Radio România Internațional

Tag: grains

  • September 19, 2023

    September 19, 2023

    UN The president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis takes part in the UN General Assembly in New York, and is
    to attend the summit on Sustainable Development Goals. In his address, Mr.
    Iohannis will reiterate Romania’s firm support for efficient multilateralism,
    compliance with international law and a rule-based international
    order. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the General Assembly
    session is affected by global divisions, deepened by recurrent crises and in
    particular by Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr
    Zelenskyy will attend the meeting for the first time since the war in his
    country started, and is to address today leaders from around the world present
    in New York. The US president Joe Biden will also give his traditional speech
    before the Assembly and will plead for stronger action to fight global warming,
    and for continuing support to Ukraine for as long as necessary.


    TAXES The
    Romanian finance ministry has released for public review a draft law on new tax
    and budget related measures, after nearly 2 months of negotiations between the
    2 members of the ruling coalition, the Social Democrats and the National
    Liberals. Under the bill, micro-enterprises will have to pay a 1% tax on
    revenues under EUR 60,000, and 3% if their turnover is above this threshold. The
    same tax will be levied on software development companies, judicial activities
    or healthcare assistance firms. The employees in constructions and in the food
    industry will have to pay healthcare insurance contributions, while IT staff
    will pay a tax on revenues for all amounts over EUR 2,000. A minimum tax on
    revenues is also introduced for large companies, while banks will have to pay
    an additional 1% tax. The government will take responsibility for this set of
    measures by the end of this month, so that the bill may take effect on October
    1. According to the authorities, the new provisions will help narrow the budget
    deficit and avoid losing billions of Euros in EU funding.


    CANNABIS The Senate of Romania Tuesday
    voted against a bill to decriminalise possession of up to 3 grams of cannabis
    for personal use, and to replace criminal penalties with fines ranging from EUR
    200 to 600. The bill was tabled by a group of non-affiliated MPs, and is next
    to be voted on in the Chamber of Deputies.


    GRAINS Bulgarian
    farmers carry on protests against resuming the imports of Ukrainian grains,
    accepted by the Bulgarian government after the European Commission decided not
    to extend the ban on such imports. In turn, Bucharest continues to allow the
    transit of Ukrainian grains, but has introduced one-month import restrictions
    until Kyiv comes up with a plan for its exports. The measure persuaded Romanian
    farmers to give up their protests. Poland, Slovakia and Hungary unilaterally
    banned imports of Ukrainian grain, prompting Kyiv to complain against them at
    the World Trade Organisation. We have more on this after the news.


    AID
    Romania has sent a second installment of aid to flood-devastated Libya. Two C-130
    airctaft of the Romanian Air Forces have 6 trips planned to deliver 55 tonnes of
    food products and other emergency aid. Libya will also receive over EUR 5 mln
    for shelters, food, water, and medicines. The death toll so far is over 11,000,
    while another 10,000 people are still missing.


    FESTIVAL
    The George Enescu International Music Festival in Bucharest has reached its
    final week. Until Sunday, the public are invited to attend free of charge
    classical music concerts held in the Festival Square near the Romanian
    Athenaeum, where celebrated orchestras from Romania and the Republic of Moldova
    will accompany famous soloists and instrumentalists. The Radio Romania Big Band
    conducted by Simona Strungaru, will give a concert on Friday. On Sunday, the last
    performance in the Festival will be given by the Camerata Regală orchestra with
    the percussionist Zoli Toth. (AMP)

  • September 17, 2023

    September 17, 2023

    FARMERS An alliance of Romanian farmers, unhappy
    with the European Commission’s decision not to extend the ban on grain imports
    from Ukraine, asks the Romanian government to suspend imports of several
    Ukrainian agrifood products. The government, which has already promised
    subsidies for the Diesel fuel used in farming works, announced that before
    taking further measures it was waiting for Kyiv to make public on Monday a plan
    regarding efficient export control to prevent the disruption of the Romanian
    grain market. Depending on that plan, Bucharest will take adequate steps to
    support Romanian farmers. The EC decided
    not to extend its ban on Ukrainian grain imports, in exchange for certain
    commitments from Kyiv. Poland, Slovakia and
    Hungary have introduced unilateral restrictions, while Bulgaria announced it
    did not want the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports extended.


    PENSIONS A new
    version of the special pension law, comprising the amendments requested by the
    Constitutional Court, will be endorsed by the end of September, said the
    interim Chamber of Deputies speaker, Alfred Simonis. He added the law covers
    all categories of special pensions, but because the special benefits paid to
    magistrates and other categories cannot be scrapped, as it happened in the case
    of MPs, taxation will be introduced, which the Court has accepted. Also,
    Simonis said, ceilings must be introduced for each particular profession, so as
    to eliminate special pensions of EUR 8,000 or even EUR 14,000 a month. The
    Constitutional Court last month sent back to Parliament the new draft pension
    law, on grounds that pension benefits currently being paid cannot be readjusted
    to different principles than the ones in the law under which they have been
    granted.


    SCHENGEN Austria’s opposition to Romania’s Schengen
    accession is not targeted against Bucharest, but against this freedom of
    movement system, said the Austrian minister for the EU, Karoline Edtstadler. The
    statement comes after Bucharest warned it would sue Vienna over its veto to
    Romania’s accession. Karoline Edtstadler told the media she understood the
    position of Romanian authorities, but added Austria cannot close its eyes to an
    already flawed system. She explained the EU should ensure efficient protection of its external
    borders before envisioning a Europe without internal
    borders. In
    an interview to Austrian mass media, Romania’s PM
    Marcel Ciolacu said that in case of further opposition from Austria, Romania
    will have to take the matter to court and demand compensation for the losses
    incurred because of its failure to join the Schengen area.


