Radio România Internațional

Tag: GAS

June 22, 2023

AID In today’s
Cabinet meeting, the government is to pass a resolution concerning emergency
aid granted to the citizens affected by extreme weather conditions this year. The
emergency aid totals EUR 1.4 million. Households in the centre, south-west and
south of the country have been hit by heavy rainfalls and other extreme weather
conditions this month, requiring the intervention of military firefighters.

VISIT Economic cooperation and handling the crises
caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine were the main topics on the agenda of the
talks held in Chişinău on Wednesday by the PM of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, and
of Moldova, Dorin Recean. The latter thanked Bucharest for the support given to
Moldova in its EU accession efforts, and mentioned that bilateral relations are
consolidated through the construction of roads, bridges and energy networks. During
his visit to Chișinău, Marcel Ciolacu was accompanied by the Senate speaker
Nicolae Ciucă.

NATURAL GAS The manager of OMV Petrom, Christina Verchere, Thursday
said that in 2027 the first amounts of natural gas would be extracted through
the Neptun Deep project, turning Romania into the largest natural gas producer
in the EU. The statements were made at the government’s headquarters in
Bucharest, where OMV Petrom and Romgaz made an announcement concerning the
development of Neptun Deep, the largest natural gas project in the Romanian
part of the Black Sea. Spanning 2 decades, the project is expected to generate
a gas output 30 times higher than the annual demand, which covers 4.3 million
households. The estimated revenues to the Romanian state will be around EUR 20
bln. Neptun Deep is a major step for our 2030 strategy, aimed at supporting
Romania’s and the region’s energy transition, the OMV Petrom executive added.

INVESTMENT The European Investment Bank Thursday announced new
funding for Romania. The total EUR 675 mln will go into transport, urban
development and small enterprises. EUR 600 mln will be earmarked for the
transport sector, to add to the EU recovery and resilience funding. The EIB
Group and Romania mark 30 years of partnership, with over EUR 17 bln granted by
the bank in more than 170 financing projects since the start of its operations
in the country. Given the progress of Romania’s economy over the past 30 years,
I am proud that the EIB Group was able to help, providing financing for better schools,
hospitals, public infrastructure, universities and transport, and supporting
climate action and small enterprises, said the EIB vice-president, Lilyana
Pavlova, in an event in Bucharest. In turn, Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive
of the European Investment Fund, emphasised that so far the EIF provided
financial support to more than 56,000 Romanian enterprises.

MAYOR The former
mayor of Bucharest’s districts 4 and 5, Cristian Popescu-Piedone, was released
from prison on Wednesday, after the supreme court admitted his appeal for
cancellation. The former mayor has served 1 year out of a 4-year prison
sentence for abuse of office in the Colectiv investigation. He is now entitled
to resume his office as mayor of district 5. The High Court of Cassation
however dismissed the appeals of the other individuals sentenced in the same
case. The head of the Colectiv Association, Eugen Iancu, said the release of
the ex-mayor was not surprising, given that the officials who authorised the
operation of the Colectiv night club had also been freed. Justice in Romania is
an overpaid embarrassment, Iancu said. On the night of 30 October 2015, 64 youth
died in a fire during a rock concert in the Colectiv night club. After legal
proceedings spanning several years, prison sentences were given to mayor
Piedone, the club owners, the firefighters who inspected the club without
taking the required fire safety measures and the pyrotechnicians in charge of
the fireworks during the show.

UKRAINE The US will provide USD 1.3 million worth of
additional aid for the Ukrainian economy, particularly its essential
infrastructure, the US State Secretary Antony Blinken announced at the
International Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. In turn, the European
Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, promised the bloc would create a
EUR 50 bln fund for Kyiv in the next 4 years. Scores of high-ranking
politicians and business people from around the world take part in the
conference. Romania is represented by its new foreign minister, Luminiţa
Odobescu.

FOOTBALL Romania lost 3-0 to Spain in Bucharest on Wednesday night, in the Under-21
European football championships that the country is hosting jointly with Georgia. Romania plays in B, alongside
Spain, Ukraine and Croatia. The final tournament takes place between 21 June
and 8 July and brings together 16 teams, divided into 4 groups. Two of them
play in Romania, in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, and the other 2 in Georgia. Romania
is also hosting 2 quarter-finals and a semi-final. The top 3 ranking teams in
the tournament qualify into the Olympic Games due in Paris next year. (AMP)

22 June 2023
Nachrichten 19.06.2023

– Heute begannen die nationalen Prüfungen für mehr als 160 000 Absolventen der 8. Klasse mit der schriftlichen Prüfung in rumänischer Sprache und Literatur. Am Mittwoch werden die Schülerinnen und Schüler die Mathematik-Prüfung ablegen, und am Donnerstag werden die Schüler, die Minderheiten angehören, in ihrer Muttersprache geprüft. Die Prüfung ist die einzige, der für die Zulassung zur Oberschule zählt. Die Anmeldung für die nationale Prüfung und das Abitur wurde dieses Jahr aufgrund des Generalstreiks im Bildungswesen verlängert. Der Streik dauerte drei Wochen und wurde ausgesetzt, nachdem die Regierung die Gehaltsforderungen der Beschäftigten des Unterrichtswesens erfüllt hatte.

– Rumäniens neue Au‎ßenministerin Luminița Odobescu besucht am Montag und Dienstag auf Einladung ihres Amtskollegen in Chisinau, Nicu Popescu, die Republik Moldau. Es ist der erste Besuch der rumänischen Au‎ßenministerin seit ihrem Amtsantritt letzte Woche. Die beiden Minister werden die bilateralen Beziehungen und den Beitritt der Republik Moldau zur Europäischen Union erörtern. Eine gemeinsame Sitzung mit Mitgliedern des Menschenrechtsausschusses des rumänischen Senats findet am Dienstag im Parlament statt.

