, but also in Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain and Germany. The US Department of State also last week announced there is credible information about the Al Qaeda and the Islamic State and their branches, which are planning terror attacks in Europe around the winter holidays. Jihadists have this year carried out bloody attacks in Belgium, France, Germany and Turkey.



    DIPLOMACY Romanian diplomats have announced their surprise and amazement over a decision by the Foreign Ministry in neighboring Hungary to forbid the Hungarian diplomats to participate in receptions and festivities staged on Thursday on the occasion of Romania’s National Day. The Ministry said, upon request from Radio Romania, that such a decision is hard to understand all the more so as the respect for a country’s national symbols and values are an undisputable part of the set of values the European Union and the Transatlantic community are based upon. The Foreign Ministry adds that Romania has been a country deeply attached to such values. We recall that Romania celebrates its National Day on December 1st, to mark the union in 1918 of the province of Transylvania with the Romanian kingdom. The union completed the process of forming the Romanian unitary state after the First World War, when all the Romanian provinces belonging to various multinational empires, united.


  • Nachrichten 22.02.2016

    Nachrichten 22.02.2016

    Rumäniens Staatschef Klaus Iohannis hat am Montag im Plenum des Bukarester Parlaments vorgeschlagen, dass das Wahljahr 2016 nicht populistisch wird, und dass die wichtigen Themen von öffentlichem Interesse nicht vergessen werden. Iohannis hat die rumänischen Parlamentarier eingeladen, einige große Projekte durchzuführen, darunter die Wiedergewinnung der Vertrauens der Bevölkerung in die Politik und die gute Funktionierung der großen öffentlichen Systeme. In diesem Kontext sagte der rumänische Staatschef, die rumänischen Behörden hätten viele Fragen der Bürger noch nicht beantwortet, und zwar in Bezug auf die Nachhaltigkeit des Rentensystems, auf das demographische Problem oder auf die Arbeitsplätze für junge Menschen. Andererseits erklärte sich Präsident Iohannis unzufrieden darüber, dass in einigen Fällen die parlamentarische Immunität ausgenutzt wird, um Strafverfahren zu verhindern, in denen gegen Parlamentsmitglieder wegen Korruption ermittelt wird. In puncto Außenpolitik sagte der rumänische Staatschef, dass durch die Migrationswelle, die steigende Terrorismusgefahr, die Sicherheitsrisiken im Osten und die Infragestellung der Europäischen Union das Jahr 2016 besonders wichtig für die Stabilität in der Region wird. Bei der Rede des rumänischen Staatspräsidenten im Plenum des Bukarester Parlaments waren auch die Mitglieder des Regierungskabinetts und mehrere in Rumänien akkreditierte Botschafter anwesend.



    Der parteifreie rumänische Premierminister Dacian Cioloş hat am Montag den Bürgermeistern rumänischer Kommunen einen wirksameren Umgang mit öffentlichen Mitteln angemahnt. 2016 sei zwar ein Wahljahr, doch der Staatshaushalt könne keine zusätzlichen Gelder für ortsbezogene Projekte freischalten, sagte der Regierungschef auf der Jahresversammlung der Vereinigung rumänischer Kommunen. Um mehr Einnahmen zu haben, sollten Kommunalbehörden mehr Investitionen heranziehen und die Steuerhinterziehung konsequenter bekämpfen.



    Der Zustand der sieben Kinder, die mit schweren Darminfektionen im Bukarester Krankenhaus Marie Curie behandelt werden, hat sich gebessert. Ein einziges Kind liegt noch auf der Intensivstation, zwei sollen noch diese Woche entlassen werden. Eine Ermittlung über die genauen Umstände, in denen im Februar drei Kinder an den Komplikationen gestorben waren, läuft derzeitig noch.



    Der rumänische Minister für Energie, Victor Grigorescu, hat am Montag bekanntgegeben, die nationale Strategie im Energiebereich werde bis Herbst dieses Jahres ausgearbeitet sein. Der rumänische Staat sollte einige Energie-Projekte aussuchen und sich dafür intensiv einsetzen, um Klarheit und Verantwortung in diesem extrem wichtigen, staatlich geregelten Bereich zu beweisen, sagte Energieminister Grigorescu, und versicherte, dass alle Akteure im Energiebereich zu Beratungen eingeladen werden.



    Rumänien ist weiterhin der wichtigste Handelspartner der benachbarten Moldaurepublik. 2015 betrug das Handelsvolumen zwischen den beiden Staaten 1,35 Milliarden Euro. Ende letzten Jahres war die Moldaurepublik der viertgrößte Importeur rumänischer Produkte außerhalb der EU. Rumänien war zugleich der achtgrößte Importeur moldauischer Produkte. Das gab die rumänische Botschaft in Kischinew bekannt.



