Radio România Internațional

Tag: measures

  • July 31, 2023

    July 31, 2023

    TAXES Fresh talks are scheduled today in
    the Cabinet on tax-related measures designed to rebalance the state budget.
    The Social Democratic PM Marcel Ciolacu is to have meetings with the finance
    minister Marcel Boloș, and a report is expected from the national tax agency
    with respect to revenue collection. The ruling coalition is considering tax
    increases and the elimination of certain tax facilities, as well as the
    cancelling of 200,000 public sector positions that are currently vacant and a
    reduction of expenditure in ministries. According to the PM, the proposed
    measures will be implemented in 3 stages, beginning on September 1, October 1 and
    January 1, 2024.


    VEHICLES The local segment of the car
    scrapping programme Rablaˮ started today, in an effort by the Romanian
    authorities to get heavily polluting vehicles out of circulation. Apart from
    the funds provided by the Environment Ministry, local authorities contribute
    20% of the vouchers granted to citizens who de-register cars older than 15
    years. In a first stage in April, town halls enrolled in this programme, and as
    of today citizens may apply for the funds available in the programme, no later
    than the end of August. The Environment Ministry earmarked some EUR 50 mln for
    this programme, and estimates around 100,000 polluting cars will be scrapped.


    CONCERT The Bucharest National Opera
    orchestra Sunday night performed for the first time at the Musikverein hall in
    Vienna, which hosts the traditional New Year’s concert in the Austrian capital
    city. The concert was a tribute to the Romanian composer Ciprian
    Porumbescu, as the year 2023 was declared the year of Ciprian Porumbescu, to
    mark 170 years since the birth and 140 years since the death of the famous
    composer. The programme consisted exclusively of works by Ciprian Porumbescu:
    New Moon, the first Romanian operetta, the Ballad, the
    Romanian Rhapsody. The soloists, choir and orchestra of the
    National Opera House in Bucharest were conducted by Daniel Jinga, with special
    guests including maestro Gheorghe Zamfir and the soloist Maria Coman.


    TRAINING The training ship Mircea has today
    returned to the military port of Constanţa, after a 28-day training session in
    the Mediterranean. On board were 64 sophomore students with the Mircea cel
    Bătrân Naval Academy, as well as 10 exchange students from partner
    academies in Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey, Latvia, Italy and Spain. The training
    ship had stopovers in the ports of Piraeus in Greece, Taranto in Italy and Izmir
    in Turkey, and completed an over 2,200 mile journey.


    UKRAINE Ukraine has today confirmed that
    Saudi Arabia will host a peace summit aimed, according to Kyiv, at restoring
    peace in line with the Ukrainian formula, EFE reports. According to the head
    of Ukraine’s presidential office Andriy Yermak, apart from guaranteeing peace
    for Ukraine, the 10-point formula will create mechanisms to counter future conflicts. For
    Kyiv, the formula includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory.
    According to Western diplomats, the choice of Saudi Arabia to host the talks is
    designed to facilitate the participation of China, which has good relations
    with Moscow and with Riyadh.


    SPORTS PM Marcel Ciolacu congratulated the
    Romanian athletes and coaches who took part in the European Youth Olympic
    Festival hosted this year by Maribor (Slovenia). He said Romania once again
    confirmed its rebirth as a sports powerhouse after it finished the competition
    with 20 medals, shoulder to shoulder with France, which came 3rd in
    the final ranking. Their result reconfirms their hard work, talent and the
    pride of proving to the world that we are a country which, in spite of
    difficulties, remains able to cultivate the spirit required of great champions,ˮ
    Ciolacu said. Romania’s performance at this year’s European Youth Olympic
    Festival was the best after the ones in a Bath (1995) and Paris (2003). (AMP)

  • July 30, 2023

    July 30, 2023

    GOVERNMENT The government
    prepares to pass a set of fiscal measures in the coming days, designed to bring
    more money into the state budget and to keep the deficit close to this year’s
    target of 4.4% of GDP. As of this autumn, employees in agriculture,
    constructions and IT may have to contribute 10% of their incomes to the public
    healthcare fund. The government also intends to keep only 2 VAT rates, 9% for
    foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and hospitality services, and 19% for all other
    sectors. Governmental sources say the ruling coalition are also discussing a
    reorganization of the public sector, by scrapping 200,000 posts which are
    currently vacant. At the same time, the Cabinet is working on measures to support
    citizens cope with the rising inflation. The government is considering an
    increase in minimum wages in 2 stages: to roughly 670 euro in September and to
    750 euro as of January next year. But the plan is opposed by private
    entrepreneurs, who say they cannot afford to raise minimum wages for employees.
    According to a recent poll, should this measure be introduced, more than half
    of the private entrepreneurs in the country said they would raise prices for
    their products and services or downsize their staff.


    FIRE A Romanian fire fighter unit specialising in
    wildfires is leaving for France today, as part of a redeployment programme
    organised by the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and
    Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). As many as 40 Romanian fire fighters
    with fire engines, water tanks and other equipment will be stationed in
    Marseilles, on the Mediterranean Coast.


