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Tag: measures

  • The Week in Review 31 May – 6 June

    The Week in Review 31 May – 6 June

    COVID-19 restrictions further eased in Romania


    June 1 came with a new stage in easing restrictions in Romania, even though the threat of the novel coronavirus is not yet behind us. With the death toll recently passing 1,300 out of 20,000 infection cases confirmed in the 3 months since the virus first hit Romania, the country now lifts another set of restrictions.



    Some of the measures introduced on March 15 to contain the spread of the virus had already been lifted two weeks ago, when the state of emergency was replaced by a state of alert. As of May 15, for example, people could leave their homes without needing a sworn statement to travel within the locality. Parks and museums reopened, and things took a turn to normalcy.



    The results of an analysis run by decisionmakers now, 2 weeks into implementing the new rules, prompted them to announce that as of June 1 Romania would take further steps to lift containment measures.



    These steps include the reopening of outdoor bars and restaurants and beaches, as well as the organization of outdoor performances with up to 500 people in attendance. Sports competitions that do not require direct contact between athletes are also resumed, and so is international road and railway transport. People can also travel freely from one locality to another. But even though some restrictions were eased, president Klaus Iohannis reiterated, caution is still needed.




    Constitutional Court rulings


    Romanias Constitutional Court ruled down any extension of local elected officials terms in office, and the date of the forthcoming elections must be agreed on by the Government and Parliament. On Wednesday, the Court ruled that a government emergency order extending the terms in office of local elected officials was unconstitutional. The Court also dismissed a bill passed by Parliament on the term in office for local public authorities and on the date of the local elections.



    Judges argued that an extension of these terms in office can only be regulated by law, and not by a government order. Parliament had passed a bill extending the term in office in local administration until the end of the year, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, and giving Parliament the right to set a date for local elections.



    Constitutional Court judges argued however that institutional cooperation between Parliament and Government is necessary, and that local elections must be scheduled before the end of local authorities current term in office, on June 21. This means that as of next week parliamentary parties must start to prepare and table legislation to regulate the forthcoming local elections.




    New economic recovery measures


    The IMM Invest programme has been improved by the Government, which announced plans to also increase the budget earmarked for this programme, so as to triple the number of companies benefitting from these funds in a few weeks. Moreover, the Government has put together a plan to also support large companies affected by the crisis, similar to the programme devoted to small and medium-sized enterprises.



    The finance minister Florin Cîţu said the programme to support large companies will have a budget of around 1.6 billion euro, and will be ready within a month. He also announced that Bucharest will have to deposit guarantees of 393 million euro to be able to access funds under the EUs SURE programme, which targets active employment measures and which could channel up to 5 billion euros into Romania.




    Festivals postponed in Romania


    Major festivals, which had become a tradition in Romania and used to be scheduled every summer, were officially cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic and of relevant restrictions. Untold was due to take place between July 31 and August 2 in Cluj-Napoca (north-west), while Neversea was scheduled for early July in Constanţa, on the Black Sea coast.



    According to organisers, the decision was made in the context of the uncertainties looming over the events industry and of the strict conditions under which people are allowed to meet. The Culture Ministry presenting Parliament with a bill banning events with more than 1,000 people in attendance until August 31, 2020, did not help either.



    Summer Well, held every summer for the past few years near Bucharest, was also rescheduled for next year, and so was Electric Castle, another festival due in Cluj in mid-July. Also in Cluj, another landmark event, Jazz in the Park, was cancelled over the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who have purchased tickets for this years festivals may choose to use them for the forthcoming editions, or to get a refund, where possible.



    On the other hand, the 19th Transylvania International Film Festival, deferred because of the coronavirus containment measures introduced this spring, will be held between July 31 and August 9. TIFF comes with a summer edition with lots of outdoor screenings, holiday atmosphere and a programme adapted to the context. The screenings will be held in specially designed areas, with seats placed a safe distance from one another.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)



  • Economic Prospects

    Economic Prospects


    According
    to Romania’s Finance Minister Florin Cîţu, the country’s
    economy is going to look a little bit different after this period of
    crisis; a lot of companies are going to invest in technology while a
    new challenge for the government is to create fresh jobs in order to
    keep at home the over one million Romanians who came back home during
    the crisis.