– 20 Verteidigungsminister aus Europa treffen sich heute in Paris, um die gemeinsame Luftverteidigung zu besprechen. Das Ziel des Treffens ist es, die strategische Frage der Luftverteidigung und der Langstreckenraketen erneut zu erörtern. Derzeit verfügt kein europäisches Land über Waffen, die von seinem Territorium aus eine Rakete auf ein mehr als 1000 km entferntes Ziel abfeuern können. Die Russen können jedoch alle europäischen Hauptstädte erreichen. Der französische Präsident forderte die europäischen Partner dazu auf, die Voraussetzungen zu schaffen, um sich selbst zu verteidigen und die Zukunft ihrer Grenzen nicht den Russen oder Amerikanern zu überlassen. “Die Luftverteidigung unseres Kontinents ist eine strategische Frage. Wir können nicht einfach eine nationale Verteidigungsindustrie auf Kosten der europäischen Souveränität fördern”, so Emmanuel Macron. Wie der Korrespondent von Radio Rumänien in Paris einschätzte, richteten sich diese Worte an Deutschland, das entschlossen ist, seine Luftverteidigung zu stärken. Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz hat im vergangenen Jahr die Initiative European Sky Shield“ ins Leben gerufen, der sich 14 Bündnispartner angeschlossen haben, darunter auch Rumänien, aber nicht Frankreich.

– Im ersten Quartal des Jahres hat sich der Gasimport Rumäniens um über 45 % verringert, wie Daten des Nationalen Instituts für Statistik zeigen. In Gegensatz dazu stieg die inländische Produktion im Vergleich zum Vorjahreszeitraum um fast 7 %. Die Nationale Kommission für Strategie und Prognosen schätzt, dass die Gasproduktion im Jahr 2023 um 2 % steigen und die Importe um 6,2 % sinken werden.

– Das Radiotheaterfestival “Grand Prix Nova” hat in Bukarest begonnen. Es wird von Radio Rumänien unter der Schirmherrschaft Ihrer Majestät Margareta, der Kustodin der rumänischen Krone, veranstaltet. Die diesjährige Ausgabe des Festivals umfasst 27 Produktionen aus 12 Ländern. Das Festival fördert Innovationen im Bereich des Radiotheaters.

– In fast der Hälfte der rumänischen Landkreise besteht Hochwassergefahr. Hydrologen halten Hochwasserwarnungen für die Flüsse in den Bergregionen im Osten, Norden, Süden und Südwesten des Landes aufrecht. Nach den heftigen Regenfällen der letzten Tage wurden mehr als 100 Menschen aus überschwemmten Ortschaften evakuiert. Die schlimmsten Schäden wurden in der südlichen Hälfte des Landes verzeichnet. Für den grö‎ßten Teil des Landes wird heute mit vorübergehender atmosphärischer Instabilität, heftigen Schauern, Gewittern und kurzzeitigen Windstärken gerechnet. Die Höchsttemperaturen lagen zwischen 20 und 30 Grad Celsius. Der Höchstwert in Bukarest lag bei 28 Grad C.

19 June 2023
Romania will have a brand new gas pipeline

The National Company for the Transport of Natural Gas, Transgaz has signed a contract with Turkish company Kalyon Insaat for the construction of Tuzla-Podişor gas pipeline. According to a communiqué released for the Bucharest Stock exchange, the 500 million euro project consists in the construction of a 308.3 kilometer gas pipeline, linking the resources exploited in the Neptun Deep area in the Black Sea and the so-called BRUA corridor, which connects four EU members: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria.

According to Transgaz general director, Ion Sterian, after the Ungheni-Chişinău pipelines between Romania and the Republica Moldova, Tuzla-Podişor is the most important gas infrastructure project, a strategic one, essential in the energy security efforts and also included among the EU common interest projects. The new pipeline will be crossing the counties of Constanta, Calarasi and Giurgiu and will contribute to ensuring the necessary consumption of gas for the economy and population to creating the prerequisites for boosting private investment in the area, to supplying gas to the localities around it, to almost 185 thousand inhabitants, and over 500 public institutions (schools, mayor offices, clinics, cultural centers, etcetera).

The new Deputy Prime Minister of the government in Bucharest, Marian Neacşu, says the future gas pipeline will also be able to carry the 15 billion cubic meters of gas from the Caspian Sea, reaching Romania through the terminals in Turkey and Greece. These connections, director Sterian says, will allow Romania to become a major regional hub around the year 2027.

România, says its new Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, is a country with significant gas resources, a strategic transit point and a major regional player, which could contribute, thanks to its operational transport infrastructure, to the consolidated regional security. The political leaders statements have also been confirmed by statistics. Romanias gas imports in the first four months of the year went down by 45.6% as compared to the same period in 2022, shows data released by the National Institute for Statistics. The domestic output has increased by roughly 7 percent against the same period last year. The National Commission of Strategy and Prognosis has forecast a 2% increase in the local gas production and a 6.2% decrease in the imports this year.

(bill)

19 June 2023
Another step towards exploiting the Black Sea gas

A new important step for Romanias exploitation of the natural gas in the Neptun Deep perimeter, in the Black Sea, was taken on Thursday, with the signing of a declaration by Transgaz, OMV-Petrom and Romgaz regarding the conclusion of the natural gas conveyance contracts, announced the Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu.