    TRIBUTE The Bucharest National
    Opera orchestra performs tonight for the first time at the Musikverein hall in
    Vienna, in a tribute concert to the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu. The
    year 2023 was declared the year of Ciprian Porumbescu, to mark 170 years since
    the birth and 140 years since the death of the famous composer. The concert
    will consist exclusively of works by Ciprian Porumbescu: New Moon, the first
    Romanian operetta, the Ballad, the Romanian Rhapsody. The soloists, choir
    and orchestra of the National Opera House in Bucharest are conducted by Daniel
    Jinga, with special guests including maestro Gheorghe Zamfir and the soloist
    Maria Coman.


    UKRAINE A Ukrainian drone
    attack on Moscow hit 2 office buildings last night, the mayor of Russia’s
    capital city Sergei Sobyanin said, according to France Presse. According to the
    Russian defence ministry, a drone was shot down and 2 others were neutralized but
    crashed into a building compound. This was the latest in a string of attacks
    that Moscow blames on Kyiv, while also claiming the US and their NATO allies
    have provided assistance to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities say
    at least 2 were killed and 1 wounded in a Russian missile attack on the city of
    Zaporizhzhia.


    SPORTS Romania finished 4th
    at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in Maribor (Slovenia), with 9
    gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals. This is the best performance for Romania in
    this competition, after the ones in 1995 (Bath) and 2003 (Paris), when it came
    out 3rd. On Saturday, the last day of the event, Romania won 2 gold medals,
    thanks to Alin Şavlovschi, in the men’s 2,000 m hurdles race and Bianca Maria
    Tiţa, Ştefania Balint, Maria Denisa Capotă and Alexandra Ştefania Uţă, who won
    the women’s relay race with a new competition record (2’06”13). Romania’s
    women’s handball team won the silver after losing the final to France, 32-27. Three other
    medals were won in the tennis competition, by Giulia Safina Popa in the women’s
    singles, Giulia Popa and Alexia Tatu in women’s doubles and Yannick Theodor
    Nicolas Alexandrescou/Alejandro Mateo Berge Vega Nourescu in the men’s doubles.
    In the gymnastics competition, Alexia Gabriela Vânoagă won the silver in the
    beam final. Romania participated in the Festival with a team of 92 athletes. (AMP)

  • Evolutions and contradictions in the perception of gender violence

    Evolutions and contradictions in the perception of gender violence

    A dramatic reality, encountered in all European countries, gender violence is equally present in Romania. And in recent years, to punish the perpetrators and protect women from the aggressions that are mainly targeting them, a number of measures have been taken, such as restraining orders and electronic tagging for offenders. Maybe this is also a reason why the percentage of violence acts reporting has recently increased. In the first 6 months of 2022, data related to domestic violence recorded by the Romanian Police show that 18,507 women were the victims of acts of violence, including 18 cases of murder, 13 attempted murders and 12,801 acts of bodily injury. Nevertheless, experts believe that the existing data are still irrelevant, since the statistics only refer to physical aggression without taking into account the other types of violence against women as described in the Romanian legislation.



    Ionela Băluță, professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the Bucharest University and co-author of the 2022 Gender Violence Barometer, explains the need for complete information.: “The subject of this barometer is violence against women. As we showed in the introductory study, we tried to make a study that should respond to the way in which the phenomenon is approached and explained both in the academic and the political space. Besides, we ratified the Istanbul Convention and last year we had the first evaluation. This convention has an international monitoring and evaluation committee, GREVIO, which makes country reports. And in the country report on Romania, one of the recurrent issues highlighted by the GREVIO experts as negative is the data supply. If we read the GREVIO report which is available online, it is public and all our authorities are aware of it, we find that we have no data on violence against women. It’s one of the biggest problems, because we cannot come up with adequate political measures if we don’t know what we have on the ground. Another thing in the report refers to the fact that the gender perspective is insufficiently or not at all present in the way in which the Romanian authorities have modified the legislation and formulated public policies.



    Coordinated by the FILIA Center (feminist non-governmental association) and financed through a grant provided by the German Embassy in Bucharest, the 2022 gender violence barometer is only the second study on this topic carried out since 2003. At that time, the research was called the Domestic Violence Barometer, using a more restrictive term. However, comparisons can be made between data collected in two periods of time separated by 20 years.



    Ionela Băluță has more details: “I do not think that this comparison allows us to say that we have taken a spectacular leap in terms of awareness, sensitization and rejection of violence against women. There is indeed an important change in terms of tolerance for physical aggression. It would be quite malicious not to identify hitting, slapping and even insulting as physical assaults. In these situations, these manifestations appear to be recognized as forms of violence, as our barometer also shows. Compared to 2003, the degree of rejection of these acts has increased a lot. In general, there is over 80% rejection by the population of these forms of violence, which was not the case in 2003. In exchange, as regards the forms of violence that are less known, although they are in the law, namely social violence, economic violence, psychological violence, an increase was reported. It’s not big, about 7%. Let me give you an example. Currently, approximately one in four Romanians consider it slightly serious or not serious at all if a woman is not allowed to spend her money as she wishes, if a woman is not allowed to go out of the house unaccompanied by her partner, or if a woman is not allowed to have a group of friends.



