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Tag: grain

Grain transshipment terminal is inaugurated in Suceava

The biggest grain transshipment terminal in Europe was inaugurated at the end of last week in north-eastern Romania, in Dorneşti, in the presence of Romanian and Ukrainian officials. Built as a public-private partnership project, the new terminal cost around 10 million euros. It was financed by Grampet Group, the largest railway group with Romanian capital in south-eastern Europe. Opening this terminal will solve an important problem in Suceava county, making road travel more fluid near the border with Ukraine. 240,000 tonnes of grain can be transshipped every month, and eight train carriages can be loaded and unloaded at the same time in a 128 m station.

Owing to this transshipment capacity and all the other high-level technical and technological solutions provided, the terminal in Dorneşti will become a strategic hub for the fluidity of grain traffic from the border with Ukraine to the Romanian port of Constanţa, in the south-east. With the harvesting of grain due to start in Ukraine and the grain carriages to be transshipped to the Black Sea, the inauguration of the terminal is important for Romania. The grain will be mostly transported by rail, which will make road travel more fluid in Romania. At the same time, the Suceava authorities believe the investment is also a sign of partnership and solidarity with Ukraine and welcome in terms of transport security.

Romania’s general consul in Cernăuţi, Irina Stănculescu, says the inauguration of the transshipment terminal in Suceava county is one more proof that Romania’s support for the Ukrainian state and people and the Ukrainian economy remains solid, consistent and a commitment from the authorities, civil society and the private environment. On behalf of Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu, the general consul emphasised that Romania has stood by Ukraine from the first day of the war of aggression started by Russia and will continue to stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary, including during the reconstruction process.

The Romanian diplomat added that the public or private initiatives to expand the cross-border infrastructure with Ukraine are in response not only to economic, but also political and strategic imperatives, with Romania thus contributing to Ukraine’s integration in effect into the European single market. “Through the investments and efforts made by Romania, on its own behalf or with the support of international partners, the transit of around 37 million tonnes of Ukrainian agricultural products has been ensured since the start of the war of aggression”, Romania’s general consul in Cernăuţi also recalled.

3 June 2024
March 29, 2024 UPDATE

GRAIN Romania’s grain output went up by 9 percent last year, up to 21 million tons mainly due to the more productive types sowed, the National Institute for Statistics said. The growth has been influenced by the 11% increase in the wheat production, which accounts for 47% of the total grain production. Data shows that Romania ranks fourth in Europe in terms of wheat production after France, Germany and Poland.

DST Romania will this weekend implement the Daylight Saving Time DST and will set clocks forward by one hour. So, three AM becomes four AM and Sunday becomes the shortest day of the year. The change takes place a couple of days after the Spring equinox on March 20^th, when days are equal with nights. Thanks to the DST, Romania will have a three hours advance against the GMT as compared to only two in winter. DST is expected to last a little under seven months, nearly 65% of the year covering the seasons of spring, summer and half of autumn. The EU members were supposed to announce their decision to permanently adopt the summer or winter time until 2021. However, discussions on the issue still continue.

SCHENGEN As of March 31st, air and maritime checks on Schengen borders will be lifted for Romania and Bulgaria. This means that documents will no longer be checked. In Romania, border policemen can still make unannounced checks, based on a risk analysis. The preparations taking place on 17 airports and four maritime ports in Romania have come to an end. Also, to prepare for 31st March, some big airports in Romania, such as the ones in Iasi and Timisoara, have opened new terminals. Initiated in 1985 as an intergovernmental project between five states – France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – and after seven waves of expansion, the Schengen area is currently the largest free movement area in the world. With the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, it expands to 4.5 million square km and a population of 450 million.

NATO From the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, across the Atlantic and the Adriatic, NATO is more united and more capable than ever, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said on Friday in a message on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the largest wave of expansion in the Alliance’s history. On behalf of the United States, Blinken congratulated Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their accession to NATO. The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has also said that Romania will remain deeply involved in the process of permanent adaptation of NATO, so that the Alliance becomes stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the future. In the 20 years of NATO membership, Romania has become an important pillar and has consolidated its position within the alliance, respecting its security commitments in the Black Sea area, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. NATO was established in 1949 as a security alliance between the United States, Canada and 10 West European countries. Sweden is the youngest member, as it has joined NATO this year. There are currently 32 states making up the Alliance.

(bill)

29 March 2024
European funds for Ukrainian grain exports

Ukraine is dependent on the
European transport corridors after its exports and imports by sea have been
suspended by the blockade imposed by Russia. According to present data, over
May 2022 and August 2023, these solidarity corridors have allowed Ukraine to
export over 53 million tons of farm products, including roughly 48 million tons
of cereals and other similar products. These exports are estimated to have brought
Ukraine 38 billion euros in income. At the same time, Ukraine imported via the
solidarity corridors goods with a total value of roughly 70 billion euro. ‘This
proves that our economic partnership leads to an increase in exports and
imports’, the European Commissioner for Transport, Romanian Adina Valean, said
during a meeting she had with the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure,
Oleksandr Kubrakov.