The contract represents the firm commitment for the development of a gas pipeline between Tuzla and Podişor, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also showed: “The document that has just been initialed envisages the construction of a natural gas transport pipeline on the Tuzla- Podişor route, which has a length of over 300 km. Estimated at 500 million Euros, this investment will make it possible for the gas from the Black Sea to enter the national transport system in the technological hub of Podişor and thus reach economic operators and households in the localities connected to the system.”

The Prime Minister also said that another benefit of this project is the connection between the new sources of natural gas in the Trans-Balkan corridor and the vertical corridor which the BRUA pipeline is a part of, which connects the entire region of Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria. According to a Transgaz press release, the creation of a transport infrastructure to connect the natural gas available on the Black Sea shores and the BRUA corridor is a project of particular importance for Romania in terms of energy security, and the signing of these contracts is the main condition for the development of this infrastructure.

“We are experiencing a historic moment for the region’s and Romania’s energy security. After the successful completion of the BRUA-phase 1 gas pipeline, after the successful completion of the Ungheni- Chişinău gas pipeline, after the completion of the works that allow the international transport of natural gas in the reverse-flow technology at all interconnection points and after the start of gas exploitation from the Black Sea shallow water perimeters, now we are at the start of the construction of the Tuzla-Podişor gas pipeline that will allow the natural gas exploited by OMV Petrom and Romgaz from the Black Sea to reach the National Transport System and, implicitly, each locality from Romania that has access to the natural gas network”, said the general director of Transgaz, Ion Sterian.

Romgaz emphasized that “signing the contract is one of the necessary conditions for the implementation of offshore investments and of those aimed at the development of the transport infrastructure necessary for taking over the gas from the Neptun Deep perimeter”. “We believe that the Black Sea has a significant potential for natural gas production, and Neptun Deep is a strategic project for OMV Petrom and for Romania. It is at the center of our 2030 Strategy and will have an essential role for Romanias energy security. We are planning the final investment decision for the middle of 2023, with production to start in 2027”, the OMV Petrom officials stated. (LS)

17 March 2023
March 9, 2023

BILLS Government in Bucharest will today hold talks on the final draft laws
on education to be submitted for Parliament approval. The government believes
that the laws, which have sparked off heated debates in society, will significantly
curb school dropout, improve the country’s education system and allow the young
people to adjust to the labour market requirements. However, the opposition has
lashed out at the amendments announced by field minister Ligia Deca, describing
the bills as faulty, superficially made and prone to creating imbalances. The
bills have also been criticized by all those involved in the educational
process, students, teachers and parents.

TALKS Defence Ministers from EU member countries on Wednesday convened in
Stockholm for talks over a two-billion euro plan of providing howitzer shells to
Ukraine so that the country will improve its fighting capabilities against Russia.
A final decision on the aforementioned project is expected during a similar
conference due on March 20th. According to press agencies, Ukraine
has cautioned that the quantity is not enough to make the difference in the war
against Russia. Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who also attended
the conference in Stockholm, says that his country needs at least one million 155mm
artillery shells, which would cost 4 billion euros, double than the plan
presented in Stockholm. The total EU support for Ukraine presently stands at 12
billion euros.

COVID-19 The number of COVID-19 infections is on the rise in Romania and
according to the latest reports, the figures doubled last week as compared to
February. Physicians believe though that the present situation should not
create concern, whereas experts say that the real number of infections could be
higher than officially announced. At the same time, the number of respiratory
infections is dropping under 100 thousand cases confirmed in late February.

ENERGY Italian electricity and gas provider Enel has today announced the transfer
of its operations in Romania towards Public Power Corp (PPC) of Greece, in
exchange for 1.26 billion euros as part of a plan focusing on green energy
production and cutting debts. Enel has made public its intention to focus on
countries with growth potential like Italy, Spain, the United States, Brazil,
Chile and Columbia. The Enel-PPC deal is expected to complete in the third
quarter of this year. The Italian group has been a major player on Romania’s
energy market since 2005 and currently boasts 3 million customers in three
major regions of this country.

VISIT Presently on a Far East tour, which also took him to Japan, Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis is today paying a two-day visit to the Republic of
Singapore. Boosting cooperation in fields such as education, research, food
safety, fighting climate change and green transition are high on his agenda.
Romania is the third biggest EU provider of IT services to Singapore and
Bucharest is interested in boosting this cooperation through fresh bilateral
projects. Romania’s interest in attracting Singaporean investment will also be
promoted. President Iohannis is expected to underline Romania’s contribution to
global food safety and the potential of the Romanian Black Sea and Danube ports
in connecting to Central Europe.

(bill)

9 March 2023
Plans for the energy sector

The German company AE SOLAR plans to produce solar panels in Romania, in one of the largest investments announced in the country in the past few years.

PM Nicolae Ciucă has met with officers of the firm, which intends to invest a total of EUR 1 bln, the Government announced. In a first stage, the project will have a 2-gigawatt capacity, and after the full integration of production flows the capacity will reach 10 gigawatts, accounting for one-third of Europes demand.

AE SOLAR, which operates in 95 countries, confirmed that the first stage of the Romanian plan would be operational this very year. What the government is to do next is analyse the resources that may be obtained from EU funding or from the national budget to support the project. Experts will be involved from the Black Sea Universities Network, who will be able to work together through a science park paired with the production facilities, the governments news release also says.

According to PM Ciucă, AE SOLARs investment will place Romania at the forefront of European production of solar panels and will contribute substantially to the countrys energy independence and to environment protection, given the use of clean, renewable energy for electricity production.