    Other data included in the 2022 Gender Violence Barometer are: 19% of respondents consider it not at all or slightly serious that a woman is raped after agreeing to go to a man’s house, and 12% think the same if a woman dressed provocatively is raped.



    Ionela Baluță continues her explanation: When we look at the attitude towards rape, the stereotypes prevalent among the population emerge very clearly. And the lower the level of education or the more prevalent patriarchal the values, the more worrying the percentages. For example, even if the respondents believe that rape is not accepted and is considered very serious by the majority, we just wanted to check the rest. But when asked how they feel about the situation in which a woman was raped after agreeing to go to a man’s house, this situation is no longer as serious, they answered. As if when, in our social relationships, if we agree to go out with a man, to go to various places, to our house or his house to talk, rape is included in the package. So, women, be careful when you accept this! Unfortunately, an important percentage of Romanian society, people with whom we interact, believe that, in fact, we accept being raped. There is something more worrying. We specifically asked: ‘how serious, in your opinion, is the situation in which an underage girl has sexual relations with a man. But, in fact, this situation does not exist. A minor ‘is raped by a man. At least according to the legal text, if we do not get into other matters related to ethics, morals and so on. The legal definition says that when you do not give your consent, you are forced to do something. But to our respondents, it seems less serious if an underage girl has sexual relations with an adult man than if a woman is raped by a stranger.



    Created to further reduce the lack of official data on the spread of gender-based violence in all its forms, the 2022 barometer was also intended as a working tool for the authorities to formulate appropriate public policies. (LS)


  • The Week in Review

    The Week in Review

    Romanias Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, visited Chișinău



    Romania supports the start of EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday in Chişinău, on his first foreign visit since he took office. He emphasized that the future of the Republic of Moldova is in the community bloc. The Romanian side showed availability to provide expertise to the Moldovan partners. In his turn, the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean thanked Romania for all the support given to the Republic of Moldova in the process of joining the European Union, as well as in the economic and social fields. He emphasized that the relations on the two banks of the Prut River are increasingly being strengthened through the construction of bridges, roads and energy networks. Dorin Recean mentioned the existence of nine projects for the second installment of the aid provided by the Romanian Government. They are worth 28 million Euros and are aimed at investments for the development of localities in the Republic of Moldova, the Moldovan PM said. Early this week, the Romanian FM, Luminița Odobescu, paid a visit to the Republic of Moldova, her first external visit since taking-over her mandate. She was received by the pro-Western president Maia Sandu and had discussions with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. The two emphasized the support which Romania offered to the Republic of Moldova, consisting in humanitarian aid, energy resources and support for increasing resilience. Last but not least, the Romanian FM said that opening the EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova in the shortest possible time is a priority of Romania’s foreign policy.



    Romanian magistrates protested, discontented with the prospect of being left without special pensions



    Magistrates from several courts and prosecutor’s offices across Romania suspended their activity on Wednesday, showing discontent with the Governments intention to change the conditions under which they can obtain special pensions. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing the special pension scheme would violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL wants to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors up to 65 years, and for the pension to be calculated based on their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. The Justice Minister, Alina Gorghiu, said that she respects the magistrates’ right to free expression, but insisted that dialogue, not protest, is the solution to any problem of the judicial system. The reform of the legislative framework regarding the special pensions scheme is a promise made to the European Union by the Romanian authorities under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. On the other hand, on Thursday, the draft law on the abolition of special pensions for senators and deputies received a favorable opinion, gathering a majority of votes, in the specialized Parliament committee. The president of the committee, the Social-Democratic MP Eugen Bejinariu explained that, if unconstitutional elements of the bill are identified, other solutions will be found to reduce or eliminate the special pensions of parliamentarians.



    Measures announced by the Romanian Government



    The prices of some basic food products may decrease in the next period, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Thursday. He claims that this decrease will not put pressure on Romanian producers. Marcel Ciolacu stated that he received a response from the large store chains regarding the scheme for reducing markup percentages. It is a list that contains basic foodstuffs such as bread, dairy products, meat, eggs, flour, corn flour, oil, vegetables and fruit. Also on Thursday, the Government discussed, in a first reading, the state aid scheme for Romanian producers of construction materials. In principle, the authorities want more materials produced in the country to appear on the internal market at competitive prices, which will lead to a reduced import of construction materials. Now, over 70% of the materials used are imported, and the Government wants to reduce this percentage. This years budget for the aid scheme could be 150 million Euros, but the Finance Ministry will have the final say. The Executive also approved the granting of emergency aid to support the population affected by floods, landslides and dangerous meteorological phenomena, up to the amount of 1.4 million Euros. Households in the center, south-west and south of the country were affected, this month, by heavy rainfalls. The support and intervention of the military firefighters was needed to remove the negative effects generated by the bad weather.



