Radio România Internațional

Tag: investment projects

  • February 13, 2025 UPDATE 2

    February 13, 2025 UPDATE 2

    GOVERNMENT – The Cabinet led by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday approved two decisions regarding the prioritization of projects included in the ‘Anghel Saligny’ National Investment Program and in the program carried out by the National Investment Company (CNI). At the same time, the extension of the free zone in the Port of Constanta (southeast), on the Black Sea, was on the agenda of the Government meeting. The government thus seeks to stimulate the economic development of the region and improve trade flows in this area. Also on Thursday, new measures were adopted that support the reorganization of the National Anti-Drug Agency. On the other hand, Marcel Ciolacu announced that the ruling coalition has decided to provide financial support worth €160 to pensioners with low incomes. This aid will benefit approximately 2.5 million pensioners with incomes of up to €515, tantamount to the national minimum wage. The aid will be granted in two installments, in April and in the second half of the year. In the context of the latest price hikes, this measure will help maintain a minimum level of social protection for the elderly. The aid is intended to compensate for the increase in living costs and to provide essential financial support for pensioners. We recall that, earlier this year, the government decided not to raise pensions in line with the inflation rate, as planned, a move that generated society-wide dissatisfaction.

     

    DRONE – The surveillance and monitoring systems of the Defense Ministry on Wednesday night picked up an air target flying into Romania’s airspace for nearly one kilometer on its way to Ukraine. Authorities immediately conveyed an emergency service alert to notify the population in the area and scrambled two F-16s belonging to Romania’s Air Force and two Eurofighter jets operated by the Spanish Air Forces. The same sources have also reported a possible impact on the national soil close to the Ukrainian border, without any material damages. In turn, the president of the neighboring Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said that two Russian drones illegally entered the air space of Moldova and exploded on the ground. No citizens were put at risk. Sources close to the Ukrainian army announced that Russia attacked Ukraine with 140 drones on Wednesday night.

     

    PEACE PLAN – The peace process in Ukraine has been launched, U.S. President Donald Trump said, without giving further details, after telephone conversations with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was the first discussion between an American president and Vladimir Putin in almost three years, given that, after the invasion of Ukraine and the emergence of information regarding war crimes committed by Russian troops, former President Joe Biden refused to talk to the Kremlin leader. In turn, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said that Ukraine cannot return to previous its borders or join NATO. To Kyiv, the liberation of all Russian-held territories and NATO accession are key priorities. At the same time, the European Union has demanded firm security guarantees for Ukraine. (DB & VP)

  • February 13, 2025 UDPATE 1

    February 13, 2025 UDPATE 1

    GOVERNMENT – The Cabinet led by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday approved two decisions regarding the prioritization of projects included in the ‘Anghel Saligny’ National Investment Program and in the program carried out by the National Investment Company (CNI). At the same time, the extension of the free zone in the Port of Constanta (southeast), on the Black Sea, was on the agenda of the Government meeting. The government thus seeks to stimulate the economic development of the region and improve trade flows in this area. Also on Thursday, new measures were adopted that support the reorganization of the National Anti-Drug Agency. On the other hand, Marcel Ciolacu announced that the ruling coalition has decided to provide financial support worth €160 euros to pensioners with low incomes. This aid will benefit approximately 2.5 million pensioners with incomes of up to €515, tantamount to the national minimum wage. The aid will be granted in two installments, in April and in the second half of the year. In the context of the latest price hikes, this measure will help maintain a minimum level of social protection for the elderly. The aid is intended to compensate for the increase in living costs and to provide essential financial support for pensioners. We recall that, earlier this year, the government decided not to raise pensions in line with the inflation rate, as planned, a move that generated society-wide dissatisfaction. (VP)

  • Steps towards energy independence

    Steps towards energy independence


    Romanias internal energy output makes it one of the most energy-independent states at EU level, according to data released by the European Commission in 2020. Romanias energy reliance at the time stood at 28%, against an EU average of over 50%. The situation is good, compared to Italys reliance of 73% or Germanys 64% share, or Malta and Cyprus, two countries that are almost fully reliant on energy imports. Romania has its own sources of oil, gas, coal, nuclear energy and hydroelectric energy. Besides, it has over 1,400 billion cubic meters of shale gas, the third-largest reserve in Europe after Poland and France, according to estimates by the American Administration for Energy Information. Romania has recently made a new step towards consolidating its energy security and curbing its reliance on Russian gas.



    The state-owned company Romgaz has signed the contract for the purchase of ExxonMobils share in the Neptune Deep project, namely 50% of the rights and obligations regarding the deep-water gas field in the Black Sea. Romanias largest natural gas producer paid over a billion USD for this major deal. According to estimates, over 80 billion cubic meters of gas can be extracted from this field, and ExxonMobil owned half of the exploitation rights, the other half being owned by OMV Petrom. Both companies need however a few billion Euro to complete this strategic project for Romania. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă pointed out that natural gas in the Black Sea will be extracted as early as 2026. He explained that estimates show there are large enough quantities to supply neighboring countries and those in the EU as well.