Modernisation was also the key topic in the PMs talks with Mass Global Energy Rom, which last year took over the coal-fired thermal power plant in Mintia, in the west of the country. Company officials told PM Nicolae Ciucă about an over EUR 1 bln investment plan designed to turn the unit into the EUs largest and most efficient gas-based electricity production facility, able to produce at least 1,500 megawatts.

The first stage of the investment is due for completion within 24 months, with the entire project to be finalised in 36 months. During this time, the power plant elements will be prepared for the switch to new, hydrogen-based technologies to produce energy.

“The Black Sea natural gas reserves, which are currently able to cover 10% of the annual domestic demand, will turn Romania, in the coming years, into one of the largest gas producers in the EU. The power plant in Mintia, which will use gas as a resource for the production of electricity, will take full advantage of this, enabling Romania to cover its domestic demand and also to export, thus helping the Republic of Moldova and our EU partners,” PM Nicolae Ciucă promised. (AMP)

7 March 2023
February 6, 2023

TEAM Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
has conveyed condolences on Romania’s behalf to Turkey, after the earthquake,
which has recently hit that country and Syria. Romania is solidary with those
affected by the tragedy, the Romanian president wrote on Twitter. The government
of Romania decided to dispatch a specialized intervention team to Turkey, a
country seriously affected by the powerful earthquake last night. The support
comes after the international assistance request Turkey launched via the EU
Civil Protection Mechanism. In another development, the Foreign Ministry
informs that Romania’s embassy in Ankara has been contacted by a group of 10
Romanian citizens – a professor and 9 Erasmus students – who were in a town
affected by the earthquake. The 10 announced they are all right and requested
consular assistance for repatriation. A 7.8 earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria last
night killing hundreds and wounding thousands. The earthquake had the epicenter
close to the Turkish city of Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border wreaking
havoc on an infrastructure already affected by the war.

ENERGY
The Minister of Energy in
Romania, Virgil Popescu, says the country has no problems regarding its natural
gas supplies during the present winter season as it has enough quantities in
store. At present we have 780 million cubic meters more than last winter -
Popescu said. The Minister held talks with all the big importers of oil
products in Romania who had diversified their sources in an attempt to avoid any
shortages. Minister Popescu recalled that next winter, Romania is going to rely
on no less than a billion cubic meters of gas from Azerbaijan, under a
contract signed a couple of days ago.

DEBATES Romanian MPs are today debating
upon the simple motion tabled by the opposition USR and the Force of the Right
against the Liberal Interior Minister, Lucian Bode amid the forgery allegations
he is presently facing. The signatories of a document entitled ‘Romania
deserves better than thieves in public positions’, say the purpose of their
move is to draw attention to the unacceptable long period of time spent in a
public position by a man who deserves neither his academic title nor the
respect of the Romania’s honest workers. The USR and the Force of the Right are
blaming the minister for the humiliating failure Romania experienced in its
attempt to join Europe’s border-free area, Schengen, as well as for the rigged public
tenders for the purchase of cars by the clients of government structures. The
motion will be voted upon on Wednesday.

PROTESTS The Sanitas Trade
Federation in Romania on Monday announced fresh protest rallies in Bucharest, aimed
at denouncing the low salaries in this field of activity. Trade unionists are
calling for a 15% pay rise and for a series of debates on the salary law and the
proper funding of medical institutions. The protesters are going to gather in
front of the government and start a march through the capital city, which will
symbolically include several big hospitals in Bucharest.

(bill)

6 February 2023
Approaches to energy security

The Russian-Ukrainian war has caused many concerns at European level also from the perspective of energy resources, in the sense of uninterrupted supply. The conflict has shown, once again, the importance of Romania’s energy security, a vital component of the national security policy. Energy security depends on a number of factors such as energy resources, geopolitical situation and transportation routes.

The Romanian energy minister, Virgil Popescu, has stated, in this sense, that the country has no problem in providing natural gas for the cold season, because there are sufficient stocks. He has added that Romania can overcome, without problems, potential consumption peaks generated by negative temperatures. He has explained that the country currently has almost 780 million cubic meters of gas more than it had in the same period of last year. Moreover, the energy minister has given assurances that there are no reasons of concern due to the embargo on Russian diesel oil, which has recently come into force. Minister Virgil Popescu has said that he discussed with all the major importers of oil products on the market, and that they diversified their sources of supply, so as to eliminate any disruptions.

Therefore, Romania will successfully overcome the ban imposed on Russian diesel oil, just as it succeeded at the end of last year, with the ban on crude oil, Virgil Popescu pointed out. The diversification of supply sources is one of the concerns of the Romanian authorities. Last week, Romania and Azerbaijan extended the contract for the delivery of Azeri natural gas to Romania. The document, signed in Baku, provides for the possibility of delivering quantities of up to one billion cubic meters until March 31, 2024 and will enter into force on April 1, this year. On a visit to Azerbaijan, the Romanian head of state, Klaus Iohannis, has stated that, in recent years, Bucharest has made substantial investments in the development of gas transport capacity as well as of a connectivity system with neighboring countries.