    In
    an interview to a TV channel Cîţu said that new jobs could be
    created in the retail sector, which currently needs 10,000 people, as
    well as in the industry of hotels, restaurants and cafes. The
    minister estimates that a lot of companies are going to invest in
    technology and more employees will be needed in these sectors as
    well. The corona crisis has created a lot of problems for the
    Romanian employees.





    According
    to the Labour Ministry, over 400 contracts have been terminated in
    this period, particularly in the retail, car and bike repair
    businesses, as well as in the sectors of processing and construction.
    The number of contracts suspended comes close to 600 thousand. On the
    other hand, Cîţu announced that the government is also considering
    incentives for investors in order to enable them to use their
    resources for investment and increase their output capabilities.





    At
    the same time all the resources Romania has are going to be channeled
    towards investment, the Romanian minister has explained adding the
    purchasing power will increase as inflation and interest rates are
    going down.



    ‘As
    for the inflation, things improved from one month to the other. The
    inflation rate went down and is continuing this trend in the coming
    period. And the same goes for interest rates, which means the
    purchasing power of the Romanians will increase against the lowering
    prices and interest rates. We have elements indicating the purchasing
    power will definitely increase in the coming period’, the Finance
    Minister has explained.



    As
    for the law on the pension raise starting September 1st,
    this creates sustainability issues with the budget for the following
    2 years, Florin Cîţu says. Furthermore, international financial
    institutions and rating agencies have pointed out that the issue
    represents a major risk for the health of the economy.





    According
    to Cîţu, for this law and for others endorsed by Parliament there
    are no funds and measures must be taken to avoid destabilizing the
    economy. We recall that last week, the government in Bucharest
    announced a partnership with the banks to help jump-starting the
    economy, as according to Florin Cîţu, the banks have both the
    expertise and the necessary channels to transfer money towards the
    economy’s best performing sectors.





    (translated
    by bill)

  • May 19, 2020

    May 19, 2020

    Coronavirus Romania — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is having 2 meetings today with government members on measures aimed at managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The death toll is Romania has reached 1126. According to the authorities, the total number of contaminations has exceeded 17,100, with almost 10,100 patients having recovered from the infection. As many as 3,000 Romanian citizens from abroad have been infected with COVID-19, mostly in Italy, Spain and Germany and 103 have died, especially in Great Britain, Italy and France.



    COVID-19 World — The alert system for outbreaks used by the World Health Organization should be revised given that some states have reacted more slowly to the coronavirus outbreak, show the conclusions of a first report issued by an independent committee that analyzed the way in which the WHO acted in the case of the coronavirus pandemic, DPA reports. Around the world, almost 4.9 million people have been contaminated with the new virus, 1.9 million have recovered and over 320,000 have died. The US is the hardest hit country of the world with 90,000 deaths and almost 1.5 million cases of contamination. Brazil comes 3rd after the US and Russia in the ranking of countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 virus. In Europe the highest number of cases has been reported in the UK, Italy, France and Spain. Meanwhile, the EU states continue to gradually lift restrictions.



    Border check points — Traffic congestion is still reported at the Nadlac checkpoint in western Romania. Over the past days, tens of thousands of Romanians have entered Romania through the border checkpoints between Hungary and Romania, with the social distancing rules having been infringed. The health minister Nelu Tataru has warned of the danger caused by the situation and of the risk of the emergence of new coronavirus hotbeds, since many of the people entering Romania come from the former red zones. Also, the Romanian authorities say that, following talks with the Hungarian authorities, measures have been taken to avoid congestion and the number of checkpoints has been increased. The Border Police has announced that they are now working at full capacity in the 5 open checkpoints at Romania’s western border.