    NATO NATO’s secretary general
    Jens Stoltenberg has warned that we must not expect a swift end to the war in
    Ukraine, in an interview published on Sunday, as Kyiv carries on its
    counteroffensive against Russian forces, AFP reports. The war began in February 2022, when
    Russian troops invaded Ukraine. As for Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO, Jens Stoltenberg promised
    that sooner or later, Ukraine will be a NATO member. In July’s NATO summit in
    Vilnius, Alliance leaders agreed that Kyiv may join NATO once
    certain conditions are fulfilled, with the US and Germany emphasising that
    these conditions include reforms to protect democracy and the rule of law. In
    mid-June the Ukrainian army launched a counteroffensive to push out the Russian
    troops from the south and east of the country, but so far only a limited number
    of localities have been freed.


    RUGBY Romania’s national rugby team play their second
    World Cup match in Bordeaux (France) today, against defending champions, South
    Africa. A week ago Romania lost to Ireland 82-8 (33-8). Romania’s
    rugby team is next to play against Scotland on September 30 and against Tonga on
    October 8, in Lille. The 2023 Rugby World Cup
    ends on October 28. The competition has been held every 4 years since 1987, when
    the first edition of the World Cup was hosted by Australia and New Zealand. (AMP)

  • August 19, 2023

    August 19, 2023

    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. Two accords were also signed during the meeting, one regarding the mutual recognition of documents of study and another one for the opening of a new border checkpoint between the two states, in Sighetul Marmaţiei, in the county of Maramures.



    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 be 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.



    MUSIC — Găesti, the hometown of the famous Romanian musician Gheorghe Zamfir hosts the 5th edition of the “Gheorghe Zamfir” International Music Festival under way until Sunday evening. Symphonic pop and classical music have been scheduled for today, as well as concerts by musicians Aydin Yavas (Turkey) and Jean-Luc Faraux (France). On Sunday, a folk music concert will be held, with the participation of the “Lautarii” Orchestra, from Chisinau, conducted by Nicolae Botgros. Maestro Gheorghe Zamfir will take the stage of the festival on both days. An internationally renowned musician, composer, conductor, poet and painter, Gheorghe Zamfir is a symbol of Romania.



    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.



    SCHENGEN — Austria continues to oppose the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. The subject was on the agenda of Fridays meeting, in Salzburg, between Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer and German chancellor, Olaf Scholz. While Vienna rejects the bid of the two countries motivating its stand with the increasing flow of migrants, the German chancellor reiterated that Berlin supports “the continued development of the EU, and this includes the fact that EU member countries can join the Schengen Area”. The Austrian chancellor also said that the Schengen system has structural deficiencies and recalled that last year more than 75% of those over 120 thousand asylum seekers in his country had not been registered.



    UKRAINE — The Kyiv authorities have hailed the US decision to allow the delivery of F-16 aircraft to the Ukrainian army. The US-made aircraft will be delivered by Denmark and the Netherlands, once Ukrainian pilots are ready to fly them. “What we did this week is formalized, through a letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to his counterparts in Europe, that upon the completion of that training, the United States would be prepared, in consultation with Congress, to approve third-party transfer of F-16 aircraft to Ukraine,’’ Jake Sulliven said. (EE)


  • August 11, 2023

    August 11, 2023

    Inflation.
    Romania’s annual inflation rate dropped to 9.4% in July from 10.3% in June,
    while the price of food products went up by over 16%, that of non-food products
    by 4.25% and services by almost 12%, according to data published today by the
    National Institute of Statistics. The National Bank of Romania revised its
    inflation forecast for the end of year up to 7.5% from 7.1% and to 4.4% for the
    end of 2024, the bank’s governor Mugur Isărescu said on Wednesday. The
    projection is based on the legislation in force and does not take into account
    the impact of the fiscal consolidation measures recently proposed by the
    authorities.






    Grain
    exports.     Representatives of the United States, the European Union, Ukraine, the
    Republic of Moldova and Romania are today having talks in Galaţi, in
    south-eastern Romania, about alternative routes for the transport of Ukrainian
    grain, said the US embassy in Bucharest. In a crucial meeting,
    which will take place in Galati, Romania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the European Commission and
    the United States will join forces, following Russia’s harsh exit from the
    Black Sea Grain Initiative, said the US Embassy, denouncing Russia for turning
    food into a weapon and endangering global food security. The
    United States stands firmly by Ukraine, promising continued support and
    assistance to help Ukraine overcome challenges and promote prosperity in the
    region, the US Embassy added.








    Navy. The Romanian Naval
    Forces are carrying out activities dedicated to the Romanian Navy Day in the run-up
    to 15th August, the Christian holiday of the Assumption, the Virgin
    Mary being considered the patron of sailors. Various events are scheduled in
    the capital city, in the Romanian Black Sea ports of Constanţa and Mangalia and
    the Danube ports of Brăila, Tulcea and Galaţi. On 15th August, Constanţa
    will play host to a demonstration exercise entitled The Romanian Naval Forces
    2023 on the maritime stage in from the Fleet Command. The opening ceremony
    involving helicopters and speed boats flying the flags of Romania and NATO, will
    be followed by a parade by Romania’s flagship vessel, Mircea.




    Football.
    Romania’s football champions Farul Constanța defeated Flora Tallinn of Estonia
    3-nil on Thursday evening at home in the first leg of the third preliminary
    round of the UEFA Conference
    League. In the same leg, the vice-champions FCSB drew nil-all against FC
    Nordsjaelland of Denmark in a match in Bucharest, while the winner of the
    Romanian Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu
    Gheorghe, drew 1-all at home against FC Aktobe of Kazakhstan. The
    decisive matches will be held next week.