In turn, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă stated, after a meeting held in Cairo, at the end of last week, with the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla, that Romania was interested in completing the consumption needs using the Egyptianliquefiednatural gas terminal, until the moment when it will be able to capitalize on the deep-sea gas from the Black Sea. Nicolae Ciucă believes that solutions will be found to supplement the amount needed for Romania, as well as to offer support to the Republic of Moldova. On the occasion ofthe Prime Minister Ciucă’s visit to Cairo, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Romanian Transgaz Company and the Egyptian gas transport company. (LS)

6 February 2023
February 5, 2023 UPDATE

Cairo – The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, met, on Sunday, in Cairo, with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The talks focused on topics such as bilateral cooperation in the economic and social fields, as well as the impact of the Russian military aggression on Ukraine. The Egyptian president thanked, on this occasion, for the support provided by Romania for the evacuation from Ukraine of the more than one thousand repatriated Egyptian students last year, as well as for facilitating the export of Ukrainian grains to Egypt. Nicolae Ciucă highlighted the need to support Romanian farmers through access to the production of fertilizers from Egypt necessary for agricultural crops. At the same time, the two agreed to increase Romanian farmers grain exports to the Egyptian market. On Sunday, the Romanian Prime Minister also participated in the Egypt-Romania Business Forum, as well as in the signing ceremony of several bilateral documents. On Saturday, Nicolae Ciucă discussed with his Egyptian counterpart, Mostafa Madbouly, about the intensification of bilateral relations, both at the political, commercial and economic levels. He also had a meeting with the representatives of the Romanian community in Egypt and with Egyptian citizens who studied in Romania.

EU – Starting on February 5, the European Union has completely suspended imports of Russian refined oil products, such as gasoline, diesel and fuel oil, in the context of the war in Ukraine. Until now, the embargo targeted crude oil. Also as of February 5, another European measure came into force, taken together with the allied states, the G7 group of highly industrialized states as well as Australia. The measure is about limiting the price of Russian oil products transported by sea. European limits provide a maximum of 100 dollars per barrel for expensive products, such as diesel and gasoline, and a maximum of 45 dollars per barrel for less refined ones, such as fuel oil. These measures come after a previous cap at 60 dollars per barrel of Russian crude oil imposed on December 5. Beyond this ceiling, Western companies were prohibited from providing maritime services to Russia, given that the G7 countries provide for approximately 90% of the global transport.

Gas – In Romania, the natural gas stock in deposits is currently 1.880 billion cubic meters, i.e. 61% of the their capacity. According to Depogaz, the main underground natural gas storage operator in Romania, the country has no problem in securing natural gas for the cold season, this stock being by 780 million cubic meters higher than last year. The latest statistics show that Romania has the fastest emptying rate of stored gas deposits in the EU.

Weather – In Romania, the National Meteorological Administration has issued a cold weather alert valid in all regions, until Friday, as well as Yellow Code Alerts for snow and blizzard, for areas in 27 counties, valid until Monday evening. According to meteorologists, in the Southern and Eastern Carpathians, it will snow locally and temporarily, and the wind speed will increase at 60 – 70 km/h, and at altitudes above 1,700 m, the gusts will exceed 80 – 90 km /h. Until Friday, the weather will be cold in all regions, with mostly negative highs. It will be frosty at night and in the morning in the intra-Carpathian regions, as well as on smaller areas and in the rest of the territory. The minimum temperatures will range between -14 and -4 degrees, and between -20 and -18 degrees C in isolated areas.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse reached the last qualifications round of the tennis tournament in Abu Dhabi. That happened following the abandonment of the Czech Tereza Martincova, at the score of 6-3, 3-0 for Gabriela Ruse. The Romanian Sorana Cîrstea entered the main singles draw directly and will play in the first round against the Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk. The winner will face the Swiss Belinda Bencic, the second seed, in the round of 16. Monica Niculescu will play in the doubles, where she pairs with the Japanese Miyu Kato, the opponents in the first round being Ulrikke Eikeri (Norway) and Alexa Guarachi (Chile). (LS)

5 February 2023
Energy Cards: Post startet Auslieferung

RadioRomaniaInternational · Energy Cards: Post startet Auslieferung

Beginnend mit dem heutigen 1. Februar liefert die Post die Energiekarten ins Haus. In einer Regierungssitzung forderte Premierminister Nicolae Ciucă den Minister für Investitionen und europäische Projekte auf, sich weiterhin mit seinem Kollegen vom Ressort für Forschung, Innovation und Digitalisierung zu koordinieren, damit die Auslieferung der Energy Cards über die rumänische Post reibungslos in die Praxis umgesetzt wird. Konkret hat die Bukarester Regierung beschlossen, in diesem Jahr eine Beihilfe in Höhe von 1 400 Lei (umgerechnet 280 Euro) für Menschen zu gewähren, die Schwierigkeiten haben, ihre Strom- und Heizungsrechnungen zu bezahlen. Die Beihilfe wird in zwei gleichen Raten gewährt — die erste in diesem Monat, die zweite im September. Mit dieser Karte werden mehr als 4 Millionen Nutznie‎ßer in der Lage sein, Zahlungen an Lieferanten von Strom, Gas, Fernwärme, Gasflaschen, Brennholz, Heizöl, Pellets und anderen Heizmaterialien zu leisten. Es handelt sich um laufende oder überfällige Rechnungen von Endverbrauchern, und die Energy Card ist nur am Wohnsitz bzw. für einen Haushalt gültig.

Der Minister für Investitionen und europäische Projekte, Marcel Boloș, erläuterte, dass es drei Möglichkeiten geben wird, die Zahlungen zu leisten: erstens durch Vorweisen der Energy Card in einem Postamt, zweitens direkt beim Postboten und drittens auf elektronischem Weg, genauer gesagt über eine einfache Computeranwendung.