    Berlin — The Romanian labor minister Violeta Alexandru is a working visit to Germany. The agenda of her visit includes talks with German officials and the representatives of the German Farmers’ Union, as well as visits at the asparagus farms in the State of Brandenburg. Earlier during her visit to Germany, labor minister Violeta Alexandru met with the representatives of the Faire Mobilitat Project, the talks focusing on the main problems faced by the Romanian citizens working in Germany. The discussion approached aspects related to the labor legislation and the contractual conditions, as well as to the support this organization’s counseling centers provide to the Romanian citizens through the Faire Mobilitat counseling network. The Romanian official has asked for clarifications regarding the Romanian citizens’ labor contacts, the period of notice on termination of employment, the way of reimbursing the employees’ travel to and from the work place, their medical insurance, accommodation conditions and so on.



    Economic recovery — The French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel have proposed an economic recovery plan worth 500 billion Euros for the EU countries affected by the coronavirus crisis which has caused an unprecedented recession in Europe — shows a common statement of the two leaders who had a video-conference on Monday. Angela Merkel has pointed out that the countries hardest hit by the crisis should benefit from these funds with priority. In turn, the French President has said that the countries receiving aid are not obliged to reimburse the money. The president of the EC Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council Charles Michel have hailed the announcement. The economic recovery plan is based on several pillars among which health, environmental protection and digital development. (tr. L. Simion)

  • May 12, 2020 UPDATE

    May 12, 2020 UPDATE

    Talks. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis Tuesday had fresh talks with members of the government on measures to manage the Covid-19 outbreak. In a statement following the meeting, the head of state announced the measures to be introduced as of May 15. Wearing protective face masks becomes compulsory indoors, as does a distance of 1.5 m between people. Klaus Iohannis added that beauty salons, museums and shops that are not located inside shopping centres will reopen. Local authorities are urged to also reopen parks to the public. At the same time, the obligation to stay at home and to carry a written statement detailing the purpose of going out will be lifted. A written statement will only be required when leaving ones home locality. The president explained traveling outside ones home town or village will only be permitted for job-related purposes, individual sports and farm work. As for religious services, in a fist stage they can be held outdoors, with believers wearing face masks and keeping a 1.5 m distance from one another. Professional athletes may resume training under special conditions, but competitions are still suspended. Non-professional athletes may only resume individual sports and outdoor practice. The president concluded by saying that the bill regulating these measures must be endorsed immediately, and called on Parliament to do so as soon as possible.



    Motion A
    simple motion against the Romanian agriculture minister Adrian Oros, tabled by
    the Social Democrats in opposition, will be debated on Monday. The Social
    Democrat Petre Daea, former agriculture minister, argues that since the Orban
    Cabinet took power, the normal course of agriculture programmes has been hindered.
    He warns that farmers are now in a difficult position, among others because the
    authorities have either blocked or delayed some ongoing programmes. The Social
    Democrats also claim that the agriculture minister failed to take concrete
    measures with respect to the drought and the grain exports during the corona
    crisis. In response, Adrian Oros argues that the motion is proof that he has
    disrupted certain groups of interests which controlled the ministry in recent
    years.



    Workers. The minister for labour and social protection Violeta Alexandru says she will travel to Germany to look into the working conditions of Romanian workers. She made this announcement hours after being heard by Parliament on the subject of Romanian workers abroad in the context of the pandemic. The minister said people should be respected the freedom to choose the country where they wish to work. She also called on Romanian workers abroad not to accept employment without a legal contract.



    Covid-19 Romania. According to the latest toll, infections pass 15,770 in Romania and over 1,000 people have died. Almost 7,700 people have recovered. The highest number of cases was recorded in Suceava, in the north-east, and in the capital Bucharest. Among the Romanians living abroad, more than 2,800 have been infected and 102 have died.



    Covid-19 world. The European Commission has forwarded to Member States a roadmap for the gradual lifting of COVID-19 containment measures. The document focuses on monitoring the pandemic. The lifting of restrictions on citizens freedom of movement should be proportionate and non-discriminating, the Commission warns, after several member countries initiated bilateral talks on border crossing provisions. Quarantine measures are to be regulated by national authorities, but the roadmap stipulates that such measures must be taken, maintained or lifted based on scientific and epidemiological criteria and in keeping with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control guidelines. The roadmap also requires countries to provide statistics on the coronavirus outbreak at national and regional level. According to the latest data, infections worldwide pass 4.2 million, while the death toll rose to 287,000. In the United States, which is the worst hit country in the world, the death toll hit 107,000. In Europe, the UK is the worst hit country, with over 32,000 deaths, followed by Italy (over 30,000) and Spain (over 26,000).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, CM)