    The governments investment-based plan for developing Romanias energy sector has a business and stability-oriented approach which will make Romania a major regional player, capable of ensuring the necessary demand of its own citizens and economy and actually becoming an importer supplier of energy security in the region, the Prime Minister went on to say. Before starting extracting gas from the Black Sea, investors are waiting on the authorities to amend the offshore law, which is now debated by the Senates special committees. The main modifications to the document adopted four years ago have to do with lowering exploitation taxes for deposits in the Black Sea and on land, as well as with the elimination of restrictions on prices, all part of a legal framework to ensure predictability. The Romanian state and state-owned enterprises will be given priority to buy the resulting output, while 60% of the profit will go to the state. Additionally, companies will be able to deduct 40% of their investment, compared to 30% under the current legislation. (VP)




  • Romania’s energy policy under debate

    Romania’s energy policy under debate

    The Government in Bucharest
    on Monday met in an informal session to discuss the 16 billion Euro funding
    opportunity Romania might benefit from until 2030 in order to develop its
    energy sector and make the transition towards a green economy. Developed as
    part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan agreed upon last year with
    the EU and with support from the Modernization Fund, the projects target such
    sectors as sustainable energy, coal replacement, nuclear energy, cogeneration
    and biofuel, and are aimed at radically transforming Romania’s energy
    infrastructure.

    Accordingly, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă has called for giving
    top priority to Romania’s capacity of producing the necessary components for
    projects aimed at producing renewable energy, an approach that would yield
    significant economic benefits and make new jobs available in state-of-the-art
    technologies. By 2030, the Government wants to provide minimum access to
    electricity and thermal energy for all consumers, to protect vulnerable
    consumers and reduce energy poverty, to produce clean energy or to modernize
    the institutional regulatory framework. Equally important is increasing the
    quality of education in the field of energy and the continuous training of highly-qualified
    professionals. Last but not least, Romania also wants to boost its energy
    contribution on regional and European markets and become a regional provider of
    energy security. The list of concrete measures includes increasing the
    production capacity of wind turbines and photovoltaic parks, as well as the
    number of prosumers.

    The authorities also want to develop a medium- and
    long-term nuclear programme and modernize the Oltenia and Hunedoara energy
    companies. High on the government’s agenda are also investment projects at the
    Hidroelectrica and Romgaz state-owned enterprises. Special attention will also
    be given to energy efficiency, cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions, research
    and innovation. Figures show that Romania pledged to reduce greenhouse gas
    emissions by 44% by 2030 compared to the reference level of 2005, and to
    increase the share of renewable energy consumption in the country’s total
    energy input by over 30%. These commitments represent an effort to attain the
    climate targets of the EU as a whole: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at
    least 55% and increasing the share of renewable energy by at least 32%. (VP)

  • June 29, 2018 UPDATE

    June 29, 2018 UPDATE

    AGREEMENT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said on Friday in Brussels that Romania is successfully involved and well managing the inflow of refugees. According to Iohannis, Romania is not a destination country for migrants but a transit one and the number of refugees transiting it is reasonable and can be easily managed. After a series of tense debates on Thursday night in Brussels the EU leaders reached an agreement on migration. The Europeans have decided among other things to create platforms aimed at sending these migrants outside the EU in order to discourage further attempts to cross the Mediterranean. The participants have also agreed to extend with six months the sanctions against Russia, in response to its annexation of Crimea.



    REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA — The Central Electoral Authority in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population announced on Friday that mayoral elections will again be held in the capital city, Chishinau. The decision comes after the US Department of State has criticized the “non-transparent ruling” issued by Moldova’s Supreme Court of Justice which invalidated the result of the mayoral elections of June 3, in Chishinau. According to the local press, the US diplomacy has warned in a communiqué that the move is a threat to democracy. Earlier, the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, and the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, have, in their turn, condemned the decision made by the Moldovan Court. The recent elections for the city hall of Chishinau were won by the pro-European candidate Andrei Nastase, the leader of the Dignity and Truth Platform. Nastase and his second round contender, Socialist Ion Ceban, made appeals to mobilize people to come to the polls on the day of the elections, which were considered to be “electoral agitation”.



    JUSTICE OVERHAUL — The Public Ministry has identified over 30 articles suspected of being unconstitutional, following an analysis of the changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure, Romania’s Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazăr, said on Friday. He said all these provisions had been brought to the attention of the relevant institutions to notify the Constitutional Court. He made these statements after on Thursday, 12 western embassies to Bucharest made an appeal to all sides involved in amending the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure to avoid changes which might weaken the rule of law or Romania’s capacity to fight against crime and corruption.