    Development plan for gas deposits in the Romanian area of ​​the Black Sea



    OMV Petrom and Romgaz have approved the development plan for the Domino and Pelican Sud commercial natural gas fields in the Romanian area of ​​the Black Sea. The National Agency for Mineral Resources is to confirm this plan. The investment amounts to 4 billion Euros for the development phase, and the total production will be 100 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of the annual demand for natural gas for 4.3 million households. According to the management of OMV Petrom, in 2027, the first amounts of gas are to be extracted through the Neptun Deep project, and Romania will become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union. The project will last approximately two decades, and the revenues brought to the state budget will support Romania’s development. OMV Petrom states that the estimated revenues of the Romanian state would be 20 billion Euros. (LS)

  • The Week in Review

    The Week in Review

    Romanias Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, visited Chișinău



    Romania supports the start of EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday in Chişinău, on his first foreign visit since he took office. He emphasized that the future of the Republic of Moldova is in the community bloc. The Romanian side showed availability to provide expertise to the Moldovan partners. In his turn, the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean thanked Romania for all the support given to the Republic of Moldova in the process of joining the European Union, as well as in the economic and social fields. He emphasized that the relations on the two banks of the Prut River are increasingly being strengthened through the construction of bridges, roads and energy networks. Dorin Recean mentioned the existence of nine projects for the second installment of the aid provided by the Romanian Government. They are worth 28 million Euros and are aimed at investments for the development of localities in the Republic of Moldova, the Moldovan PM said. Early this week, the Romanian FM, Luminița Odobescu, paid a visit to the Republic of Moldova, her first external visit since taking-over her mandate. She was received by the pro-Western president Maia Sandu and had discussions with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. The two emphasized the support which Romania offered to the Republic of Moldova, consisting in humanitarian aid, energy resources and support for increasing resilience. Last but not least, the Romanian FM said that opening the EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova in the shortest possible time is a priority of Romania’s foreign policy.



    Romanian magistrates protested, discontented with the prospect of being left without special pensions



    Magistrates from several courts and prosecutor’s offices across Romania suspended their activity on Wednesday, showing discontent with the Governments intention to change the conditions under which they can obtain special pensions. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing the special pension scheme would violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL wants to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors up to 65 years, and for the pension to be calculated based on their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. The Justice Minister, Alina Gorghiu, said that she respects the magistrates’ right to free expression, but insisted that dialogue, not protest, is the solution to any problem of the judicial system. The reform of the legislative framework regarding the special pensions scheme is a promise made to the European Union by the Romanian authorities under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. On the other hand, on Thursday, the draft law on the abolition of special pensions for senators and deputies received a favorable opinion, gathering a majority of votes, in the specialized Parliament committee. The president of the committee, the Social-Democratic MP Eugen Bejinariu explained that, if unconstitutional elements of the bill are identified, other solutions will be found to reduce or eliminate the special pensions of parliamentarians.



    Measures announced by the Romanian Government



    The prices of some basic food products may decrease in the next period, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Thursday. He claims that this decrease will not put pressure on Romanian producers. Marcel Ciolacu stated that he received a response from the large store chains regarding the scheme for reducing markup percentages. It is a list that contains basic foodstuffs such as bread, dairy products, meat, eggs, flour, corn flour, oil, vegetables and fruit. Also on Thursday, the Government discussed, in a first reading, the state aid scheme for Romanian producers of construction materials. In principle, the authorities want more materials produced in the country to appear on the internal market at competitive prices, which will lead to a reduced import of construction materials. Now, over 70% of the materials used are imported, and the Government wants to reduce this percentage. This years budget for the aid scheme could be 150 million Euros, but the Finance Ministry will have the final say. The Executive also approved the granting of emergency aid to support the population affected by floods, landslides and dangerous meteorological phenomena, up to the amount of 1.4 million Euros. Households in the center, south-west and south of the country were affected, this month, by heavy rainfalls. The support and intervention of the military firefighters was needed to remove the negative effects generated by the bad weather.



    Development plan for gas deposits in the Romanian area of ​​the Black Sea



    OMV Petrom and Romgaz have approved the development plan for the Domino and Pelican Sud commercial natural gas fields in the Romanian area of ​​the Black Sea. The National Agency for Mineral Resources is to confirm this plan. The investment amounts to 4 billion Euros for the development phase, and the total production will be 100 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of the annual demand for natural gas for 4.3 million households. According to the management of OMV Petrom, in 2027, the first amounts of gas are to be extracted through the Neptun Deep project, and Romania will become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union. The project will last approximately two decades, and the revenues brought to the state budget will support Romania’s development. OMV Petrom states that the estimated revenues of the Romanian state would be 20 billion Euros. (LS)

  • Measures for the green transition

    Measures for the green transition

    The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, asked the community institutions to urgently adopt two measures, so that Europe should remain a leader in the clean technologies industry. These are closely related to the European Green Deal, through which the member states aim to achieve, by 2050 at the latest, the so-called climate neutrality, whereby the quantities of greenhouse gas emissions on European territory will no longer increase. Through the first measure considered, the head of the EC wants that, by 2030, 40% of the clean technology be produced in the European Union.