    Rugby.
    The Romanian national rugby side will be playing Georgia on Saturday in a test
    match in Tbilisi. Last week, Romania lost 31-17 to the United States in
    Bucharest. In their final test match ahead of the Rugby World Cup hosted by
    France, Romania will face Italy on 19th August in an away match. At
    the World Cup, Romania are in Group B and will play Ireland in their opening
    match on 9th September in Bordeaux, followed by world champions
    South Africa on 17th September, again in Bordeaux, then Scotland on
    30th September in Lille and Tonga on 8th October in
    Lille. (CM)

  • August 4, 2023 UPDATE

    August 4, 2023 UPDATE

    DIPLOMACY The Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu has
    officially confirmed that a tour of Africa is being prepared for Romania’s
    President Klaus Iohannis. Romania aims to bring ties with Sub-Saharan
    Africa to a higher level, adapted to the new Romanian and African realities and
    the new strategic interest of each partner. This revival will be done by
    pursuing common values ​​and interests, mainly in political and economic terms,
    said the Romanian official.


    DANUBE Naval traffic is very intense at the exit from the Danube to
    the Black Sea, after Russia attacked the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail. Romania’s River Administration of the Lower Danube in Galati
    decided to only allow vessels to go out to sea and only then to sail in the
    opposite direction. Since Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement that allowed
    the safe export of Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea, the Danube has been used
    as an export route for agricultural products from Ukraine.


    NATURAL GAS PM Marcel Ciolacu says the Black Sea natural gas
    extraction project Neptun Deep is a strategic one, which will turn Romania into
    the largest natural gas producer in the European Union. The Domino and Pelican
    Sud development plans were confirmed by the National Agency for Mineral
    Resources, a post on the Government’s Facebook account reads. According to the
    government, OMV Petrom and Romgaz will invest up to EUR 4 bln at this stage of
    the project, which will generate an output of around 100 billion cubic metres
    of natural gas, beginning in 2027.


    HOSPITALS Electrical systems in around 300 hospitals in Romania have
    been checked, and the estimated budget for revamping them is over EUR 140 mln,
    the healthcare minister Alexandru Rafila announced. He said the money would
    come from EU funds under regional programmes, and that the electrical and fire
    safety systems in 21 hospitals have been completely reconstructed. Rafila also
    announced a programme called Good and safe meals for patients, for the revamping
    of kitchen and catering units in more than 250 public healthcare institutions,
    with a budget of roughly EUR 450 mln.


    FIREFIGHTERS PM Marcel Ciolacu congratulated the Romanian rescuers
    who Friday completed their mission in Greece, for their altruism, courage and
    efforts, and wished good luck to the Romanian fire-fighters that will replace
    them in helping the Greek authorities and population struggling with extensive
    wildfires. Romania and Europe stand by the Greek nation in need of support,
    and we hope that together we will bring things to normal as soon as possible,
    Marcel Ciolacu said. On Friday Romania deployed a new wildfire specialist unit
    to Greece. Ninety Romanian fire-fighters replaced their colleagues who took
    part in a similar mission in the past 2 weeks, under the EU Civil Protection
    Mechanism.


    BORDERS The Border Police Inspectorate announced that measures to reduce
    traffic congestion at checkpoints on the Romanian-Hungarian and
    Romanian-Bulgarian borders continue this weekend. The institution announced
    that personnel will be increased to the maximum capacity allowed by the
    existing infrastructure, and mobile check units will be used. Around 3,800 border
    police will be working every day at checkpoints around the country. The border
    police also recommend the use of the Trafic On-line app on www.politiadefrontiera.ro,
    to check out live estimates on waiting times. (AMP)

  • Ukrainian grains transit Romania

    Ukrainian grains transit Romania

    Bucharest may decide unilaterally to
    create dedicated lanes for the transport of Romanian grains to the port of
    Constanţa, the European Commission said after Romanian farmers submitted a
    request in this respect.


    The Romanian and Ukrainian cereal
    export has become even more complicated after Moscow decided to pull out from
    the UN deal regarding the export of grains via the Black Sea, which expired on
    July 17, and to strike the grain terminals in the Ukrainian port of Odessa.


    The Romanian diplomacy chief Luminiţa
    Odobescu Thursday took part in a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels,
    focusing among others on this decision made by Russia. Odobescu pointed out
    that by bombing the Odessa port and threatening the vessels in the Black Sea,
    Russia seeks to generate a European food crisis and that, under these
    circumstances, the European bloc acknowledges the importance of Romania in the
    region.


    Luminiţa Odobescu: I’d like to emphasise that Romania’s
    efforts have been appreciated and our country’s enhanced role in facilitating
    these exports has been acknowledged. So we are supported not only by the
    Commission, but also by many member states which are willing to get further
    involved in consolidating the port and railway infrastructure on Romanian
    territory, to avoid bottlenecks in the transit of grains from Ukraine to the
    beneficiary countries.


    Turkey may play a particularly
    important part in this respect, Luminiţa Odobescu also said, especially since
    the deal on grain exports via the Black Sea was signed in Istanbul. She
    mentioned that the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is carrying on
    the dialogue within the UN and with various partners, in order to persuade
    Russia to extend the agreement.


    These developments are of major
    importance to Bucharest, given that of the 5 countries securing the transit of
    Ukrainian grains to Asia and Africa, Romania sees the largest transit figures. Moreover,
    this year Romanian farmers expect a 20-25% better harvest than last year, so
    the Romanian products, added to the transiting Ukrainian amounts, could choke
    the transport infrastructure. There are fears that the port of Constanţa will
    not be able to handle the situation, in operational terms, the grain market
    analyst Cezar Gheorghe told Radio Romania:


    Cezar Gheorghe: We might see the road, railway and barge
    flows doubling. Moreover, Constanţa will be subject to extreme operational
    pressure, and I honestly tell you there is no chance it could handle it, simply
    because in operational terms, Constanţa is able to manage only 25-26 million
    tons of grains and oilseeds per year.