    Der britische Regierungschef David Cameron hat am Montag dem Parlament das am Freitag ausgehandelte Kompromissabkommen zur Abwendung eines Brexit vorgelegt. Nach zwei Tagen einer Marathonverhandlung in Brüssel haben die restlichen Mitgliedstaaten Großbritannien wichtige Zugeständnisse in der Frage der Sozialleistungen für europäische Arbeitnehmer gemacht und Vorteile für die Finanzindustrie in der Londoner City akzeptiert. Cameron will ab dato für einen Verbleib Großbritanniens in der Europäische Union eintreten, kämpft aber gegen eine euroskeptische Bewegung in der eigenen Partei ein. Londons Bürgermeister Boris Johnson kündigte an, für den Brexit zu werben. Nach einer ersten Umfrage nach dem Brüsseler Kompromiss, ermittelte die Zeitung ‘Mail on Sunday’, dass 48% der befragten Briten keinen Austritt aus der EU wollen. 33% sind für einen Brexit, 19% sind unentschlossen.



    Die europäische Polizeibehörde Europol hat am Montag zusammen mit Interpol ein Spezialzentrum zur Bekämpfung des Menschenschmuggels eröffnet. Daran sollen auch Antiterrorismusexperten mitwirken. Zu den Zielen gehört auch die Zerschlagung der Schleppernetze, die in organisierter Form Flüchtlinge nach Europa bringen.

  • February 22, 2016 UPDATE

    February 22, 2016 UPDATE

    ADDRESS – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, on Monday addressed a plenary session of Parliament, saying that the 2016 election year should not be populist, nor lost for the major themes of public interest. He called on the MPs to assume some major projects, among which regaining peoples confidence in politics and the functioning of the big public systems. In this context, the president said the authorities have a delayed response to issues on the citizens agenda, such as the sustainability of the pension system, the demographic issue and the integration of young people on the labour market. In another move, President Iohannis expressed discontent about the fact that in some cases, parliamentary immunity is further used to block requirements made by the judiciary, in files in which MPs are investigated for corruption. As regards the countrys foreign policy, the president said the wave of migrants, the increased terrorist threat, security risks coming from the East and the very questioning of the community project make of 2016 a crucial year for stability in the region and for Europes future. Attending the plenary session of Parliament during the presidents speech were also the members of the technocratic cabinet in Bucharest and the foreign ambassadors accredited to Bucharest.



    FINANCIAL – Romanias technocratic Prime Minister, Dacian Ciolos, on Monday called on the mayors of communes in Romania to spend public money more efficiently. Ciolos said that although 2016 is an election year, the budget is the same, so it is impossible to earmark more funds for local projects. The prime minister says attracting direct investments and a better collection of taxes, by eliminating tax evasion, are the main solutions to increase the local authorities incomes. The statements were made at the 19th session of the General Assembly of the Association of Communes in Romania.




    ENERGY– Romanian energy minister, Victor Grigorescu, on Monday announced that the national strategy in the field will be finalised in autumn. In his opinion, the Romanian state should choose some projects to develop properly, to show clarity and commitment in a key domain, which should be regulated. The coal sector, the line minister says, will be included in this strategy, because it is part of Romanias energy security. In another move, the relevant minister gave assurances that all actors in the field will be asked their opinions during the consultations.



    HOSPITAL CARE – The medical condition of the seven children receiving treatment at the “Marie Curie hospital in Bucharest has slightly improved. One child remains in intensive care, while two children will be released this week. According to the chief of the nephrology department, Mihaela Balgradean, the children right now are eating normally, which signals a positive step in their recovery. An epidemiological investigation is underway. Health Minister Patriciu Achimas Cadariu has paid a new visit to the hospital, calling on the medical team to treat this case with responsibility and respect for regulations and to better communicate with the local authorities. We recall that 3 children died this month to serious digestive disorders.



    GREAT BRITAIN – British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday presented to Parliament the new agreement he negotiated with his EU partners, four months ahead of the referendum on the United Kingdoms EU membership. Great Britain got major concessions from EU leaders in terms of social benefits for European workers settled in the country and advantages for the City. Cameron, who has to face mounting Euro-skepticism even in the ranks of his own party, underlined that he will advocate for the UKs EU membership. According to a first poll conducted for “Mail on Sunday, after the agreement was negotiated, 48% of the Britons dont want their country to leave the EU, 33% are in favour of an exit, while 19% didnt express a point of view. Also on Monday, the European Commission announced it will not get involved in the debate on this issue, held in Great Britain.