Die Nutznie‎ßer können auf die App zugreifen, indem sie die Nummer ihrer Energiekarte und die drei Dokumente eingeben, die für die Zahlung notwendig sind, um die Rechnungen aus dem Heizkostenzuschuss zu begleichen, nämlich den Personalausweis, die Energiekarte selbst und die anfallende Rechnung des Energieversorgers.“

Die Energy Card darf weder veräu‎ßerst noch verschenkt werden, und wer gegen diese Vorschriften verstö‎ßt, riskiert Geldstrafen in Höhe von mehreren tausend Lei. Mit einer Karte können Zahlungen an mehrere Lieferanten getätigt werden, bis der Zuschussbetrag aufgebraucht ist.

Um der Bevölkerung angesichts der sehr hohen Strom- und Gaspreise weiter entgegenzukommen, hat die rumänische Regierung au‎ßerdem beschlossen, die für das Installieren von Photovoltaikanlagen bereitgestellten Mittel zu erhöhen. Gleichzeitig wurden die Verfahren für den Zugang zu den Subventionen vereinfacht, und die Anträge sollten schneller genehmigt werden. Die neuen Zuwendungen würden für viermal so viele Projekte reichen, also für fast 190 000 Haushalte, sagt Umweltminister Barna Tánczos:

Antragsteller benötigen einen Personalausweis, einen Grundbuchauszug, den Nachweis, dass sie keine Schulden gegenüber dem Staat oder der Kommunalverwaltung haben, und nach Installation der Photovoltaikanlage wird dem Nutznie‎ßer eine Anschlussbescheinigung als Prosument ausgestellt.“

Die Subvention beläuft sich auf 20 000 Lei (etwa 4 000 Euro), was für eine Photovoltaikanlage mit einer Leistung von 3,3 Kilowattstunden ausreicht. Wer mehrere Module möchte, muss den restlichen Betrag aus eigener Tasche bezahlen.

1 February 2023
The EU is consuming less natural gas

The natural gas consumption in the European Union decreased by more than 20% in August, September, October and November this year, compared to the average for the same period from 2017 to 2021, shows data published by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). Natural gas consumption has decreased in most Member States, but differently. In 18 countries, gas consumption fell by more than the target of 15%, in some countries even by more than 40%. The most significant decline was registered in Finland (almost 53%), Latvia and Lithuania. Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania and Estonia reported decreases of over 30%. Six EU members, even if they have reduced their consumption, have not yet reached the 15% target.

Moreover, natural gas consumption increased in Malta and Slovakia. The objective is a 15% reduction of gas consumption between August 2022 and March 2023, compared to the similar average of the last five consecutive years, in order to stop the dependence of the EU bloc on fossil fuels from Russia and to stop feeding with money Kremlins war industry. Between January and July 2022, natural gas consumption in the European Union varied between 1,938 petajoules (PJ) in January, a colder month, and 785 PJ in July, indicating an overall monthly decline even before the 15% reduction target was set. August was the month with the lowest consumption: 708 PJ, compared to the 823 PJ average for the period 2017-2021.

On the other hand, the European energy ministers reached an agreement on Monday on capping the price of natural gas, after several weeks of discussions on a package of emergency measures that have created divisions among member states, in an attempt to respond to the energy crisis. According to documents accessed by Reuters, it was agreed that the capping will be triggered when the quotes at the gas hub in Amsterdam reach 180 Euros per Megawatt-hour (MWh) for three days. The same document shows that the capping could be triggered starting from February 15, 2023 and, initially, it will not apply to ‘over the counter’ type transactions (outside the market).

The European Commission on Tuesday held a round table involving the participation of high-level industry representatives to support activity within the EU Energy Platform towards joint gas procurement, which is scheduled to start in 2023. Attending were representatives of 33 companies from the member states and the contracting parties to the Energy Community. The objective of the Platform is to contribute to the coordination of gas purchases, while using the EU’s negotiating and political power to ensure the supply of energy from reliable partners at sustainable prices for the EU citizens and businesses. (LS)

21 December 2022
December 19, 2022 UPDATE

Schengen — There is no justifiable reason not to welcome Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area, because all the conditions for accession are met, said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, on Monday in Bucharest. In a press conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, she also stated that efforts were being made to solve this situation as soon as possible, even next year. ‘The external border of the European Union is defended. We see that all countries, including Romania, apply all components of the Schengen acquis, which answers any kind of concerns that could exist from this point of view, the Brussels official added. For his part, Klaus Iohannis said that the Schengen topic will not be on the agenda of the extraordinary European Council due on February 2023, and discussions will take place only on the sidelines of the meeting. We remind you that, at the beginning of the month, Austria blocked the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria in the JHA Council, in contradiction with the position of the other member states, invoking issues regarding illegal migration.

Visit – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, had meetings in Chisinau with the Moldovan President Maia Sandu, the Parliament Speaker, Igor Grosu, and the Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliţa, with whom he discussed the European course of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population). Aurescu reiterated Romanias full support for managing the wide-ranging crises that Moldova is facing and for advancing at a determined pace the reforms necessary for joining the European Union. He mentioned the prompt steps that led to the supply, by Romania, in a critical period of energy crisis, of over 80% of the electricity needs of the Republic of Moldova. There was also an in-depth exchange of assessments regarding the security situation against the backdrop of Russias war of aggression against the neighboring state, Ukraine. Economically, at the end of the year, a record value of 3.5 billion dollars of trade between Romania and Moldova is expected, increasing by approximately 46% as compared to 2021.

Energy — The European energy ministers have reached an agreement on capping the price of natural gas, the Czech presidency announced on Monday in a Twitter post. The agreement comes after several weeks of talks on a package of emergency measures that have created divisions among member states in an attempt to respond to the energy crisis. According to documents consulted by Reuters, it was agreed that the gas price cap would be triggered when the quotes, at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) gas hub in Amsterdam, reach 180 Euros for a Megawatt-hour (MWh) for three days. The same document shows that the cap could be introduced starting on February 15, 2023 and, initially, it will not apply to over the counter type transactions (outside the market).