The European
Commissioner has also announced the launch by the European Commission of a new
fund scheme for the infrastructure used in the Ukrainian exports through the
member states. We want to ensure the future integration of the Ukrainian
railway system with the EU transport system through the introduction of the
European standard gauge with a view to having a railway connection along
Ukraine from the city of Lviv to Iasi, in eastern Romania, and farther to Chisinau,
in the Republic of Moldova. The infrastructure resulted and that we have
streamlined in the past 16 months is here to stay and represents a ‘de facto’
integration from the viewpoint of infrastructure of Ukraine in the EU single
market, the EU commissioner went on to say.

60% of the goods shipped through
the solidarity corridors is transiting Romania. We are speaking here about
roads as well as the Danube and the Black Sea port of Constanta – the most
important points in the Ukrainian exports.

Under these circumstances,
Romania could obtain a big part of the funding scheme if it came with projects
until the deadline in January, when the scheme is closed. Down the Danube
along its border with Ukraine and then the port of Constanta are two points,
which could attract consistent European funding, Adina Vălean added. On one
had we are talking about measures of streamlining the operations in the port of
Constanta, on the other hand we are talking about increasing the capabilities
of transferring the goods from one ship to the other. We are having talks about
the purchase of specific equipment to be shipped to the port of Constanta the
Commissioner has explained. The novelty of the aforementioned 7 billion euro
funding scheme resides in the permission granted to the Republic of Moldova and
Ukraine to apply with projects in conditions similar to those of the member
states, without having to have a community partner.

(bill)

26 September 2023
Romanian farmers give up protests

The European Commission’s decision not to extend the order stopping the import of cheap Ukrainian grain has reignited the older dispute on this topic and led to new protests from farmers in the affected Central and East European states. The import ban was imposed after the sea routes Ukraine had used to export its products could no longer be used, and large quantities of grain reached Central Europe, affecting the business of local farmers. After the ban approved by the European Commission expired last Friday, the governments of Poland, Hungary and Slovakia announced that they would unilaterally continue to ban Ukrainian grain imports. They claim that they are doing it to protect their economies and farmers from the inflow of Ukrainian products. In response, Ukraine filed lawsuits at the World Trade Organization, considering that such restrictions represent a violation of the international obligations of Ukraine’s neighbors.

Romania did not adopt the radical solution of the three states. Bucharest has announced that grain from Ukraine will continue to transit Romania, provided that Kyiv presents, within 30 days, a plan for its exports. During these 30 days, no Ukrainian grain will be imported, the Romanian Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, told local farmers. Under the future plan, only those in the business of animal husbandry and processing units will have the right to buy grain, and only after they prove they need grain or have insufficient stocks. In addition, the grain will be checked by the Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority before leaving Ukraine. After negotiations with the Government, Romanian farmers gave up protests for the time being.

Daniel Radu, vice-president of the Forta Fermierilor Association: We are only talking about imports, as transit will continue. Ukrainian trucks will further cross Romanias territory, and not only trucks, but also barges, and other freigh transport means, but nothing will remain on Romania’s territory. The grain will be taken directly to the port, where it will be loaded on ships to their final destination. The plan proposed by the Agriculture Ministry must enter into force and start taking effect. A licensing system will not be easy to implement, nor to get, so it will take time. So we feel protected, as farmers, from this risk of the domestic market being flooded with Ukrainian grain. Farmers in Bulgaria protested, on Monday, throughout the country, to demand a ban on the import of oil, sunflower, corn, wheat and rapeseed from Ukraine. The protests also affected traffic at the northern border with Romania. (EE)

19 September 2023
Romania supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine

After
Russia’s withdrawal last month from an agreement allowing Ukraine to export its
agricultural production, which is crucial for the world food security, the
repeated Russian bombardments against Ukraine’s maritime and river ports have
led to the destruction of over 270 thousand tons of grain, authorities in Kyiv have
announced.

Only
the bombing of the Danube port of Ismail on Tuesday night for instance wiped
out 13 thousand tons of cereals, the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure,
Oleksandr Kubrakov has said. Several grain terminals and private storehouses
have been destroyed along with parts of the transport infrastructure. I am
terrified by Russia’s ongoing attacks over the port of Ismail. The Russian
troops have been harming Ukrainian civilians and targeting the critical
infrastructure for the grain transport constantly and deliberately. These are
war crimes. Romania and the international community will bring to court all
those involved the head of the Romanian diplomacy, Luminita Odobescu, said on a
social network.