    Cezar Gheorghe believes that in this
    context, Romania should apply as soon as possible for additional EU funding for
    investments in the transport infrastructure. (AMP)

  • Customs duty waiver for Ukraine

    Customs duty waiver for Ukraine


    In order to support Ukraines economy, severely hit by the Russian invasion, the EU trade ministers Thursday approved the Commissions proposal to extend by another year the trade facilities granted for Ukraines exports. All import duties are therefore lifted until June next year.



    By renewing the measure, the EU continues to prove its unwavering political and economic support for Ukraine, Brussels explained, and added that this form of support, concurrently with the military, financial and humanitarian aid, is vital for the countrys long-term recovery. The EC said the further lifting of safeguard measures will help mitigate the difficult situation facing the Ukrainian producers and exporters following the Russian invasion.



    The measures apply to fruits and vegetables subjected to the entry price system, as well as agricultural products and processed products subject to tariff quotas. And because certain effects of this decision have a dramatic impact on several economic sectors in Member States, the package also includes measures to protect these sectors.



    The EU leaders call for solidarity from the European society, and argue that while EU countries are paying to help war-hit Kyiv in money, Ukrainians are paying for this conflict caused by Moscow both financially, and in human lives.



    The suspension of import duties triggered complaints from farmer associations in 5 EU member states, including Romania, on grounds of the unfair competition with the exports of grains from these countries, which are subject to duties and restrictions. The discontent culminated with the decision made by Poland and Hungary last month to ban certain grain imports from Ukraine.



    Moreover, early this week, several hundred farmers from EU countries neighbouring Ukraine, Romania included, protested in Brussels, demanding measures to avoid the bankruptcy of thousands of European farmers. Romanian farmers, for instance, argued that traders and producers in the agrifood sector prefer the grains imported from Ukraine to the ones produced locally, due to the lower prices. In this context, the European Commission approved an additional EUR 100 mln in aid for the farmers in the 5 most affected countries-Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia.Romania is set to receive nearly EUR 30 mln of the total amount. (AMP)


  • May 3, 2023

    May 3, 2023

    BANK The foreign currency reserves of the
    National Bank of Romania were in excess of EUR 53 bln at the end of April, up 0.21%
    compared to the previous month. The gold reserves stay at 103.6 tonnes. High
    forex reserves ensure investor confidence, analysts explain, adding that this
    was mostly due to EU fund receipts.


    UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in Romania dropped slightly, from
    5.5% in February to 5.4% in March, but unemployment among youth remains high,
    at 22.2%, the National Statistics Institute reports. The number of people
    between the ages of 15 and 74 receiving unemployment benefits in March was over
    453,000, a decrease compared both to the previous month of this year and to the
    corresponding period in 2022. Among men, the rate was 5.8%, whereas the
    proportion of unemployed women was 5%. For adults aged 25 to 74, the
    unemployment rate stood at 4.4%.


    CORONATION Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of
    Romania, and the Prince Consort, will take part on Saturday in the coronation
    of King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
    the Royal House of Romania announced today in a Facebook post. In the 157 years of existence of the Royal House of
    Romania, the connection with the British royal family has been steady, based on
    admiration, respect and affection, both in its official dimension, representing
    the two nations, and in its private, family aspect, reads the post. The Royal
    House adds that this reliable relationship has spanned the 19th, 20th
    and 21st centuries and five generations.


    PRESS The World Press Freedom
    Day celebrated on the 3rd of May occasioned the opening of a special
    exhibition at the National Romanian Literature Museum in Bucharest. The event
    was organized jointly with the Romanian Union of Professional Journalists. The
    exhibition, which opens a series of events devoted to journalists in all fields,
    is intended as a starting point for a future Museum of Romanian Press. The World
    Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993, and is
    designed to highlight the importance of and the need for freedom of expression.


    EDUCATION A draft law regulating higher education in Romania was
    approved by the specialist committee in the Chamber of Deputies, with a number
    of amendments. Among other things, grants and training programmes will be
    offered every year to Romanians from abroad who wish to study in Romania. Welfare
    grants may be received concurrently with other types of grants, should student
    meet relevant criteria. As for salaries, higher education institutions may
    increase salaries within their approved budgets. Fines have also been
    introduced, ranging from EUR 20,000 to 40,000, for those who sell BA, MA or
    doctoral theses online, in violation of intellectual property rights. The new
    laws on the undergraduate and higher education sectors will most likely be
    subject to voting in the Chamber of Deputies next week. The Senate is then to take
    its final vote.


    GRAINS The European Commission
    announced exceptional and temporary preventive measures on imports of
    a limited number of products from Ukraine. They concern only 4 products-wheat, maize,
    rapeseed and sunflower seed-and are designed to alleviate logistical
    bottlenecks concerning these products in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and
    Slovakia. Meanwhile, Romania will receive an additional EUR 30 bln
    to support farmers affected by the cheap grains imports from Ukraine. (AMP)

  • April 19, 2023

    April 19, 2023

    VISIT The president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis is carrying on his visit to Brazil today. He travels to Rio
    de Janeiro, where he has meetings scheduled with the deputy governor and the deputy
    mayor of the city, and will pay tribute to the World War II heroes. On Monday, Mr.
    Iohannis met with his counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two officials
    signed a joint statement on the development of bilateral relations. Klaus
    Iohannis assured his counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of Romania’s
    support for advancing the EU – Brazil agenda through projects designed to
    benefit citizens. This is the first stage of the Romanian president’s
    south-American tour, which also includes Chile and Argentina. The goal is to rekindle
    the top-level dialogue with these countries and to present Romania’s position,
    as an EU and NATO member, with respect to the war launched by Russia in
    neighbouring Ukraine.