    Through the second measure, the aim is to facilitate the access of European companies to the materials necessary for the green transition, which implies the diversification of the supply chain, given that the Union is currently dependent on China. According to Ursula von der Leyen, the minerals that make phones, electric vehicles, batteries, chips, wind turbines, solar panels functional, i.e. all the new technology, come in overwhelming amounts from China. However, Canada, for example, could become a partner of the European Union in this sense.



    Then, the European officials want to extract as many rare materials as possible from the European Union, to increase the processing capacity of these materials and to increase recycling. Statistics show that global investments in clean technologies exceeded 1,000 billion dollars last year, 30% more than in 2021, and by 2030 these investments will triple, hence the need for the European Union to attract many more. Meanwhile, steps are being taken in Romania in the process of transition to a green society. Thus, according to an emergency ordinance adopted by the Government, real estate developers will be obliged, for example, to install electric car charging sockets in the new apartment buildings.



    The owners of old buildings will have the same obligation if they do major renovations. It is one of the conditions required by the European Commission for Romania to receive the second payment request from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan worth 3.2 billion Euros. The Romanian government also adopted a law that establishes a financial aid scheme for SMEs and large companies to help them build waste recycling facilities. According to the PM Nicolae Ciucă, the aid amounts to approximately 26 million Euros.



    Last but not least, the Government decided to take out of operation, from June of this year, the coal-based units in the south of the country, from the Turceni and Rovinari thermal power plants, and to preserve them for 3 years. If needed, these units will be made operational again. The largest thermal power plant in Romania operates in Turceni, which, together with the plants in Rovinari and Craiova, account for about a third of Romania’s electricity production. (LS)

  • February 5, 2023 UPDATE

    February 5, 2023 UPDATE

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



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



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



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



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


  • Peak of respiratory viral infections

    Peak of respiratory viral infections

    Romania is in a state of epidemiological alert, given that it is facing an avalanche of respiratory infections. The health minister, Alexandru Rafila, has recently stated that he will not declare an epidemic, as this would imply a return to “certain restrictions”, similar to those imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The health minister stated that the week from December 26 to January 1 was the third week of epidemic. Cases of flu, viral infections and pneumonia are on the rise, so more and more adults and children with symptoms are crowding in the hospital emergency rooms. As of this week, the wave of respiratory viral infections could reach its peak, given that these cases are multiplying rapidly.



    Specialists believe that most cases could be reported until February 10, and then a decrease will follow. The latest data from the Health Ministry indicate over 100,000 respiratory infections: viral infections, flu and pneumonia, detected by doctors in the first week of this year. The number is much higher than the total number of cases reported in the previous interval and almost double compared to the period before the pandemic.



    At the same time, several cases of multiple infection, with the influenza virus and the novel coronavirus, have also been confirmed in recent days, and doctors say that the risk of complications is higher than when the patient only has the flu. However, experts say that the probability of simultaneous infection is quite low. In their opinion, the main concern should be to limit the transmission of viruses in general, even of seasonal ones, which are considered less dangerous.



    Doctors and authorities remind that the protective measures applied during the pandemic have an effect in limiting the transmission of any respiratory virus and say that people should resume wearing masks in crowded spaces, if crowds cannot be avoided, and observing a rigorous hygiene of hands.



    On the other hand, in the context of the current epidemiological situation, the Association of the National Society of Family Medicine recommends the population, in case of viral infection, to seek medical advice and avoid self-medication. They draw attention that the release of antiviral medication is based on a medical prescription and that the treatment of a medical condition is based on the active substances and the dosage that a medicine contains and not on its trade name.



    Doctors warn that treatment schemes must be adapted to each individual patient, depending on age, type of virus, comorbidities, so treatments are not “universally valid”. Observing these principles will lead to rapid healing and recovery, avoiding the complications of this seasons viruses, doctors also highlighted. (LS)

  • December 31, 2022

    December 31, 2022

    NEW YEAR PM
    Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians
    proved their solidarity, handled challenges hard to imagine and managed to do
    more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at
    its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised
    that the government would continue to protect citizens’ interests, to support
    the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of
    Romania wished A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts
    to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and
    abroad.


    MEASURES In
    Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to
    reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the
    other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be
    discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel
    prices rise beyond citizens’ spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will
    be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will
    remain in place.


    JUDICIARY The
    year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice
    Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institution’s Facebook page. According
    to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to
    achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders
    able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical
    social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state
    from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says
    that the Ministry’s top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania
    being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification
    Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.


    POPE Pope emeritus
    Benedict XVI died this morning, aged 95, the Vatican announced. Over the past
    few days his health had deteriorated, AFP reports. The former Pope spent his
    last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state, after
    resigning in 2013, for reasons that are still unclear. Elected on April 19,
    2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader
    of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI
    announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health.
    Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down
    voluntarily.