Bucharest
will continue to support Ukraine in its brave fight to completely recover its
territorial integrity says the Romanian official, who had an online
intervention on Wednesday during the third Summit of the Crimea International
Platform, which, according to the Ukrainian authorities, brought together
representatives of over 60 countries and international organizations. 18
months have passed since the onset of the invasion, Minister Odobescu went on
to say, but the Russian aggression didn’t start with the war it commenced on
February 24th 2022, but with the illegal annexation of the Crimean
Peninsula back in 2014 The latest reckless attacks against the Ukrainian
ports on the Danube, very close to the Romanian border, have again shown
Russia’s desire to step up this conflict Odobescu says. We will stand with the
Ukrainian people and its sovereign right to freely decide its future without
interventions from outside, the Romanian Minister went on to say. Donetsk is
Ukraine, Kherson is Ukraine, Luhansk is Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia is Ukraine,
Crimea is Ukraine.

Romania
will continue to support the independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders Odobescu says
adding that Bucharest has stood with the neighboring country since the first
day of the war and will continue to do so until the ‘final victory’. The
Romanian official has also mentioned cases of human rights violation in the
Ukrainian territories occupied by the Russian forces, describing these actions
as war crimes.

(bill)

24 August 2023
August 19, 2023 UPDATE

OPYMPIAD – Romanian students won five medals at the 15th edition of the International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad held in Chorzow, Poland. According to the Romanian Ministry of Education, the gold medal and the highest score in the competition in the theoretical test was won by Andrei Dragomir, a student with the Bucharest International High School of Informatics. Teofil Voicu with the “Emil Racoviţă” National College in Cluj-Napoca and Mendel Mendelsohn and Bogdan Ciocârlan, students with the Bucharest International High School of Informatics won silver medals, while George Vladimir Necula, with the same high school in Bucharest, won a bronze medal. Students from 53 countries took part in the competition.

ECONOMY – One of Romanias objectives in the upcoming period is to win back traditional markets in Asian countries, such as Singapore, Vietnam and Japan, said the Romanian Minister of Economy, Radu Oprea. He emphasized that the Romanian economy must capitalize on the markets and trade agreements signed by the European Union with Asian countries. Oprea also said that in October the joint commission with South Korea will take place, and in November – the one with Vietnam, areas with very high collaboration potential.

SEASIDE – The autumn edition of the “Holiday for all” program on the Romanian Black Sea coast is about to be launched. In September, tourist packages will be up to 70% cheaper compared to peak season rates. So far, 48 hotels have signed up for the program, offering tourists approximately 5,000 accommodation places. Over 100 accommodation units are expected to join the program, so that more than 40,000 tourists can benefit from it. Most hotel units will keep last years rates.

DECISION – Romania plans to ensure the transit of more than 60% of the Ukrainian grain exports to the international market in the future, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said after Friday’s meeting, in Bucharest, with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Şmyhal. The two officials decided that in the upcoming period, the grain transit from Ukraine to the international market, via Romania, to be doubled, from two to four million tons per month, but with the protection of Romanian farmers.

ENERGY – Helleniq Renewables, a Greek subsidiary of one of the main energy groups in South-Eastern Europe, Helleniq Energy Holdings, has signed a contract for the construction of four photovoltaic parks in Romania, with a total capacity of 211 megawatts. The agreement was signed with Mytilineos Energy. The projects will be gradually developed until 2025, and the total annual production of renewable energy will cover the needs of 100,000 households. In parallel, Helleniq Renewables signed another agreement, for the development of a portfolio of photovoltaic parks with a capacity of 600 megawatts, also located in Romania, in the southern part of the country.

EUROSTAT – Romania registered in June the most significant advance in the European Union in the field of construction works, of 3.6%, followed by Sweden and the Czech Republic, according to the European Statistics Office. At the opposite end are Germany, France, Slovakia and Hungary. Eurostat data also shows that construction works decreased in June by 1% in the eurozone and by 0.6% in the European Union, compared to the previous month, when a slight advance was registered. (EE)

19 August 2023
August 12, 2023 UPDATE

RATE
According to data released by the National Institute for Statistics (the INS) in
July Romania’s inflation rate went down to 9.4% from 10.3% in June while prices
in food products went up by 16.24% and in non-food products by 4.25%. According
to the same sources, prices for services went up by 11.65%. Sugar, air
transportation and potatoes saw the highest price hikes this year, whereas oil
is the only commodity, whose price went down. According to the INS, the medium
average salary in Romania stood at nearly 930 Euros in June, 11 Euros higher
than in May this year. For the Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel
Ciolacu, the lower inflation rate shows that the government’s measures aimed at
curbing inflation proved to be successful. He said the Executive would
cooperate with the country’s Central Bank in the fight against the rising
prices.