Revolution – In Timisoara, in western Romania, the demonstrations marking the 33rd anniversary of the anti-communist revolution of December 1989 continued. The demonstrations bring back to attention the courage and sacrifice of the martyr-heroes, as well as the need for the young generation to carry forward the spirit of freedom. These days have seen marches on the route of the Revolution, religious services, wreaths laying ceremonies, concerts, exhibitions, film screenings and debates and a pilgrimage to the monuments of the Revolution Memorial. The demonstrations will culminate on December 20, the day Timişoara was declared the first city free of communism in Romania. The uprising against the communist regime in Romania broke out in Timişoara on December 16, 1989 and, from December 21, extended to Bucharest and other cities of the country. All in all, over 1,000 people died and around 3,000 were injured in the fighting that took place in the only country in Eastern Europe where the regime change took place violently.

Statistics — In 2021, the adjusted average annual salary for full-time employees in the European Union was 33,500 Euros, according to data published for the first time on Monday by the European Statistics Office (Eurostat). Last year, among the EU member states, the highest average annual salary was in Luxembourg (72,200 Euros), Denmark (63,300 Euros) and Ireland (50,300 Euros), and the lowest in Bulgaria (10,300 Euros), Hungary (12,600 Euros) and Romania (13,000 Euros). On the other hand, according to Eurostat, the hourly labor cost increased by 3.4% in the EU in the third quarter of the year, compared to the same period in 2021. The most significant annual advance was reported in Hungary and Bulgaria, but increases of over 10% also occurred in Lithuania, Poland, Greece and Romania.

Museum — Romania will provide voluntary financial contribution to support the Museum of the Victims of Communism in Washington. The museum is worth 3 million dollars and is granted in a single installment. The contribution is intended for the construction of the museum, as well as the creation of the section presenting the victims of the communist regime in Romania. The Foreign Ministry, the Romanian Academy, the National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives and other institutions in Romania can provide information, for the purpose of a good representation of the victims of communism in Romania. (LS)

19 December 2022
December 18, 2022

COMMEMORATION Timisoara, a city in
Western Romania, on Saturday kept a moment of silence in memory of the first
victims of the Romanian anti-communist revolution 33 years ago. Following the
orders given by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, officers with the Interior and
Defence Ministries opened fire on the peaceful protesters who had taken to the
streets of this martyr-city. The anti-communist revolt broke out in Timisoara,
on December 16th and extended to Bucharest on December 21st and also to other
cities across Romania. Over one thousand people were killed and about 3
thousand were wounded in clashes between the protesters and troops of the Defence and Interior ministries all over Romania, the only country in eastern
Europe where the communist regime was changed through violence and bloodshed.

SPORT Romanian swimmer David Popovici
on Sunday won the silver medal in the 200 meter free-style race of the FINA
World Swimming Championship 25 meters in Melbourne, Australia. The Romanian
came second after South-Korean Sunwoo Hwang with Tom Dean of Britain coming third
in the race. Popovici’s prize closet also includes a European title in the 200
meter free-style race, which he won in Kazan last year. In 2022 he walked away
with gold in the 100 meter and 200 meter races both in the European and world
championships.

TALKS
After heated debates on Saturday night, negotiators of the European Parliament
and EU Council reached an agreement to overhaul the bloc’s carbon market,
cutting planet-heating emissions faster and imposing new CO2 costs on fuels
used in road transport and buildings. According to the Czech Environment
Minister Marian Jurecka, the agreement will allow the EU to meet climate
objectives within the main sectors of the economy while making sure the most
vulnerable citizens and micro-enterprises are effectively supported in the
climate transition.

GAS Azerbaijan intends to slightly increase its gas exports to Europe in 2023,
the country’s president Ilham Aliyev has said as Brussels seeks to replace the
diminishing energy supplies from Russia, Reuters reports. On Thursday, Gazprom
announced its exports to countries outside the Community of Independent States
dropped 45.1% between January 1st and December 15th as
compared to the same period in 2021. If Russia completely stops gas deliveries
to Europe and Chinese gas demand rebounded from the Covid-19 restrictions, the
EU could face a shortfall of 27 billion cubic meters of gas next year.

FOOTBALL In the World cup finals in Doha, Qatar, France is defending against
Argentina the title it obtained four years ago. On Saturday Croatia celebrated
its win against Morocco for the third position in the ranking. After a third
place in 1998 and the finals it lost against France in Russia in 2018, it has
been Croatia’s third podium since the country declared its independence back in
1991. Morocco, the revelation of this world cup edition, is the first African
and Arab country to have made it to the finals of the prestigious competition.
The Moroccans outperformed Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the
quarters but lost to France in the semis.

(bill)

18 December 2022
December 11, 2022

Budget — The state budget and social insurance draft laws will be debated in Romania’s Parliament on Monday. The final vote is to be given in the plenary sessions of the two chambers on Thursday. The state budget for next year is based on an economic growth of 2.8% and a revenue increase of 14%. The budget deficit is forecast to increase by almost 4.4% of the GDP, and the main novelty is the increase to 2.5% of the Defense budget. The state budget for next year will allow, according to the authorities, an increase in pensions by 12.5% and a minimum wage of 3,000 lei (about 600 Euros). According to the document, the Ministries of Defense, Development, Agriculture, Transport and Education will receive more funds. The fields of Energy, Justice and Health will receive less money. The opposition criticizes the Governments budget bill and announces that it will submit amendments in Parliament.