  • May 9, 2020 UPDATE

    May 9, 2020 UPDATE

    EUROPE DAY Europe is experiencing the most difficult period since WW2, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis says in a message released on Europe Day, May 9. He says that this is a time that tests our resilience, unity and humanity, and that, faced with the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, Romania has once again proved to be a trustworthy partner. The president mentioned that teams of Romanian doctors and nurses went to Italy and the Republic of Moldova to support the efforts to fight the epidemic. Romania is also the first EU member state to manage a strategic stock of medical equipment for the entire Union, and under this mechanism vital equipment has already been delivered to the worst hit areas. May 9 marks the 1945 victory of the Allies against Nazi Germany in WW2, as well as the historic 1950 declaration of the French foreign minister Robert Schuman, proposing an economic cooperation plan between France and Germany, to do away with deep-rooted rivalries. On the same day, Romania celebrated its independence from the Ottoman Empire, proclaimed during the Russo-Turkish war in 1877.




    COVID-19 The National Public Health Institute Saturday presented a draft list of measures to be implemented as of May 15, when the state of emergency introduced 2 months ago to contain the coronavirus outbreak ends. The list includes field specific measures and refers to the resumption of the activities suspended in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Among other things, appointments to dentist practices and beauty salons will be mandatory, and a distance of at least one and a half metres between clients will be secured. End-of-cycle students will only attend classes of 10 children at most, and will not spend more than 3 hours a day together. In open-plan offices and public transport, face masks will be compulsory. This set of measures is currently subject to public debate. The interior minister Marcel Vela urged companies with more than 50 employees to organise shifts so as to reduce pressure on public transportation. He added that the committee drafting the rules for lifting restrictions are still discussing whether the sworn statement required at present for those who leave their home should be maintained after May 15. According to the authorities, the total number of deaths in Romania is 929. The total number of cases so far is over 15,100. Of these, over 6,400 have recovered. Among the Romanians living abroad, 2,756 have tested positive for the virus, most of them in Italy and Spain, and 99 have died since the start of the pandemic.




    NATO The Romanian Chief of Defence Staff, lieutenant general Daniel Petrescu, Friday discussed in a conference call with the chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Sir Stuart Peach. According to a news release issued on Saturday, talks focused on the management of the COVID-19 crisis at Allied level, NATOs operations, missions and commitments and the impact of the current context on the security environment. The NATO official emphasised the important role of the Allied solidarity in fighting the pandemic, the concentration of efforts for the mutual support of member states and the medium and long term repercussions of the current health crisis on the Alliance and its partners. In turn lieutenant general Petrescu highlighted the national commitment in theatres of operations and the efforts to consolidate a coherent deterrence and defence posture for NATO. The Romanian Armys experience in supporting local and central public authorities to fight the coronavirus outbreak was also presented and discussed.




    TRANSPORT Airlines are bound to refund the price of tickets for cancelled flights, according to the EU legislation, the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean announced. She said citizens must contact the relevant member states, because many countries have provided state aid to airlines precisely in order to help them cover their cash shortages. Adina Vălean also announced that next week she will make public a list of safety rules for various transport means, as cross-border traffic is being gradually resumed and the EU seeks to help the tourism industry recover. She also said the so-called green corridors for commodities will be preserved in the foreseeable future.




    PANDEMIC The European Commission has called on all Schengen member and associate states to extend the temporary ban on non-essential travel in the EU until June 15. Although some member countries are already lifting the restrictions aimed at fighting the coronavirus pandemic, the situation is still fragile both in Europe and in the rest of the world, the Commission argues. This is why external border restrictions are still needed, in order to reduce the risk of the disease spreading through travel into EU countries. The number of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases worldwide is around 3.9 million, and the death toll stands at over 274,000. In the US, over 1.2 million people have tested positive, and in Spain, Italy and the UK the number of cases is over 200,000.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Active measures to support the economy

    Active measures to support the economy

    The economic downturn has not been as serious as the government had expected for the duration of the state of emergency in Romania, the Romanian PM Ludovic Orban told a press conference. Budget receipts were not as small as predicted by pessimists and this was due, according to the PM, to the good measures taken to support the economy, such as the VAT return with subsequent control actions and the continuation of activity in constructions.