HOLIDAY
Romanians are in a four-day mini-holiday as August 14th is a bank
holiday in Romania where St. Mary is being celebrated a day later on August 15th.
Various events have been staged on this occasion all over the country and tens
of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Nicula Monastery in Cluj,
north-western Romania. The Summer Well festival is underway until August the 13th
in Buftea close to Bucharest and the days of the Braila city are being
celebrated in this town in south-eastern Romania. Numerous tourists are being
expected in the mountains resorts in the Prahova Valley, southern Romania these
days, as well as on the Romanian Black Sea coast, which will be seeing its
busiest weekend. Hotel owners in the seaside resorts are expected to provide
accommodation to over 100 thousand tourists. Over 8 thousand police troops and
6 thousand gendarmes have been deployed to ensure safety and order during this
mini-holiday.

NAVY Romania’s naval forces are these
day staging a series of activities devoted to Romania’s Navy Day culminating on
August 15th when the Romanians are celebrating the Dormition of the
Mother of God, St. Mary, who is the protector of sailors. Events are underway
in the capital city and the port-cities on the Black Sea, Constanta and
Mangalia as well as on the Danube at Braila, Tulcea and Galati. These events
will reach the climax on august 15th in Constanta, where the sailors
will be presenting after a four-year recess the demonstrative exercise
‘Romanian Naval Forces 2023’. After the opening ceremony involving helicopters
and fast boats carrying the flags of Romania, NATO and the EU, the
school-frigate Mircea will be sailing in front of the participants. The
aforementioned vintage vessel has for decades been Romania’s honorary
ambassador on the world’s seas and oceans.

GRAIN Romania will be
taking additional measures aimed at doubling the Ukrainian grain transit
through its facilities. The Romanian authorities want to supplement the number
of pilots guiding the Ukrainian vessels carrying grain on the Danube to the
Black Sea. Upon a meeting held in Galati, eastern Romania, on Friday, an event
that brought together representatives of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the
United States and the European Commission, the Romanian transport minister
Sorin Grindeanu spoke about the possibility for Ukraine to use other ports on
the Danube besides Braila and Galati. According to him the number of pilots
guiding the aforementioned grain shipments is to increase to 60 until the end
of August. The United States has pledged financial assistance to the neighbours
of Ukraine helping them to buy pilot boats to support regional efforts in this
respect, the US embassy has announced. According to the same sources, the
United States remains committed to the partnership with the Ukraine’s government
and people – including by providing financial support and supplies by expanding
alternative transport routes and streamlining the border crossing points.

(bill)

12 August 2023
August 12, 2023

VACATION
Romanians are in a four-day mini-holiday as August 14th is a bank
holiday in Romania where St. Mary is being celebrated a day later on August 15th.
Various events have been staged on this occasion all over the country and tens
of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Nicula Monastery in Cluj,
north-western Romania. The Summer Well festival is underway until August the 13th
in Buftea close to Bucharest and the days of the Braila city are being
celebrated in this town in south-eastern Romania. Numerous tourists are being
expected in the mountains resorts in the Prahova Valley, southern Romania these
days, as well as on the Romanian Black Sea coast, which will be seeing its
busiest weekend. Hotel owners in the seaside resorts are expecting to provide
accommodation to over 100 thousand tourists. Over 8 thousand police troops and
6 thousand gendarmes have been deployed to ensure safety and order during this
mini-holiday.

NAVY Romania’s naval forces are these
day staging a series of activities devoted to Romania’s Navy Day culminating on
August 15th when the Romanians are celebrating the Dormition of the
Mother of God, St. Mary, who is the protector of sailors. Events are underway
in the capital city and the port-cities on the Black Sea, Constanta and
Mangalia as well as on the Danube at Braila, Tulcea and Galati. These events
will reach the climax on august 15th in Constanta, where the sailors
will be presenting after a four-year recess the demonstrative exercise
‘Romanian Naval Forces 2023’. After the opening ceremony involving helicopters
and fast boats carrying the flags of Romania, NATO and the EU, the school-frigate
Mircea will be sailing in front of the participants. The aforementioned vintage
vessel has for decades been Romania’s honorary ambassador on the world’s seas
and oceans.

GRAIN Romania will be
taking additional measures aimed at doubling the Ukrainian grain transit
through its facilities. The Romanian authorities want to supplement the number
of pilots guiding the Ukrainian vessels carrying grain on the Danube to the
Black Sea. Upon a meeting held in Galati, eastern Romania, on Friday, an event
that brought together representatives of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the
United States and the European Commission, the Romanian transport minister
Sorin Grindeanu spoke about the possibility for Ukraine to use other ports on
the Danube besides Braila and Galati. According to him the number of pilots
guiding the aforementioned grain shipments is to increase to 60 until the end
of August. The United States has pledged financial assistance to the neighbours
of Ukraine helping them to buy pilot boats to support regional efforts in this
respect, the US embassy has announced. According to the same sources, the
United States remains committed to the partnership with the Ukraine’s
government and people – including by providing financial support and supplies
by expanding alternative transport routes and streamlining the border crossing
points.