    FUNDING
    Romania this year received the green light for the partnership agreement and
    all the 16 programmes under the 2021-2027 cohesion policy, thus avoiding the
    risk of losing EUR 5.2 bln, the ministry for investments and European projects
    announced. According to the institution, these 16 programmes will bring into
    the country EUR 46 bln in strategic investments in safer hospitals, transport
    networks, the water and sewage infrastructure and support for the business
    community. Eight of the 16 programmes are regional. In the previous EU financial
    period, 2014-2020, Romania received EU funds totaling EUR 25.4 bln. (AMP)

  • The EU is consuming less natural gas

    The EU is consuming less natural gas

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



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



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



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

  • Talks on reducing energy consumption

    Talks on reducing energy consumption

    The Romanian Parliament is debating the government’s emergency ordinance that extends the measure of capping and compensating for energy bills until August 2023. The ordinance also provides for overtaxing energy companies and fining those that speculate on the crisis in the field through successive sales and resales. These latter measures are contested by the business environment and the opposition. All in all, it is clear that the document will undergo adjustments in Parliament.



    The governing coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethic Hungarians in Romania (PSD – PNL – UDMR) analyzed possible changes to the ordinance that regulates prices on the energy market and the introduction of new support schemes, including to stimulate saving, as requested by the European Commission. Talks will continue next week. In order to reduce energy waste, the coalition leaders agreed that the Environment Ministry should come up with a proposal to replace filament light bulbs with economical ones as part of a scrappage program, similar to that already in place for household appliances and cars. The measure is also targeted to domestic consumers.



    On the other hand, the Ministry of Waters and Forests must put together a project for capping the price of firewood for a period of 6 months. In parallel, the export of firewood and derived products for heating could be temporarily limited, both inside and outside the EU. Prior to these discussions, the energy minister, Virgil Popescu, recommended consumers to look for suppliers on the electricity market that offer them the lowest prices. He says that the Government is considering offering bonuses to those who will manage to save energy. According to the energy minister, 90% of the population consumes less than 300 kilowatts, therefore they will benefit from the bill capping measure.



    The ordinance stipulates that a fixed price will be paid for the first 255 kilowatts consumed, and the difference up to 300 kilowatts will be charged with the price stipulated in the contract. In the case of natural gas, capping is applied regardless of consumption. Regarding the reduction of energy consumption in public institutions, minister Virgil Popescu said that each ministry come up with its own plan and take the necessary measures. Some public institutions, big electricity consumers, have already implemented measures to reduce wasting. Thus, at the huge Parliament Palace, one of the largest administrative buildings in the world, insulation for thermal purposes of some areas of the building will be undertaken, the interior lighting sources will be replaced with LED sources and the exterior lighting will be reduced by 50%. At the same time, the festive lighting of the facade was reduced to two hours. (LS)

  • Measures to cap energy prices

    Measures to cap energy prices

    Romanians will continue to benefit from capped prices for electricity and natural gas. The decision was made by the government through an emergency ordinance and will benefit almost 8 million households. The ordinance introduces some changes. Thus, SMEs and public institutions will pay a maximum of 1 leu per kilowatt-hour, a price valid for 85% of the electricity consumed, though. Exempted from the rule are the hospitals, schools and institutions that provide social assistance. These will pay up to 1 leu kilowatt-hour for all the electricity consumed.



    For natural gas, household customers will pay capped bills only if they did not exceed 50 thousand megawatts per hour last year. The electricity price cap will apply to household consumers until August 31, 2023, for a consumption of up to 255 kWh per month. For electricity consumption that exceeds this level, the price is set by each supplier. On the other hand, intermediaries that will sell energy at very high prices, due to a large-scale sales and resales chain, will be fined.



    Energy Minister Virgil Popescu has details: The famous scheme of transferring electricity from one trader to another before reaching the supplier, in order to artificially increase the price of electricity or natural gas, will be severely punished this time, because it is not normal to have this type of behavior in the market. Practically, such unfair actions will be sanctioned with a fine of 5% of the turnover, an instrument now available to the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority – ANRE.



    A solidarity tax will be levied on electricity companies, the money going into a special fund for energy. Thus, a maximum price of 450 lei per kilowatt has been set for the producer, and everything that exceeds this value will go to the special fund for energy. In the case of intermediaries, they can keep 2% of the profit, and the rest is considered a solidarity contribution. The impact on the budget of the measures provided for in the government ordinance is estimated at one billion lei per month (200 million Euros), and if these amounts fail to be collected from the newly established solidarity fund, they will be supplemented with money from the state budget.