    AGRICULTURE A
    simple motion tabled by the opposition against the agriculture minister Petre
    Daea has been dismissed in the Chamber of Deputies today. The motion was
    discussed in parliament on Tuesday. The initiators argued that
    Daea
    was directly responsible for the steep rise in the prices of basic foodstuffs, for
    the poor handling of the swine fever and avian influenza crises, and also for
    the failure to secure EU funding for the Romanian farmers affected by the grain
    imports from Ukraine. The agriculture minister said none of the allegations
    were based on actual figures. On the other hand, he is set to discuss with his
    Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solskyi today, about the situation created by the duty-free
    Ukrainian grain imports to the EU. Last week, Poland and Hungary, followed by
    Slovakia, announced a temporary ban on these imports. Poland also suspended
    grain transit on its territory, but following talks between the two parties an
    agreement was reached on Tuesday to resume transit, provided that the grains
    are not sold in that country. Hungary also announced that Ukrainian grain
    shipments would be sealed and monitored while on Hungarian territory. In
    Bucharest, the Social Democratic Party intends to persuade the ruling coalition
    to temporarily suspend these imports, in order to protect Romanian farmers, in
    the absence of sufficient compensation from the European Commission. Brussels
    on the other hand finds the measure unacceptable and has called for coordinated
    decisions, while promising a new aid package for the affected farmers.


    ART Since the
    start of the Timisoara – 2023 European Capital of Culture programme this
    February, over 12,000 Romanian and foreign art lovers have visited the National
    Art Museum in Timişoara, western Romania, to see the first retrospective
    exhibition devoted to Victor Brauner. Probably no other exhibition in the
    history of the museum has attracted so many visitors as ‘Victor Brauner: Inventions
    and magic did in only two months, the museum director Filip Petcu said on
    Monday. Some 100 works, including paintings, drawings, sketches, etchings and
    documents by the Romanian surrealist artist are on display in Timişoara. Of
    these, 40 are on loan from the Pompidou Centre in Paris, while others have been
    made available by Saint-Etienne Metropole, Musee Cantini Marseilles and other
    museums or private collections in Romania and abroad.


    FINANCE One of
    the indicators taken into account by Fitch Agency when improving Bucharest’s
    long-term issuer default rating was the adjustment of expenditure to revenues, the
    mayor Nicuşor Dan announced on Wednesday. In a Facebook post, he says that the
    municipality’s efforts to achieve financial stability are beginning to yield
    fruit, given that Fitch has improved Bucharest’s standalone credit profile from
    ‘BBB+’ to ‘A’, a class higher than the national rating, which means a good
    capacity to meet financial obligations. On April 15, Fitch Ratings reconfirmed
    Bucharest’s ‘BBB-‘ ratings for long-term foreign and local currency debt and
    upgraded the outlook from negative to stable. Last month Fitch had also
    reconfirmed Romania’s BBB-/F3 rating for long and short-term foreign currency
    debt and upgraded the outlook from negative to stable. With a population of approx.
    2.16 million, Bucharest accounts for over 30% of
    Romania’s economy, and its local wealth level is more than four times the
    national average.



    USA
    Fox News, the TV channel of choice of US Conservatives, has agreed to pay USD
    787.5 million to the voting technology company Dominion, after a last-minute
    settlement to avoid a lawsuit concerning its coverage of the 2020 presidential
    elections, France Presse reports. Dominion had originally claimed USD 1.6 bln.
    The settlement saves the pearl of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire from what the New
    York Times described as the defamation trial of the century. The lawsuit was generally
    viewed in the US as a test for the limits of the freedom of expression
    guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and of the fight
    against misinformation. (AMP)

  • April 7, 2023 UPDATE

    April 7, 2023 UPDATE

    PROTESTS Farmers from 18 Romanian counties took to the streets on Friday,
    dissatisfied with the compensation proposed by the European Commission for the
    damage caused by the tax-free import of cheap cereals from Ukraine. Farmers
    demand that the European Union abandon the special regime applied to imports
    from Ukraine, which – in their opinion – seriously disrupts the Romanian
    market. Romania’s agriculture minister Petre Daea has pledged compensations for
    the affected farmers as soon as possible. The Romanian official also met some
    of the farmers who protested in Bucharest. Poland has temporarily ceased its
    imports of Ukrainian grains in order to offset their impact upon the local prices
    but the transit will continue. The announcement was made on Friday by the new
    Polish Agriculture Minister, Robert Telus, who took over after his predecessor had
    stepped down amid the farmers’ protests sparked off by the plummeting prices in
    cereals. Farmers have also staged protests in Romania’s neighbour country, Bulgaria.








    BUDGET The Romanian government is looking for solutions to cover a hole
    in the budget of 20 billion lei, so that the deficit does not exceed the target
    of 4.4% of the GDP. The leaders of the ruling coalition claim that there are
    unjustified expenses in many ministries and state institutions, and the
    Ministry of Finance must reduce the waste of public funds. Liberal Prime Minister
    Nicolae Ciucă has stressed that salaries or other types of income will not be
    cut, but he asked the Minister of Finance, Adrian Câciu, to propose concrete
    measures to reduce expenses in the next nine months. The Social Democrat leader
    Marcel Ciolacu also spoke about a reform in spending public money, in parallel
    with measures to reduce tax evasion. In his opinion, the system of increments
    should be eliminated, and the bonuses already earned introduced into the
    salary. Adrian Câciu said that the adjustment of budget expenses will not
    affect the social and economic packages developed by the coalition, nor the
    investments. National Bank specialists consider, on the other hand, that
    against the background of the high values ​​of the current account deficit and
    the budget deficit, the money from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan
    represents an extraordinary opportunity for the economy.