    PM Orban also talked about new measures to re-launch the economy. According to him, Romania could take advantage of an international economic context in which it could be a pole of attraction for substantial relocations of production facilities from certain countries. Romania is ready to provide very good conditions to attract those companies willing to relocate their production facilities, and received signals in this respect, the PM said, adding that relocations could be an engine for growth.



    The PM Ludovic Orban also believes that investments are critical to economic recovery, and announced that a mechanism would bet set up in the coming period, to guarantee the working capital and investments of big companies, after the model of SMEs Invest program, which allows SMEs to take out loans to ensure their liquidities.



    The prime minister also announced that the EBRD would support projects of economic recovery in the private and public sectors by a maximum amount of 4 billion Euros, and that a state-aid scheme would soon be made available by the Romanian government, for which it received the support of the European Commission. The measure targets mainly the big electricity consumers, and helps companies to access natural gas and electric energy, at least, at the average European price.



    Another instrument the Romanian government is going to use to support investments is the ‘greenfield’ state aid for investments, which, according to PM Orban, are either made by new companies on the Romanian market, or are development projects of new industrial facilities of certain companies that are active on the Romanian market. The government is equally working on a state-aid scheme to guarantee and ensure commercial credits, a mechanism that is already operational in Germany and Italy.



    The Romanian government is also trying to channel substantial European funds to support small and medium sized enterprises, especially their investment projects. The government’s target is to exceed the amount of 6% of the GDP allotted to public investments for a maximum period of 2 years. The PM also said that the government is considering massive growth for all types of infrastructure — transport, energy, health, communications and agriculture. (translation by L. Simion)

  • Nachzuchtprogramm für Donaustöre soll Aussterben verhindern

    Nachzuchtprogramm für Donaustöre soll Aussterben verhindern

    Vor ein paar Tagen wurden 300 junge Störe in der Nähe der Ortschaft Isaccea, 65 Seemeilen vom Schwarzen Meer entfernt, in die Donau entlassen. Die Störe sind im Schnitt 30 cm lang und wiegen etwa 200 Gramm. Vor der Entlassung wurden sie durch Mikrochips gekennzeichnet. So würden sie bei einem späteren Fang wiedererkannt und könnten als Untersuchungsmaterial für eventuelle Fachstudien verwendet werden.



    Die jungen Störe stammen aus der Aquakultur, sie wurden in einer Fischzucht im Kreis Tulcea gezüchtet und sind etwa ein Jahr alt. Die jungen Störe wurden entsprechend geltender Vorschriften in immer grö‎ßeren Fischbecken gezüchtet. In der letzten Entwicklungsetappe lebten die jungen Störe in Zuchtbecken, die mit Wasser aus der Donau gefüllt waren, um sich somit an die künftigen Lebensbedingungen anzupassen. Dieser Schritt ist äu‎ßerst wichtig bei der Zucht von wandernden Fischarten, denn diese müssen sich an die künftigen Laichgewässer gewöhnen.



    Die genannte Initiative ist Teil eines Nachzuchtprogramms des Störs im Donaugebiet. Die Fischart ist stark vom Aussterben gefährdet. Der Stör war früher unter der Bezeichnung Donaustör“ bekannt, weil es die am häufigsten in der Donau vorkommende Fischart war. Der Rückgang der Fischart wurde vor allem durch den Bau von Dämmen verursacht — z.B. Porţile de Fier I und II (Eisernes Tor 1 und 2). Die Dämme verhinderten den Zugang der Störe zu den Laichgewässern im Einzugsgebiet der Unteren Donau. Diese Stör-Art kann 2,35 m lang werden und mehr als 100 kg wiegen.