    The Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă hopes that, through the recently introduced mechanisms, speculative behavior on the energy market will be avoided. The opposition Save Romania Union – USR harshly criticizes the energy ordinance. ‘This whole capping scheme creates chaos and slowly but surely destroys the energy sector and the Romanian economy, USR warns. According to the party representatives, the new changes remove from the capping scheme many companies that have benefited from it until now, which will lead to restricted activity, higher prices in the economy and unemployment. (LS)

  • August 22, 2022 UPDATE

    August 22, 2022 UPDATE

    Measures – The Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, the Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, and the representatives of the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority will once again analyze the support measures for the population, in the context of the skyrocketing prices for electricity. The measures will apply next year, after March 31, the date until which household and non-household consumers benefit from electricity and gas price compensation, depending on consumption. The government wants to invest in new infrastructure projects in the field, which should exploit local natural resources. On the other hand, the Romanian government could adopt, in this weeks meeting, the emergency ordinance that provides for the increase in the salaries of public sector employees by a quarter of the amount they were supposed to receive this year. The Finance Minister, Adrian Câciu, explained that the increase has already been applied in the education and health domains, and next the other state employees are going to benefit from this increase.



    Weather – In the next 24 hours, the weather in Romania will be generally unstable. The National Meteorological Administration has issued Code Yellow and Code Orange alerts for weather instability and heavy rain falls, valid until Tuesday evening in almost all regions of Romania. For short periods of time, and especially through accumulation, the water amounts recorded will be of 25…35 l/sq.m., and of than more than 60…70 l/sq.m on small areas. Hail storms are expected in isolated areas. From a thermal point of view, the weather will be relatively cool in the southwest, and in the east and southeast warm with high discomfort conditions (the humidity temperature index reaching and slightly exceeding the critical threshold of 80 units). Highs across Romania will range between 24 and 34 degrees Celsius.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu on Sunday qualified for the round of 16 of the WTA 250 tournament in Cleveland USA, which has total prizes up for grabs worth over 250 thousand dollars. The Romanian player secured a two-set win against the American Peyton Sterns and next she will be up against the winner of the game pitting Sofia Kenin of the USA against other qualified player. Another Romanian in the competition, Sorana Cîrstea will play against fourth-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium in the first round.



    Covid – About 2,600 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, after more than 11,800 tests were carried out, the Health Ministry announced on Monday. 10 deaths were also reported. In specialized health units, the number of COVID-19 patients is 3,580. 253 people are in ICUs. On the other hand, the protective mask will not be mandatory in schools and no special sanitary measures will be taken, said the prefect of Bucharest, Toni Greblă. Upon checking the stage of preparations for the beginning of the school year, the prefect explained that there were no discussions about additional measures to be imposed in educational units, in the context of the increase in the number of COVID cases. Recently, the Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said that he recommended the use of protective masks in schools, but the only additional protective measure would be the ventilation of the classrooms.



    Drought — In Romania, the crops area affected by the drought, at national level has so far exceeded 400,000 hectares located in 34 counties, according to the data provided by the Agriculture Ministry. Out of the total cultivated area, more than half of the plots cultivated with wheat and triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye, have been affected, followed by corn crops, covering over 75,000 hectares. 2020 was considered by meteorologists the driest year in Romanias history for important areas in the country, such as Dobrogea (south-east). The drought reported two years ago was reflected in the crops registred by Romania, which were much smaller in compariosn with the previous years. 9LS)

  • May 24, 2022

    May 24, 2022

    MEASURES A new set of social and economic measures agreed on by the ruling
    coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party
    will take effect in Romania as of July 1. The measures include postponements of
    bank loan repayments for citizens and businesses struggling with financial
    problems, as well as support for low-income pensioners. The government will
    also take steps to ensure fiscal consolidation and public deficit commitments. The
    costs of this set of measures reach EUR 1.1 bln.


    POLL Six out of 10 Romanians (58%) believe cutting consumption is the
    easiest solution for the financial difficulties caused by the rising inflation,
    says a survey made public today. In April, the inflation rate reached a record
    13.8%, well above the National Bank’s 12.5% forecast for 2022. According to the
    survey, 67% of the respondents see the government of Romania as responsible for
    this inflation rate. Three-quarters of Romanians also believe inflation is
    higher in Romania than in other countries. The respondents say the most
    substantial price rises are witnessed for foodstuffs (77%), fuel (77%) and
    utilities (electricity and gas) – 70%. In this context, 58% say reducing
    consumption could solve the inflation problem, but pay raises are also
    considered as solutions, and so is emigration. The survey was conducted online,
    between April 20 and 26.


    IMF The International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina
    Georgieva said on Monday that while a recession of the world’s major economies
    is not expected, it is not out of the question either. The global economic
    prospects have worsened since the IMF’s downward adjustment of its 2022
    forecasts, owing to the war in Ukraine, the slow-down of China’s economy and
    the global price shocks, especially in the foodstuff sector. ‘In a short period
    of time…the horizon has darkened,’ Kristalina Georgieva said. In January, the
    IMF estimated that this year the global economy will grow by 4.4%, but last
    month the forecast was adjusted to 3.6%.


    NATO NATO fighter jets deployed to military bases in Romania carry on their
    missions to ensure the integrity of the Allied air space, the Romanian defence
    ministry said. In less than 6 months, Italian Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft
    stationed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base in south-eastern Romania reported a
    combined 1,000 hours of flight in NATO missions protecting the Romanian air
    space. Air missions are paired with missions of the NATO Battlegroup set up in
    Romania in the wake of Russia’s invading neighbouring Ukraine.