(bill)

12 August 2023
July 19, 2023 UPDATE

WEATHER Extreme temperatures are still forecast in most of Romania,
particularly in the south and east, where the temperature-humidity index will be above
the critical 80% ceiling. The highs are expected to range between 25 and 37
degrees Celsius. Most regions will also be facing atmospheric instability, with
heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and wind. Code yellow and code orange alerts are
in place in the west of the country, where strong wind, thunderstorms, hail and
heavy rainfalls are expected.

FIREFIGHTERS On Wednesday Romania sent another 40 firefighters and
several fire engines to Greece, where the authorities requested international
assistance under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The decision to send
additional intervention equipment and personnel was made by the Romanian
government. Romania has deployed a total of 13 fire engines and 80 fire
fighters, after the Greek authorities issued a code-red alert for extreme heat
across the country, with temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius expected to
contribute to the spreading of wildfires. The Romanian fire fighters are to
stay in Greece until August 1.

CLIMATE The UN says humanity must prepare for more intense heat
waves and recommends that citizens develop their own battle plan to
face these extreme day and night temperatures. In North America, Asia, North
Africa and the Mediterranean, temperatures will keep exceeding 40 degrees
Celsius in the coming days. According to experts, heat-trapping greenhouse gas
emissions are at the origin of climate change. Italy is subject to new alerts for
particularly hot weather, while several regions in Spain have been placed under
code red alerts due to the extreme danger induced by the heat wave.

GOVERNMENT The new minister for labour and
social solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, and the new minister for family,
youth and equal opportunities, Natalia Intotero, were sworn in on Wednesday in
a ceremony held at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. Oprescu replaces Marius
Budăi, and Intotero takes over from Gabriela Firea, who resigned following a
scandal concerning abuse in care homes for the elderly. The appointment decrees
were signed by president Klaus Iohannis earlier on Wednesday.

MEETING The PM of Romania Marcel Ciolacu had an informal meeting
with the PM of Hungary, Viktor Orban, during a private visit by Orban to Romania. According
to a news release issued by the government, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised that the
Romanian party is seeking to maintain an open, positive, and constructive
approach in the relations between the 2 countries. He welcomed Budapest’s
support for Romania’s Schengen accession efforts, and voiced hopes that Hungary
would remain an ally in this respect for Romania. The 2 officials also
exchanged views on the topic of the EU’s current priorities, ahead of Hungary taking
over the presidency of the EU Council in January 2024.

GRAIN Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and
Slovakia would like the ban on Ukrainian grain imports to be extended at least
until the end of the year, the agriculture ministers of the 5 countries announced
on Wednesday after a meeting in Warsaw. They signed a
joint statement on the need to extend the EU preventive measures concerning the
imports of wheat, maze, rape
and sunflower seeds from Ukraine. In the same statement, the signatories also
suggest that the list of products subject to the preventive measures remain
open. According to a news release issued by the Romanian agriculture ministry,
the participants sought a joint approach to the problems facing the farmers in
these countries, which will be presented in the forthcoming AgriFish Council
meeting. Romania was represented by the agriculture minister Ionut Barbu. Meanwhile, Reuters reports, an official letter from
the Ukrainian government says Ukraine is currently working on defining a
temporary maritime transport route via Romanian territorial waters, to continue
to export grain via Black Sea ports. On Tuesday Russia pulled out of the
agreement allowing safe passage to Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. (AMP)

19 July 2023
July 18, 2023 UPDATE

SUMMIT Romania’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the humanitarian and
food crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine was one of the topics
discussed by president Klaus Iohannis at the the EU – Latin America summit held
in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday. In his addresses during the meeting, the
Romanian official praised the organisation of this summit as a necessary
moment of reconnection of regional communities with largely converging
interests and approaches, the Romanian Presidency says. Klaus Iohannis stated
that Romania firmly supported dialogue and constructive cooperation with the
partners in the region, as well as regular top-level meetings between
representatives of the 2 blocs. President Iohannis also presented Bucharest’s views on the most
efficient measures to fight climate change. He pleaded for the concentration
of bilateral cooperation both on the more efficient combating of the risks
entailed by climate change, and on capitalising on the clean energy transition
as a new shared opportunity. The Romanian president also presented Romania’s
outlook on the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the
multidimensional support provided by Romania and the importance of joint action
in order to defend a rule-based international order. On the sidelines of the
summit, the Romanian official had a meeting with the head of the Community of
Latin-American and Caribbean States, Ralph Gonsalves, to discuss strengthening
the relations between Romania and the countries in that region.