Meeting — The Romanian Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea, is participating, on Sunday and Monday, in the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) in Brussels. According to an agriculture ministry communiqué, the meetings agenda includes important aspects for the Romanian agricultural sector, such as the market situation, the strategic plans of the CAP, animal welfare and fishing opportunities for next year. The ministers are discussing the progress of the new EU forest strategy for 2030 and the actions taken at EU and national level. At the same time, the ministers will debate the current situation of the market in the member states, the main issues related to the energy and fertilizer crisis, the high prices of production factors, as well as the pressure that the crisis exerts on both farmers and consumers. Also, the European officials will tackle the strategic plans included in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the context of the current situation in Ukraine and the new challenges facing both the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Gaudeamus — The 29th edition of the Gaudeamus book fair, organized by Radio Romania at the Romexpo exhibition center in Bucharest, comes to an end on Sunday. Starting on December 7, approximately 200 participants offered the public a varied range of editorial products, on different supports, suitable for all ages and fields of interest, music and educational games. For the first time, two spaces dedicated to interactive activities for the youngest visitors were set up within the fair. All stands were also found in virtual format on the gaudeamus.ro website. The honorary president of this years edition was the writer Ana Blandiana.

Agreement — The EU member states reached an agreement, on Saturday, regarding the unlocking of a financial assistance package worth 18 billion Euros, which will be granted to Ukraine in 2023. ‘Ukraine can count on the EU. We will continue to support Ukraine also from a financial point of view, as long as it is necessary’ shows a press release from the European Council. The proposal was adopted by the Council and will be presented to the European Parliament to be adopted next week. On Tuesday, Hungary vetoed the package proposed by the European Commission.

Negotiations — The EU countries participated in emergency negotiations on Saturday in an attempt to reach an agreement on capping the price of natural gas at the December 13 meeting of European Energy Ministers, but they remain divided over the plan. 12 member states, including Romania, Belgium, Italy, Poland and Slovenia, are pushing for a significantly lower cap on the price of natural gas across the Union. The latest proposal, according to Reuters, provides for a cap if prices exceed 220 Euros/Megawatt hour for five days, at the Natural Gas futures quotes of the Amsterdam-based TTF Hub (where reference prices are set in Europe) to be delivered the next month, and when the prices are higher by 35 Euros compared to the world average price for liquefied natural gas. It is a lower level than the limit of 275 Euros/Megawatt hour proposed by the European Commission, but the 12 EU member states say it is still not low enough.

Football – The French team, the defending world champions, qualified for the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar on Saturday, after defeating England 2-1 in the last quarter-final. Also on Saturday, the Moroccan national team became the first African team to qualify for the semi-finals, after defeating the Portuguese team, score 1-0. There are only four matches left in the final tournament in Qatar, the semi-finals, third-place playoff and the final. On Tuesday, Argentina will meet Croatia, and on Wednesday Morocco will be up against France. The third-place playoff will take place on December 17, and the final on December 18. (LS)

11 December 2022
Romania’s independence from Russian oil

Romania no longer relies on Russia’s oil, and the ban
on imports from that country, which took effect on Monday, will not affect us
because oil companies have identified alternative resources and are no longer
buying crude from Moscow. The announcement was made by the energy minister
Virgil Popescu at a press conference, in which he reiterated that Bucharest has
enough oil and natural gas reserves to see this winter through. Moreover, the
minister said, ever since last week oil companies and refineries in Romania
have only processed non-Russian oil.

Virgil Popescu: Romania has no natural gas supply problems,
and you may have noticed that it is gradually becoming a regional natural gas
hub. Gas is being taken via Romania to Moldova, to Ukraine and to Hungary. In
other words, Romania is on its own path, on the European path, it is a natural
gas producer and a future natural gas exporter and will ensure both Romania’s
and the entire region’s energy security. We have no gas supply problems this
winter as well. And Romanians must know that we have no problems in terms of
the oil reserves, of fuels, of natural gas and of electricity.

In turn, the general manager of the Transgaz
Natural Gas Transport Corporation, Ioan Sterian, vowed that there is
substantial domestic gas output and that Romanians have no reasons to fear they
will be left without resources this winter.

On the other hand, the shortage of firewood for
household heating was discussed on Monday in the Chamber of Deputies. The
environment minister, Tánczos Barna, was invited to Question Time by the AUR
party in opposition, to speak about the problems caused by the cap on firewood
prices, and to explain why the legal framework is unchanged although the ruling
coalition promised they would amend a previous government order. Tánczos Barna said
the government’s priority was to protect citizens, but admitted that the
effects of the emergency order were not as desired. According to Tánczos Barna,
the Romsilva National Forestry Corporation and private owners made available
this year over one million cubic metres of firewood more than in 2021. He also
added that the price of firewood varies from one region to another, which is
why it was capped at EUR 80 per cubic metre, and Romsilva also took measures
to ensure firewood for next year as well.

Tánczos Barna: We have put together an investment plan under
which we will create 178 new firewood storage facilities and will upgrade the 240
existing centres, operated by Romsilva. In the next 2-3 years we will have an
investment budget of over EUR 60 million.

The
AUR leader George Simion said the
minister failed to meet the requests for the emergency order to be amended so
that all citizens may benefit from firewood irrespective of where they live.

And USR party, also in opposition, accused the
environment minister of lacking the courage to take the right measures for
citizens, although the country has all the necessary experts and resources. (AMP)

6 December 2022