    REFUGEES The number of Ukrainian nationals entering Romania on Monday was 2.4%
    smaller than on the previous day, reaching 7,709, the Romanian border police
    announced. Since the start of the crisis, more than one million refugees crossed
    the border into Romania. Meanwhile, new checkpoints will be opened on Romania’s
    border with Ukraine, allowing the Siret checkpoint, in the north-east, where
    trucks are currently waiting up to 14 hours to leave the country, to give
    priority to humanitarian assistance shipments. In a first stage, a checkpoint
    will be opened at Vicovu de Sus (north) for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, and
    another one at Racovăţ (north-east) for vehicles of up to 7 tonnes. Later on, a
    new checkpoint will also be operational in Ulma (north-east).


    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan Ana Bogdan (93 WTA) was
    defeated on Monday by Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (15 WTA), 6-7 (7-9), 7-6
    (7-1), 6-2, in the first round of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament. Irina
    Begu was also scheduled to play on Monday against Jasmine Paolini of Italy, but
    the match was suspended because of the rain in the 3rd set. On
    Tuesday 3 other Romanians, Simona Halep, Irina Bara and Mihaela Buzărnescu will
    play in the main draw. Sorana Cîrstea qualified in the second round on Sunday,
    while Gabriela Ruse lost her first round. Halep, seed no. 19, is a Roland
    Garros champion in 2018 and a finalist in 2014 and 2017. (AMP)

  • April 12, 2022

    April 12, 2022

    Measures — The Romanian finance minister, Adrian Câciu, has said that the package of social and economic measures “Support for Romania”, announced on Monday evening by the ruling coalition leaders, mainly targets the economy, maintaining jobs, and supporting vulnerable people. The package agreed upon by the Social Democratic Party – PSD, the National Liberal Party – PNL and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR is worth over 17 billion lei (about 3.5 billion Euros). The measures include the granting of 50-Euro vouchers every two months for the purchase of basic foodstuffs for low-income families and 30 – Euro vouchers for the more than 150,000 students who receive social scholarships. This amount will be used for food, school supplies and clothing. Other measures proposed are a minimum gross salary of 3,000 lei in agriculture and the food industry as well as money for investments.



    Visit — The European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, continues today her visit to Bucharest, where she participates in a video conference with the transport ministers from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The commissioner announced her intention to discuss with the Romanian officials the ways for a better absorption of EU funds for infrastructure and to find solutions for rail, road, river and sea freight transport from Ukraine and Moldova, Romania’s neighbors. On Monday, the PM Nicolae Ciuca and the European Commissioner for Transport agreed to work closely with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to facilitate the transport of goods. The agenda of talks also includes the development of the transport infrastructure in Romania, and the impact of the crisis in Ukraine, respectively.



    Statistics — In Romania, the annual inflation rate rose to 10.15% in March, from 8.53% in February, against the backdrop of higher prices for non-food products, foods and services, according to data published today by National Institute of Statistics (INS). Consumer prices augmented by 1.9% in March compared to February. The inflation rate at the beginning of the year (March 2022 compared to December 2021) stands at 4%. At the same time, the annual inflation rate in March 2022 compared to March 2021 is 10.2%. The central bank forecasts an inflation rate of 11.2% at the end of the second quarter of this year, 10.2% at the end of the third quarter of this year and 9.6% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.



    Accession — After Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor, also received the European Commissions questionnaire for EU accession discussions. The document marks a starting point for a membership decision, being a first step in a long process that should bring Moldova the official status of a candidate country for EU accession. Romania insists on the community bloc receiving its two neighboring countries as soon as possible, following Russias invasion of Ukraine.



    Ukraine – The next period is crucial for Ukraine, Western officials say, as the Russian forces are getting re-equipped and redistributed. President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Russia is concentrating tens of thousands of soldiers for the next offensive in eastern Ukraine. About 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were made prisoner by the Russian troops, according to Kyiv Independent. On the other hand, the White House expects even greater atrocities in Ukraine committed by the Russian troops under the command of General Aleksandr Dvornikov, recently appointed commander. He is nicknamed the “Syrian butcher” after being at the command of the Russian forces involved in the Syrian civil war, during which they brutally bombed numerous civilian targets. The US and the UK are looking into reports according to which chemical weapons have been used by Russian forces in attacks on Mariupol, a strategic port city under siege for more than a month. The Ukrainian Azov Battalion, barricaded in Mariupol, claims that a Russian drone dropped a toxic substance on the soldiers and civilians in the area, saying that several people were suffering from respiratory and neurological problems. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol since the invasion began, Mayor Vadim Boicenko announced.



    Refugees — More than 72,000 people, including 8,350 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Monday, according to the Border Police. 4,924 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania (slightly increase by 0.9%) through the border crossing with Ukraine, and 1,505 (increase by 8.1%) through the border with the Republic of Moldova. Since the start of the crisis, until Monday, more than 685,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. (LS)