ROMANIA – MEXICO Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu had talks
with her Mexican counterpart Alicia Barcena Ibarra on Monday on the sidelines
of the EU-CELAC summit. Talks focused on giving a new impetus to bilateral
relations, including by top level contact, identifying new areas of sectoral
cooperation, the presentation of Romania’s position on Russia’s military
aggression against Ukraine and an exchange of views on the future of EU-Mexico
relations. The areas in which Romania is seeking to improve cooperation with
Mexico include civil protection, cyber security and boosting economic ties with
emphasis on enhancing investments. The talks also highlighted the importance of
the Romanian community in Mexico and the support given by Romania in the
evacuation of Mexican nationals from Ukraine.

GRAIN NATO’s
deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană condemned, in a Facebook post, Russia’s
unilateral decision to pull out of the agreement that had guaranteed Ukraine’s
grain exports via the Black Sea for the past year. In spite of the efforts of
the UN and Turkey, the 4-party agreement signed by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and
the UN expired at midnight on Monday, after it was last extended for 2 months
in May. Russia declined a new extension of the deal signed on July 22 last year,
on grounds of the obstacles faced by the trade in Russian agricultural
products. The last shipment of agricultural products from Ukraine via the Black
Sea was inspected on Monday night in Istanbul, a few hours before the expiry of
the international agreement. The EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borell also
condemned Russia’s decision to withdraw from the agreement which, in spite of
the war, allowed the export of over 3 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain and
agricultural products.

MONEY LAUNDERING Moneyval calls on Romanian authorities to
strengthen its measures to counter money laundering and terrorism financing, reads
a report released on Tuesday by the Council of Europe’s monitoring body on
money laundering. Since 2014, when MONEYVAL last evaluated Romania, the country
has taken a number of actions to strengthen its legal and institutional
framework to tackle money laundering and the financing of terrorism. According
to Moneyval, Bucharest has achieved moderate levels of effectiveness in all
areas assessed except for international cooperation, where it has achieved a
substantial level of effectiveness and has been commended by other countries
for its constructive assistance. Romania has improved its ability to freeze,
seize and confiscate the proceeds and instrumentalities of domestic crime, the
report also says.

FOOTBALL The
Romanian Football Federation Tuesday announced submitting its candidacy for
organising the 2026 or 2027 Europa League final on the National Arena in
Bucharest. After having successfully organised the EURO 2020 and this year’s
Under-21 European Championship matches, the Federation seeks to continue
promoting Romania as a destination for major sports events, reads a news
release posted on the Federation’s official website. EURO 2020 brought us the
largest public investments in infrastructure, a solid heritage that influences
the development of Romanian football. Also, the Romanian Football Federation
has proved that it has developed its organisational capacity and it is a
competitive partner for UEFA in the European football circuit, and now we aim
to move to a new stage, one fostering further development for Romanian
football, the RFF president Răzvan Burleanu said. The National Arena has
already hosted a Europa League final in 2012, when Atletico Madrid defeated
Athletic Bilbao 3-0. For the next 2 years, the hosts of the Europa League final
are already known: Dublin (Irland), in 2024, and Bilbao (Spain), in 2025. (AMP)

18 July 2023
June 27, 2023 – UPDATE

RECOVERY The European Commission Tuesday endorsed a positive preliminary
assessment of the second payment request submitted by Romania under the
National Recovery and Resilience Facility, and found 49 out of the 51 targets
and milestones to be completed. Two
milestones, concerning investments in the energy sector, are deemed as not satisfactorily
fulfilled, and therefore the Commission activated a ‘payment suspension’
procedure. The EC acknowledged the first steps already taken by Romania to
fulfil these outstanding milestones, but emphasised that important work remains
to be done. Romania is to submit its observations within one month, and has an
additional 6 months to fulfil the outstanding milestones. If and when they have
been completed, the Commission will lift the payment suspension. In this
context, the EC chief Ursula von der Leyen stated that Romania has progressed
well in the implementation of its recovery and resilience plan, for instance
carrying out reforms on road safety, renewable energy and public sector cloud
services. PM Marcel Ciolacu says the
two delayed milestones will be recovered quickly, so that the country may
receive all the funds earmarked for them. The total amount in the second
payment request is EUR 2.8 billion, but Romania will receive EUR 53 million
less. The USR leader in opposition, Cătălin Drulă, says the money will only
arrive in September and the 3rd and 4th payments, also
scheduled for this year, stand no chances of being received

PROTEST About 700 employees with the police and penitentiary systems,
as well as court clerks protested in front of the Parliament building on
Tuesday, against the revision of the military and service pension system.
Protesters also asked for the elimination of all wage inequities, ceilings and
postponements imposed by the Government since 2010. According to protesters,
the increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 is unjustified and will turn
Romania into the country with the most unfavourable retirement terms in the
NATO bloc. On Monday, the Romanian MPs passed a bill on the reform of all
special pensions received by some professional categories in Romania. The
changes concern, among other things, the increase in the retirement age for
some beneficiaries and the taxation of amounts that exceed the net average
salary. On the same day, Parliament eliminated the special pensions of senators
and deputies.