    Derzeit befindet sich der Stör auf der roten Liste der stark bedrohten Tierarten der Weltnaturschutzunion. Auch weitere Fischarten wie der Kabeljau oder der Schellfisch befinden sich zusammen mit dem Stör auf einer Liste gefährdeter Arten, die laut dem Umweltminister geschützt werden sollten. Hierfür verabschiedete das zuständige Ministerium einen Erlass mit Schutzma‎ßnahmen, die zu treffen seien. Die Liste soll an das permanente Sekretariat der Kommission für den Schutz des Schwarzen Meeres verschickt werden, mit dem Zweck ihrer Aufnahme in die Rote Charta des Schwarzen Meeres, ein Dokument, das alle fünf Jahre aufgrund wissenschaftlicher Nachweise aktualisiert wird. Laut World Wide Fund Rumänien sei es äu‎ßerst wichtig, die in der Donau entlassenen Fische mit Hilfe des implantierten Mikrochips nachzuverfolgen. Die Daten, die bei einem Wiederfang somit erhalten werden, geben Auskunft über den Erfolg des Nachzuchtprogramms, über den Zustand des wilden Fischbestandes und der Seeumwelt und, zu guter Letzt — was die wandernden Fischarten betrifft –, über das Vorkommen und die Funktionsweise ökologischer Korridore.



    Die Initiative zur Entlassung junger Störe in das Einzugsgebiet der Unteren Donau ist Teil eines MEASURES-Nachzuchtprogramms, gefördert durch EU-Mittel. Das Projekt läuft vom 1. Juni 2018 bis zum 31. Mai 2021. Zehn Donau-Anrainerstaaten beteiligen sich daran. Die Projektverbündeten bündelten ihre Kräfte, um die bedrohten wandernden Fischarten zu retten. Im Rahmen des gleichen Projekts wurden letztes Jahr weitere ein Tausend junge Störe in die Donau entlassen.

  • Measures to restart the economy

    Measures to restart the economy

    Romanias economy will emerge from this crisis with a different structure, but more efficient and more competitive, the finance minister Florin Cîţu believes. According to him, measures to support production capacities have been taken from the very beginning.



    For SMEs, heavily affected by the corona crisis, a programme called IMM Invest has been initiated, designed to provide funding for current operations or for investments by means of state guaranteed loans.



    Originally launched on April 17, the platform crashed immediately as hundreds of thousands of users tried to access it per minute. On April 28, the IMM Invest platform, now operated by the Special Telecommunications Service, was once again operational. And nearly 20,000 entrepreneurs applied online from the first hour of operation.



    But funding will not be granted on the first come, first served algorithm, as the honorary president of the National SME Council, Ovidiu Nicolescu, explains:



    Ovidiu Nicolescu: “An applicant has to prove its capacity to use this money in a productive, profitable manner, and that it will be able to repay the loan. Amounts will not be broken down by economic sector, there would be no point in doing so.



    The president of the National Guarantee Fund for SMEs, Dumitru Nancu, also warns that it will be up to banks to decide which applications will be approved:



    Dumitru Nancu: “A total of 22 banks are taking part in this 15-billion lei fund. The bank will be the one that will analyse whether the entrepreneur—the small or medium enterprise—is creditworthy, according to the banks own rules. Once a loan is approved, the request is forwarded to the Guarantee Fund, which covers 90% of the loan guarantee.



    The government covers 100% of the financing costs, and the amounts that can be applied for are substantial. Entrepreneurs may apply until the end of the year and until the earmarked budget of around 3 billion euros is used up.



    The programme is backed by all political parties, and the emergency order regulating the operation of IMM Invest was passed by Senate on Tuesday without major changes.



    Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy, Energy and the Business Environment approved a 3-month extension of the application period in a programme called Start-Up Nation, to September 28, 2020 at the latest.



    The ministry explained that the decision is aimed at mitigating the economic impact of the restrictions introduced during the state of emergency on the SMEs accepted into the Start-Up Nation programme. Currently in its 3rd year of implementation, Start-Up Nation is an initiative under which the government supports newly-established businesses.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 27, 2020

    April 27, 2020

    Covid-19 Romania — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday called a new meeting to deal with measures aimed at managing the coronavirus pandemic. Attending are the PM Ludovic Orban, the health, interior and education ministers as well as other officials. The authorities are preparing to re-start the economy, mainly through investments. The PM said the government could grant incentives to private companies that make investments during this period of crisis. 60 days after the first case of Covid-19 was registered in Romania, latest reports show that 11,300 people have tested positive for Covid-19 and 631 have died. The latest data provided by Strategic Communication Group show that over 3 thousand people have recovered from the infection. In the Diaspora, more than 1,500 Romanian citizens have been infected mostly in Italy and Spain and 75 have died.