    HEALTH Romania’s Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, says that the
    medical system in this country needs sufficient, well-trained staff who can
    respond professionally and empathetically to the needs of patients. At the same
    time, in his message on the occasion of the World Health Day, on April 7, the
    minister said that investments are needed in health – in hospitals, in
    specialist clinics or in family doctors’ offices. This year, the motto of the
    World Health Day is Health for all! In another move, the Minister
    of Health said the number of respiratory illnesses and SARS-COV-2 infections
    has started to decrease, and Romania has sufficient stocks of medicines for the
    necessary treatments. According to Alexandru Rafila, there were 6,900 cases of
    COVID last week, the positivity rate being 10% lower than the previous week.
    However, the number of deaths is still quite high, 59.




    (bill&MI)

  • August 3, 2022

    August 3, 2022


    AID In Romania, the people affected by recent natural disasters will receive state aid, after the government approves a draft resolution in this respect today. The largest sums, around EUR 2,000, will go to the families and individuals whose households have been affected to an extent of over 75%. In the case of fatalities, the families of the deceased will receive an additional EUR 1,500, irrespective of the number of victims. Meanwhile, the Romanian Waters Administration says the strategic water reserve in the countrys main 40 lakes, although decreasing since early July, is able to cover the needs of all relevant beneficiaries. According to current data, nearly 800 localities have introduced water supply restrictions, and the drought continues, especially in the east. As regards crops, a total of 205,000 hectares of farmland have been affected so far.



    AGRICULTURE Romanias grain yield is enough to cover the domestic demand and some exports, the agriculture minister Petre Daea said today, as 96% of the crops have already been harvested. High temperatures and extensive drought have affected crops, particularly sunflower and maize, across the country. Romania is one of the largest grain exporters in the EU and an active exporter to the Middle East. Last year the country had record-large crops, including 11.3 million tonnes of wheat. The domestic grain yield is generally 2-3 times higher than the domestic demand.



    COVID-19 The next variants of the new coronavirus will most likely be not very aggressive, but easily transmitted, the head of the Matei Bals Institute for Infectious Disease, Adrian Marinescu believes. He says the pandemic has reached a stage where we cohabitate with the virus, and many of the infected people perceive the disease as similar to a common cold. The health minister Alexandru Rafila does not rule out a 7th pandemic wave in Romania this autumn, when schools and universities resume classes. On Wednesday over 9,100 new COVID-19 cases were reported, most of them in Bucharest and in Cluj and Timiş counties. Nearly 4,000 COVID patients are hospitalized, of whom nearly 550 are children. 284 patients are in intensive care, and 41 COVID-related deaths have also been reported.



    TAIPEI The EU called for the tensions related to the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan to be settled through dialogue and for all communication channels with China to remain open, so as to avoid errors. China has its army on high alert in response to the visit, which it sees as a provocation. Chinas defence ministry announced “targeted military operations”, and the East Command of the Peoples Liberation Army said they involved live-fire drills near Taiwan-a self-ruled island that China views as part of its territory. In Washington, the Biden administration says there is no need for the Chinese authorities to turn this visit into a crisis. The White House spokesman for national security, John Kirby, said the House Speaker has the right to visit Taiwan, but highlighted that the trip was not a violation of Chinese sovereignty or of the One China Policy. The visit, which was not supported by US president Biden, is the first by a US official at this level in 25 years.



    REVOLUTION The prosecutor general of Romania, Gabriela Scutea, today announced the “Revolution Case” was referred back to the supreme court. In this case, the ex-president Ion Iliescu, former deputy PM Gelu Voican Voiculescu and Iosif Rus, former Military Aviation chief, are charged with crimes against humanity. According to the investigation, a widespread “terrorism” psychosis was created, which led to chaotic gun fire, fratricide, conflicting military orders. According to military prosecutors, this psychosis was induced deliberately, through disinformation and diversion, and resulted in over 850 dead, 2,380 wounded, hundreds of people illegally arrested and psychological trauma. Initiated in Timișoara in December 1989, the Romanian anti-communist revolution led to the flight, capture, summary trial and execution of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena. (AMP)


  • July 22, 2022

    July 22, 2022

    RESOURCES
    PM Nicolae Ciucă promised that Romania will have the necessary natural gas to
    cover demand for the coming winter. The PM said more than 1.6 billion cubic
    meters of gas is already stored, and the energy plan stipulates 80% of the
    total capacity will be reached by November 1. Meanwhile, he said that in spite
    of the drought, there is enough wheat to cover the domestic demand and export
    commitments and that there are no reasons to worry about the maize and sunflower
    crops.


    HEAT WAVE The prime minister of Romania
    Nicolae Ciucă has today asked prefects to conduct information and prevention
    campaigns so that people are aware of the risks entailed by the high
    temperatures and that activities to mitigate the effects of the heat wave may
    be coordinated. He added that it was important for all localities to have cooling
    shelters and medical teams providing assistance and free water. PM Ciucă also requested the
    authorities to take steps to ensure navigability on the River Danube. The low
    water flow has made it nearly impossible to navigate the Danube, with several
    vessels stranded in sand and scores of cruise ships cancelling their stopovers
    in the port of Giurgiu over the past month.