BACCALAUREATE Romanian high school graduates Tuesday sat the
compulsory test in their respective majors as part of the Baccalaureate exam. The
last test of the exam for most students is scheduled for Wednesday, with only
ethnic minority students left to sit a mother tongue test on Thursday. During
the examinations all classrooms are subject to audio and video surveillance,
and access with electronic devices or any other materials may lead to expulsion.
The grades will be announced on 3 July, and they may be appealed on the same
day, with the final results to be announced on 7 July.

FARMERS Romania will receive EUR 30 million from the European
Commission in aid for farmers affected by the import of cheap grain from
Ukraine. The support package, the second approved by Brussels after the one in
March, is worth a total EUR 100 million and is granted to five border countries
– Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. Poland, with almost EUR 40
million and Romania with EUR 30 million are the biggest beneficiaries of this
aid. The deadline for payments to farmers is 30 September. After the Ukrainian
Black Sea ports were blocked following the Russian invasion, the Romanian port
of Constanţa has become the most important alternative shipping route. (AMP)

27 June 2023
The EU and the Ukrainian grain exports

Romania has decided to continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain but introduced additional control measures to protect its farmers such as the establishment of customs controls for all agrifood products coming from Ukraine, as well as the sealing and strict monitoring of grain trucks while they are transiting the Romanian territory. The measures have been announced after the talks on Wednesday attended by the Agriculture Ministers of the two countries. How was this situation possible? In order to support Ukraine after the war Russia commenced against this country last February, the EU has suspended customs duties and the other means of trade protection applied to imports of grain and other food products coming from that country.

However, the decision has caused turmoil on East-European markets and five countries – Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – have notified the European Commission against the backdrop of the protests mounted by their disgruntled farmers.

In a common letter, the five countries have proposed a series of measures aimed at significantly reducing the market imbalances caused by the massive imports of Ukrainian cereals. They have also applied for European support for the development of the transport infrastructures in their countries but also for additional vehicles needed by their market operators.

Through a well-developed transport network the products coming from Ukraine could reach faster their destination in other world regions while Brussels, in cooperation with the world food programme, must work out a solution so that the Ukrainian grain may not remain in the EU, the Prime Ministers of the five countries said in their letter to the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Later, Poland and Hungary were the first to take unilateral measures, banning the imports of cereals and other food products from Ukraine to protect the local farming sector. Slovakia and Bulgaria followed suit against the background of the plummeting prices in the region.

Furthermore, the harvest season, which is due in two months is going to take farmers aback and they are expected to face a series of issued related to storing capabilities, presently occupied by the Ukrainian grain. The European Commission has called on all the four countries to give up all the restrictive measures they have individually imposed and which Brussels has deemed as illegal and running against the accession treaty as well as the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU. In the meantime, president von der Leyen on Wednesday sent a letter to the Prime Ministers of Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary pledging 100 million Euros in support for the farmers in those countries affected by the fiscal and transit facilities granted to Ukraine. This new financial aid joins another of its kind, worth 56.3 million Euros, already in force.

(bill)

20 April 2023
Romanian – French agreement on Ukrainian cereals transit

France and Romania, Ukraine’s neighbor, concluded an agreement to facilitate Kyiv’s grain exports. The document was signed in Paris by the French Transport Minister, Clément Beaune, and the Romanian Secretary of State Ionel Scrioşteanu, with the Romanian Transport Ministry, in the presence of the Ukrainian ambassador to France. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Paris, France hopes that Ukraine will once again reach the level of exports it had before the Russian troops invasion of the country, launched on February 24, upon the order of President Vladimir Putin. At that time, Kyiv could deliver six million tons of grain to international markets every month.

According to the agreement, France will support Romania to increase the flow of Ukrainian grain through the ports of Constanta, on the Black Sea, Galati, on the Danube, and through the Sulina Canal of the Danube Delta. The Romanian authorities will work with the French authorities for better equipping the land border points between Romania and Ukraine and for increasing the number of freight wagons that cross the border. A medium-term strategy targets the transport corridors that connect the two countries, including those that cross the Republic of Moldova, an enclave between Romania and Ukraine.

Here is the French Transport Minister Clément Beaune: The agreement with Romania will allow Ukraine to send more grain to Europe and to developing countries, especially those in the Mediterranean area, which are facing food problems. According to Mr. Putin only 3% of re-exported Ukrainian grain reaches developing countries. However, the amount is much bigger, over a third, which allows some countries like Egypt and others to survive, because their people depend on Ukrainian grain. We are proud that, thanks to a European action, we have almost managed to reach the level of grain export that Ukraine had before the war on land routes. Through the agreement with Romania, France will strengthen its support for the export of cereals by sea, rail and land to the countries that need them.