    Covid-19 world — All over the world, almost 3 million people are infected with the new coronavirus, according to the US University Johns Hopkins. Most cases have been reported in the US, which is followed by countries from Europe: Spain, Italy, France, Germania and Great Britain. Equally affected by the pandemic are Turkey, Iran, China and Russia. The death toll has exceeded 206 thousand, with 54 thousand dead only in the US. Despite the situation, several states are getting ready to relax restrictions: in Italy economic activity is going to be partly resumed while preserving protection measures in public. People movement remains restricted, schools will open only in autumn and Italian churches will stay closed. France is preparing regional relaxation strategies starting with May 11. A system will be implemented by means of mobile phones, to warn people against getting in contact with an infected person.



    Romanian Academy – A study conducted by sociologists with the Life Quality Research Institute within the Romanian Academy shows that Romania is faced with two crises in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a medical and economic crisis respectively, and that the living standards will be affected mainly after the medical crisis ends. The report shows that people will have the same purchasing power that they had before the crisis only in 5 years’ time. Researchers recommend the authorities to abrogate or prorogate the pension law adopted in 2019, among others, to index-link the pension point with the inflation rate, to raise salaries only to compensate for the inflation rate and to reintroduce a unitary national salary grid for the local administration



    Agriculture — All autumn crops, especially those in the north and south of Romania, have been affected by the drought, the agriculture minister Adrian Oros has announced. According to data provided by the line ministry, 3 million hectares of the crops sown in autumn have already been affected. At present, only 10% of the farming land can be irrigated. The agriculture minister Adrian Oros promised that farmers will receive damages to cover for the losses caused by the drought.



    TAROM – The Romanian state-owned airline TAROM has announced it will resume flights as of May 2. The first destination will be Amsterdam and in the next days flights will be operated to such destinations as Athens, Paris and Frankfurt. The Romanian low-cost company Blue Air has also announced resuming flight operation. They reintroduced in the booking system flights from Romania to several cities in Romania and Europe that will be operated as of mid May. The Romanian government approved during Thursday’s meeting granting aid funds to help the two Romanian companies. They had previously asked for 130 million Euros worth of aid to be able to overcome the coronavirus crisis. (tr. L. Simion)

  • Plans to restart the EU economy

    Plans to restart the EU economy

    The world is currently facing one of the most severe healthcare crises of the past decades, generated by the feared SARS Cov-2 virus. This has also been a major shock for the European and global economy.



    Travel restrictions, border closing, temporary suspension of businesses, drops in sales, physical distancing measures taken to contain the spread of the virus, have had negative effects on many economic sectors.



    In order to counter the chain effect of the pandemic, European leaders have called for solidarity in taking measures to mitigate the impact of the corona crisis.



    And this impact will very likely be substantial. According to the International Monetary Fund, the EU is expected to see a record drop in its GDP, by as much as 7.1% this year, while the crisis looming ahead of the 19 Eurozone countries threatens to be the most severe in the brief history of the single currency, launched in 1999.



    At a summit on Thursday, the 27 EU leaders asked the Commission to put together a plan to exit the crisis, including a draft budget for 2021-2027. This should also cover a fund for revitalizing the European economy following the containment measures. The plan should be presented next month.



    Although the exact figures have not been decided, officials talk about a plan ranging between 1 and 1.5 trillion euro.



    The French president Emmanuel Macron has admitted that a consensus is yet to be reached by member states with respect to budget transfers to the regions and sectors the worst hit by the pandemic. He pleaded for a comprehensive recovery plan, including not only loans, but also such financial transfers, and warned that “If we let part of Europe fall, all of Europe will fall with it.



    Deeply affected by the pandemic, southern European countries like Italy and Spain once again called for a new joint debt, which would enable them to benefit from the low interest rates offered to the northern member states.