    EUROPOL – The Europol on Monday opened a new special centre for combating trafficking in human beings. The centre will seek to assist member states in the identification and eradication of criminal networks trafficking refugees and will employ experts in counter-terrorism.



    TENNIS –Romanian tennis player, Monica Niculescu, WTAs no. 37, on Monday qualified for the second round of the Doha tournament, with 2.5 million dollars in prize money up for grabs. She defeated German Sabine Lisicki, 6-2 / 6-2. Also in the singles, another Romanian, Simona Halep, the competitions second seed, will play Elena Vesnina of Russia on Tuesday, in the second round. In the doubles, Simona Halep alongside Raluca Olaru of Romania lost in the first round, to Andreja Klepac and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, in two sets.


    (Translated by Vlad Palcu and Diana Vijeu)

  • February 22, 2016

    February 22, 2016

    ADDRESS – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis is today addressing Parliament in Bucharest. The presidents first speech in Parliament this year will focus on internal politics, says Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu. This is the presidents sixth speech in Parliament since the start of his mandate in December 2014.



    HOSPITAL CARE – The medical condition of the seven children receiving treatment at Marie Curie hospital in Bucharest has slightly improved. One child remains in intensive care, while two children will be released this week. According to the chief of the nephrology department Mihaela Balgradean, the children right now are eating normally, which signals a positive step in their recovery. An epidemiological investigation is underway. Health Minister Patriciu Achimas Cadariu has paid a new visit to the hospital, calling on the medical team to treat this case with responsibility and respect for regulations and to better communicate with the local authorities. We recall that 3 children died this month to serious digestive disorders.



    REFERENDUM – British Prime Minister David Cameron is today presenting in Parliament the new agreement negotiated with the EU ahead of the referendum on the United Kingdom European Union membership, reads Frances Press news agency. After two days of intense negotiations with the its EU partners, London has obtained major concessions from EU leaders in terms of social welfare to jobseekers from other countries and a package of benefits for the City, the financial core of London. Despite facing mounting euroskepticism in the ranks of his own party, David Cameron insisted he will advocate for the UKs EU membership. According to the first pre-agreement survey conducted for Mail on Sunday, 48% of British people dont want their country to leave the EU, 33% are in favour of an exit, while 19% didnt express a point of view.



    VISIT – German and French Foreign Ministers Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault are on a two-day visit to Kiev, where they will meet with president Petro Poroshenko. The two have urged Ukraine to “keep the spirit of the Maidan alive, referring to the pro-European peoples movement that led to the demise of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Jean-Marc Ayrault have also called for the implementation of the Minsk agreement of February 2015 in the pro-Russian separatist East. Ukraine is again facing a new political deadlock after the pro-European coalition collapsed. Despite the ceasefire in September, clashes continue between separatist rebels and Government forces, while reforms are hard to implement. Several hundreds of people protested on Sunday against president Petro Poroshenko and the Government, whom they accuse for their unwillingness to stand up to Russia and for tolerating corruption.



    EUROPOL – The Europol is today opening a new special centre for combating trafficking in human beings. Attending the opening ceremony will be European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos. Headquartered in Hague, the centre will employ experts in counter-terrorism and will seek to assist member states in the identification and eradication of criminal networks trafficking refugees. The opening of the centre will take place on the sidelines of the second Europol-INTERPOL Forum. The two organizations have increased cooperation to identify connections between human trafficking and other crimes, such as illicit gains, corruption and the use of forged travel documents.



    ATTACKS – At least 150 people were killed in Sundays bloody jihadist attacks in Syria in areas controlled by the authorities. Most people were killed in a double car bomb attack in Homs, Syrias third largest city. Another four bomb attacks targeted a district on the outskirts of Damascus. Claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organization, the attacks are retaliation to the governments onslaught against rebel groups and jihadists. Over 260 thousand people have been killed in Syria in the last five years.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is today competing alongside Raluca Olaru of Romania in the WTA doubles event at the tournament in Doha, totalling 2,5 million dollars in prize money. The two players will take on Andreja Klepac and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia. Another Romanian tennis player, Monica Niculescu, will pair up with Margarita Gasparian of Russia to play Daniela Natuchova of Slovakia and Ekaterina Makarova of Russia. Ranked 37th in WTA standings, Monica Niculescu is also enrolled in the singles competition. In the first round Niculescu will take on Sabine Lisiki of Germany. The match precedes the clash between Romania and Germany in the Fed Cup in March. Also in the singles, Simona Halep, the competitions second seed, will play either Caroline Garcia of France or Elena Vesnina of Russia in the second round. Simona is 4th ranked in WTA standings. Another three Romanians are in the worlds top 100 players. Irina Begu is ranked 36th, Monica Niculescu 37th and Alexandra Dulgheru is 57th.