    COVID-19 Nearly 7,400 new COVID cases
    were reported over the past 24 hours, out of around 24,400 tests, the
    authorities announced on Friday. Over 2,600 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised,
    171 of them in intensive care. Seven COVID-related deaths have also been reported.
    Hospitals are beginning to take measures, including increasing the number of
    beds set aside for COVID patients, regular staff and patient testing, and
    cancelling visiting hours in order to reduce the risk of infection.


    REFUGEES The Romanian
    Border Police announced today that 11,511 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania
    on Thursday, 4.5% fewer than the
    previous day.
    According to a news release, border checks are conducted efficiently and in
    line with the national and EU legislation, and border police units are working
    at full capacity.


    UKRAINE Turkey announced an agreement was reached,
    which would enable Ukraine to export grains via Black Sea routes. The deal is
    to be signed in Istanbul today by officials from Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and
    the UN. Three main provisions in the agreement are already known. First, Russia
    must guarantee ceasefire during the shipments. Secondly, Ukraine must guide grain
    ships in and out through mined port waters. Finally, Turkey, supported by the
    United Nations, is to inspect ships in order to dispel Russian fears of weapons
    smuggling. This is the first major agreement reached by Russia and Ukraine
    since the start of the invasion.


    FOOTBALL Romanian football champions CFR Cluj won 3-0 against
    Inter Club d’Escaldes, of Andorra, played on Thursday night on home turf in the
    first leg of the second round of Europa Conference League’s qualifiers. In the
    same competition, the winners of
    Romania’s Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe defeated 3-1 at home the Slovenian
    side Olimpija Ljubljana. Romania’s 2 other representatives in Europa
    Conference League played away from home. Universitatea Craiova drew against the
    Albanian side Vllaznia Shkoder, 1-1, and vice-champions FCSB were defeated by FC
    Saburtalo Tbilisi, of Georgia. (AMP)

  • July 19, 2022

    July 19, 2022

    TALKS The president of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas is on an official
    visit to Romania today, at the invitation of president Klaus Iohannis. The 2
    leaders will discuss ways to encourage and strengthen bilateral cooperation in
    areas of mutual interest, particularly political dialogue, home affairs,
    education, economy and trade. The agenda of talks also includes regional
    developments in the Middle East, the progress and prospects of the Peace
    Process, the security situation and the consequences of Russia’s illegal
    aggression against Ukraine, the Romanian Presidency says. Also today, president
    Iohannis is scheduled to receive Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs and
    minister for defence, Simon Coveney.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting on
    Monday with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, on the sidelines of the
    Foreign Affairs Council held in Brussels. According to the Romanian Foreign
    Ministry, the Greek party thanked Romania for the assistance given by Romanian
    fire-fighters in containing the recent wildfires in Greece. The 2 officials
    also discussed the situation in Ukraine, with a focus on the consequences and impact
    at regional and EU level of Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked military campaign
    in that country. They highlighted the importance of ensuring energy security, a
    sector in which Romania and Greece have converging interests and approaches.
    Bogdan Aurescu welcomed the consolidation of bilateral dialogue and cooperation
    in this field, mentioning the recent opening of the Greece-Bulgaria natural gas
    interconnecting pipeline, a major step in consolidating the energy security of
    the countries in the region.


    EDUCATION Romanian students won 3rd place in the world, after
    Singapore and Lithuania, at the International Geography Olympiad. As many as
    209 students from 54 countries took part in this year’s competition. This
    success comes after the outstanding performances of Romanian students in other
    international competitions. They won 2nd place at the International
    Physics Olympiad organised online by Switzerland, while Romania’s team won 1st
    place in Europe and 5th in the world at the International Maths
    Olympiad in Oslo, out of 105 competing countries.


    LOAN The World Bank
    and Romania Tuesday signed a EUR 600 mln development policy loan, with a focus
    on inclusive green economic growth, the WB announced. This is the first of 2
    such financing operations, and is accompanied by USD 24.2 mln non-reimbursable
    financial assistance. The WB is currently running 10 investment projects in
    Romania, totalling USD 1.78 bln, in addition to 31 technical and analytical
    assistance projects worth USD 104 mln.


    COVID The Romanian
    health ministry Tuesday announced 7,658 new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the last
    24 hours, over 4,000 more than on Monday. The number of patients in intensive
    care has also increased to 136, and 9 people died from the disease in 24 hours.


    EU ACCESSION The European Union Tuesday opened the accession
    negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, the president of the European
    Commission, Ursula von der Leyen announced. The 27 EU member states Monday
    night agreed to open accession talks, after Skopje and Sofia signed a protocol
    that eliminates the last remaining obstacles. North Macedonia has been a
    candidate country since 2005, and Albania since 2014.


    UKRAINE The president of Russia Vladimir Putin and the president of
    Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are attending a summit in Tehran today, together
    with their Iranian counterpart Ibrahim Raisi. According to the BBC, following
    the sanctions introduced by the West, Putin will use this opportunity to prove
    that Moscow still has strong allies. Putin will also have separate meetings
    with the leaders of the two states. Turkey negotiated with Russia and Ukraine
    to unblock Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, while Iran and Russia are
    looking for new trade routes to bypass sanctions, the BBC also says. Meanwhile,
    in Ukraine, Russian forces carried on the shelling of Nikopol, with scores of
    attacks launched during the night. Several people, including a child, were also
    wounded after Russian missiles hit Odessa.