Ukraine’s ambassador to France, Vadim Omelcenko, thanked for what he called the concrete, useful and efficient support received by his country, support that significantly intensified after the joint visit of presidents Emmanuel Macron and Klaus Iohannis to Kyiv in July. He recalled that after Russia invaded Ukraine, Ukrainian grain exports were almost completely stopped, because the Black Sea ports were closed off by the Russian military fleet. As Vladimir Putin is an unpredictable character, the Europeans now fear that the agreement agreed upon in July, in Istanbul, under the aegis of the UN and with the mediation of Turkey, under which the Russians allowed the transport of wheat and corn through Ukrainian ports, could be in danger. (LS)

13 September 2022
September 12, 2022 UPDATE

AGREEMENT Romania and France signed a
transport agreement in Paris on Monday pledging to support the shipment of Ukrainian
grain to the countries needing it. The Romanian authorities have announced they
will cooperate with their French counterparts to draw up a medium-term strategy
for the corridors making the connection between Romania and Ukraine, including
those through the ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova. The
agreement with Romania will allow Ukraine to ship more grain to Europe and the developing
countries, particularly in the Mediterranean, which are facing food shortages,
the French Transport Minister Clement Beaune said. According to the French
official, more than a third of the exported grain goes to developing countries.

INFLATION Romania’s annual inflation rate went up to 15.32% in August
from 14.96% in July. According to data published by the National Statistics
Institute on Monday, foodstuffs prices went up by 18.22%, while those for
non-food products also went up by 15.98%. Prices for services increased by
8.26%. The Central Bank has increased its inflation forecast for 2022 to 13.9%,
estimating an inflation rate of 7.5% for 2023. The Central Bank expects the
deflation trend to temporarily stop in the second quarter of 2023, once the
current state-aid schemes targeting the energy sector end. The Central Bank
expects an inflation rate of 2.3% for June 2024.

QUEEN King Charles III on Monday said that
Parliament is the living and breathing instrument of our democracy. In his
first speech before the two houses of the Legislature at Westminster Hall, King
Charles said Queen Elizabeth II ‘set an example of selfless duty’ pledging to
follow her example of commitment to a constitutional government. The coffin of
Her Majesty, Elisabeth II, was taken from the Palace of Holyroodhouse in
Edinburgh to St. Giles Cathedral with a procession attended by Charles and
royal family members. The coffin will be flown to London on Tuesday and taken
to Buckingham Palace before being moved to the Palace of Westminster the next
day, where the queen will lie in state until her funeral on September 19.

ENERGY The European Commission is this week
expected to present the set of proposals agreed upon in Friday’s meeting of EU
Energy Ministers, designed to combat the energy crisis. The package might
include a cap on energy prices and taxing the excess profits of fossil fuel
companies and redistributing the revenues to state-aid schemes. Romania’s
Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, says Romania supports a balanced approach
towards all Member States. Capping natural gas prices at community level would
significantly curb volatility on the EU energy market, the Romanian official
said.

(bill)

12 September 2022
Romania has enough cereals to cover its domestic demand

With 300 thousand hectares affected by drought out of its 7 million cultivated with cereals, authorities in Romania are carefully assessing the situation to be able to cope even with the worst-case scenarios. Last year Romania reported record high harvests of 11.3 million tons of wheat but bad weather conditions this year have wreaked havoc on the crops and so have the higher production costs.

This years harvest is lower by 15-18% than in 2021, Romanias Agriculture Minister Petre Daea has admitted.

Petre Daea: “Parts of the entire quantity of cereals harvested will be stored in depots and storehouses, other parts will be delivered to processing plants so that they may turn the grain into flour, others will be dispatched to bakeries and processing plants to meet the domestic demand and of course well see what quantities we can export.”

According to Minister Daea there is enough wheat to cover Romanias domestic needs estimated somewhere around 2.5 – 3 million tons and there is also a surplus, which can be exported. Although the quantity is lower than last year, the grain quality is superior; Minister Daea went on to say.

According to the latest data released, the extremely hot temperatures of late and the prolonged drought have affected crops in three quarters of Romanias counties. The most affected proved to be the corn and sunflower crops where harvest works started earlier that last year. “We are first harvesting the crops affected because they have reached maturity and in this way we can minimize losses. And sunflower harvests will be reaching processing plants shortly” Minister Daea also said

In order to support the farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture has allowed them to turn the affected crops into fodder. Furthermore, the Ministry has also issued a Guide of Good Farming Practices in order to enable farmers to cope with the latest climate changes and severe drought. “Climate change is real, it is no longer fiction, and for this reason we must use all the means we have so that the production level and its proper valorization may positively impact Romanias economy” says Minister Daea. Romania is one of the EUs biggest grain exporters and also an active exporter to the Middle East; the main importer here being Egypt. Romanias grain is exported through the countrys main sea port at Constanta, presently also used by another great grain producer, Ukraine, after the blockade imposed by Russia.

11 August 2022