    DECISION The government in Bucharest has adopted a decision providing for the implementation of 8 strategic investment projects under private-public partnership. Among these projects there is the construction of two regional hospitals, a plant specialized in producing electric vehicles, a national blood and stem cells bank as well as a new tourist center in the Fagaras Mountains. In another development, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has announced that pensions in the public system and state aid for the handicapped are to be raised as of July 1st. So the pension reference point will increase by 10% and the minimum pension by 20%. Over 5 million Romanians are expected to benefit the measure.



    WEATHER The National Meteorology Administration on Friday issued a code orange alert against heavy rain for 12 counties in the north and centre of Romania, valid until Saturday morning. A code yellow thunderstorm alert has been issued for most of the country as well, expected to last for brief periods of time. On Saturday, maximum temperatures are expected to reach 26-27 degrees Celsius. Almost three quarters of the country are under threat of flooding until July 1. One of the worst affected counties is Bacau, in the east.



    TENNIS — The all Romanian pair Irina Begu/ Mihaela Buzărnescu on Friday qualified to the finals of the Eastbourne tournament in the UK, with some 850,000 dollars in prize money up for grabs. In the semifinals they defeated the pair Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine) / Ekaterina Makarova (Russia), 2-1. In the finals, scheduled for Saturday, Begu and Buzărnescu will play against Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) / Yifan Xu (China).



    HOLIDAY Orthodox and Catholic believers from the world over, including from Romania, on Friday celebrated Saints Peter and Paul, the most important apostles of Jesus Christ. They both founded Christian communities — Peter in Palestine and Rome, Paul in Anatolia and Greece. Both apostles died as martyrs in Rome, during the anti-Christian persecutions of emperor Nero. Their earthly remains are being kept in two churches built to their memory — St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican and St. Paul in southern Rome. Over 450 thousand Romanians are today celebrating their name day.


    (Translated by D. Bilt & D. Vijeu)

  • June 29, 2018

    June 29, 2018

    HOLIDAY Orthodox and Catholic believers from the world over, including from Romania, are today celebrating Saints Peter and Paul, the most important apostles of Jesus Christ. They both founded Christian communities — Peter in Palestine and Rome, Paul in Anatolia and Greece. Both apostles died as martyrs in Rome, during the anti-Christian persecutions of emperor Nero. Their earthly remains are being kept in two churches built to their memory — St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican and St. Paul in southern Rome. Over 450 thousand Romanians are today celebrating their name day.



    CRITICISM The US Department of State has criticized the ‘non-transparent decision’ by the Supreme Justice Court of the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian –speaking country to invalidate the results of the municipal election on June 3rd in Chisinau. According to the local press, the US diplomacy has warned in a communiqué that the move is a threat to democracy. The head of the EU diplomacy Federica Mogherini and the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn had earlier condemned the decision of the Moldovan justice. The recent election for the mayor seat of capital Chisinau had been won by pro-European Andrei Nastase, head of the Dignity and Truth Platform. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, Nastase urged the Moldovans to take to the streets to protest the decision, which it considers politically-commissioned and illegal.



    AGREEMENT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said on Friday in Brussels that Romania is successfully involved and well managing the inflow of refugees. According to Iohannis, Romania is not a destination country for migrants but a transit one and the number of refugees transiting it is reasonable and can be easily managed. After a series of tense debates last night in Brussels the EU leaders reached an agreement on migration. The Europeans have decided among other things to create platforms aimed at sending these migrants outside the EU in order to discourage further attempts to cross the Mediterranean. The participants have also agreed to extend with six months the sanctions against Russia, in response to its annexation of Crimea.



    DECISION The government in Bucharest has adopted a decision providing for the implementation of 8 strategic investment projects under private-public partnership. Among these projects there is the construction of two regional hospitals, a plant specialized in producing electric vehicles, a national blood and stem cells bank as well as a new tourist center in the Fagaras Mountains. In another development, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has announced that pensions in the public system and state aid for the handicapped are to be raised as of July 1st. So the pension reference point will increase by 10% and the minimum pension by 20%. Over 5 million Romanians are expected to benefit the measure.



    WEATHER The National Meteorology Administration issued a code orange alert for heavy rain for 12 counties in the north and center of Romania until tomorrow morning. A code yellow thunderstorm alert has been issued for most of the country as well, expected to last for brief periods of time. Maximum temperatures may reach 28 degrees Celsius, after a noon reading of 22 degrees in Bucharest. Almost three quarters of the country are under threat of flooding. One of the worst affected is the county of Bacau, in the east. In the northeast, roads have been blocked by flooding, with many homes affected. Stay tuned for more after the news.


    (Translated by D. Bilt)