    DROUGHT Nearly half of the EU territory is facing drought risks, the
    European Commission warns, as a new heat wave has hit the continent. France,
    Romania, Spain, Portugal and Italy will likely have to handle a drop in
    agricultural yield, especially grains, the Commission explains. Germany,
    Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia will also be affected. In turn, the
    European Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarčič said that the worst
    is yet to come. Europe is struggling with an extreme heat wave these days, with
    temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius reported in France and the UK, and even
    43 degrees in some areas in the north of Spain. Wildfires
    also destroyed thousands of hectares of land in
    France, Greece, Portugal and Spain, forcing thousands of residents and tourists
    out of those regions. (AMP)

  • June 30, 2022

    June 30, 2022

    HEAT WAVE
    The National Meteorology Agency issued a code-red alert for extreme heat for
    Thursday and Friday in 6 counties in the west and north-west of the country.
    According to weather experts, highs of 38-39 degrees Celsius will be reported
    in these counties, an absolute record for this time of the year. The rest of
    the country is mostly under orange-code alerts, for temperatures of up to 36-38
    degrees Celsius, and code-yellow alerts, for highs of 33 to 36 degrees Celsius.
    On the other hand, 18 counties in the east and centre of the country are today
    under a code-yellow alert for atmospheric instability.


    NATO NATO leaders are focusing today, the second day of the
    summit in Madrid, on the challenges and threats in the southern neighbourhood,
    including the food crisis deepened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The
    participants will discuss the progress in the fight against terrorism, means to
    ensure food security, and Allied support options for the organisation’s
    southern partners. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Madrid,
    president Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s contribution in providing
    humanitarian aid to Ukraine and in reducing risks related to food security. He
    will also underline Romania’s support for vulnerable partners, particularly the
    neighbouring R. of Moldova and Georgia. On Wednesday, the first day of the
    summit, NATO adopted a new strategic concept, which defines Russia as the most
    significant and direct threat to Allied security and stability.


    EXAMS After the appeals stage, the share of 8th-graders
    who passed the national evaluation this year is 82.4%, the Education Minister Sorin Cîmpeanu announced. The number of children who
    got straight As has also increased to 237. Minister Cîmpeanu said last week that the
    number of pass grades among students sitting the national evaluation exam
    reached an absolute record this year compared to the last 10 years, namely 82.3%,
    which means 122,166 children had passed the exam prior to appeals. Last year
    the figure was 5.5% smaller. The grades obtained in the national evaluation are
    the main criterion for high school admission.


    UKRAINE On Thursday the Russian Army announced pulling out of the Serpent
    Island, a strategic location in the Black Sea controlled by Moscow ever since
    the beginning of its invasion in Ukraine. Russia’s defence ministry described
    this as a proof of good will, which should facilitiate Ukraine’s grains exports.
    This decision will not enable Kyiv to take advantage of the imminent food
    crisis by claiming that it is unable to export grains because of Russia’s
    complete control over the north-western part of the Black Sea, the Russian
    defence ministry added, and said mine sweeping is expected on the Black Sea
    coast, including ports. In turn,
    Kyiv had announced that Russian troops had been forced out of
    the remains of their unit on Serpent Island, following a successful Ukrainian
    operation.





    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (43 WTA) moved
    up into the 3rd round of the Wimbledon tournament, after defeating Italy’s
    Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-4, 6-4. Next, Begu is to take on Jelena Ostapenko of
    Latvia (17 WTA), seed no. 12. Another Romanian player, Sorana Cîrstea, lost the
    second round to Tatjana Maria of Germany. Four other Romanians are scheduled to
    play in the second round today: Simona Halep against Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium),
    Mihaela Buzarnescu against Coco Gauff (USA), Irina Bara against Paula Badosa
    (Spain) and Ana Bogdan against Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic).

  • Severe drought in Romania

    Severe drought in Romania

    In 2015, Romania was launching a programme to revamp its old irrigation system. It was an ambitious 5-year programme targeting a total surface area of around 2 million hectares by the end of 2020.



    However, at present only about 850,000 hectares are irrigable, and the programme was extended several years. In other words, only 10% of the countrys total farm area can be irrigated.



    Even so, farmers have only filed applications for around 100,000 hectares, says the line minister Adrian Oros. The situation is dramatic, because although Romania takes pride in its fertile land, its agriculture continues to rely heavily on the weather.



    And it has hardly rained at all in Romania over the past few months, there was little to no snow during the winter, and the consequences are increasingly evident.



    According to centralised data, in April we had 7 litres of precipitation per square metre, as opposed to an average of 53 litres.



    In short, Romania is facing a drought described by Minister Adrian Oros as “strong and extreme, as we havent seen in recent years.



    The worst situation in reported in Dobrogea, Bărăgan and Moldavia, that is in the south-east, south and east of the country. Here is how Nicolae Moraru, the mayor of a village in the east, describes the situation:



    Nicolae Moraru: “There are farmers in difficult positions, who own 400 – 500 hectares each and incur substantial expenses. They are threatened by bankruptcy. They have used their land, property, homes as collaterals. The situation is disastrous in our region.



    According to the Agriculture Ministry, 3 million hectares under crops since autumn are already destroyed. The rape, wheat, rye and barley crops are the most affected. Many farmers already warn that bread will be more expensive this autumn, although authorities argue that it is too soon to tell.



    In an interview to a private TV channel, minister Adrian Oros explained that even if half of the crops were destroyed, the domestic demand would still be covered:



    Adrian Oros: “It is much too soon. What happens in Europe and in the rest of the world is also important. During the good years, when it rained enough, Romanias wheat yield was 7, 8 or even 9 million tons of wheat, and we only use around 2 and a half to 3 million tons. The same for maize, the yield was 14-15 million tons, and the maximum demand in Romania is 7 million tons. So even if half the crops were destroyed, the domestic demand would still be covered.



    Weather experts bring us a piece of good news: on Friday they expect rain across the country. But the precipitation amount is not likely to be very large—an average of 10 litres per square metre.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)