    The German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised a temporary increase of her countrys contributions to the EU budget.



    The Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, backs the set up of an economic recovery fund, benefitting all member states, as an additional instrument to the support measures already taken at European level. The fund should be used for the needs in specific sectors, such as medical and economic, which have been hit by this crisis.



    On the other hand, Klaus Iohannis announced Romania will remain a firm supporter of the cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy, which, as he emphasized, have not lost their relevance in the current, complicated context.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 23, 2020

    April 23, 2020

    Covid-19 Romania — Romania is still on a rising trend in terms of the number of new coronavirus infections reported — experts have warned. So far about 10,100 cases of infection have been reported, with the death toll reaching 527. Abroad, as many as 1,000 Romanian citizens have been confirmed with the new coronavirus, most of them in Italy, with 64 Romanians from abroad having been killed by the Covid-19 virus. On Wednesday the Romanian President Klaus Iohanis announced that after May 15, when the state of emergency comes to an end, the restrictions on the individuals’ freedom of movement would not be extended. However, people will be obliged to wear face masks in enclosed public spaces and in the public transportation means, with public gatherings remaining strictly banned.



    Videoconference — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is today participating in a European Council videoconference dealing with measures aimed at managing the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the 4th conference held on the topic which gathers the heads of state and government from the EU. On March 26, the European Council members agreed on the need of a coordinated strategy for relaxing the restrictions imposed in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, on a comprehensive recovery plan and on unprecedented investments. Subsequently, the presidents of the European Council and of the European Commission drafted a roadmap for lifting restrictions across the bloc, which should be based on several criteria such as a significant drop of new coronavirus cases, control of the spread of the virus for a longer period of time, sufficient health system capacity, and testing a bigger number of people. The Committee and the Council added that a common European approach is needed in this regard, although the guidelines for and ways of lifting restrictions may differ from one state to another.



    UN — The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has today announced that the new coronavirus crisis could provide certain countries with an excuse for adopting repressive measures on grounds that are not related to the pandemic. He warned that these countries risk turning the pandemic into a human rights crisis, which would be unacceptable. Mr. Gutteres has made public a UN Report which highlights how human rights can and must guide COVID-19 response and recovery from the health, social and economic crisis facing the world. Antonio Guterres added that the world could see how the virus does not discriminate, but its impacts do. According to the UN report, migrants, refugees and displaced people are the most vulnerable categories. 131 countries have closed their borders, with only 30 of them making an exception for asylum seekers. The new coronavirus has so far infected more than 2.5 million people worldwide, of whom almost 180 thousand have died, shows a Reuters death toll.



    World Book Day — Starting in 1996, the Word Book and Copyright Day has been celebrated on April 23 upon a UNESCO’s initiative. The day marks the death in 1616 of three great writers of the world: the English William Shakespeare, the Spanish Miguel de Cervantes and the Spanish-born Peruvian Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Also April 23 is the birthday of such writers as Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. UNESCO declared April 23 the World Book and Copyright Day in an attempt to encourage reading, given the sharp decline in reading habits across the world. All countries of the world mark the day by holding events to pay homage to books, writers, editors, book sellers, librarians and of course to readers. The events include book exhibitions and public readings. This year, in the context of the coronaviurs pandemic, the World Book and Copyright Day is marked in a special way. In Romania, the 8th edition of the Open Books Night will be held under the motto ‘celebrate books from #home’. All readers, grownups and children, are invited to share the joy of reading online.



    Paris — The French group Renault has today reported a drop of more than 19% in its revenues registered in the first quarter of 2020, against the backdrop of the coronaviurs pandemic. Renault global sales have dropped by almost 26%, and in Europe by 36%. The Dacia brand has been especially affected, reporting in Europe a car registration decline of 44.5%. Production at the Dacia Mioveni Factory, in southern Romania, was resumed partially on Tuesday, based on a volunteering principle. Dacia Company was taken over by the Renault Group in 1999. Re-launched in 2004 with the new Logan model, Dacia has become an important player on the European car market. (tr. L. Simion)

  • April 20, 2020 UPDATE

    April 20, 2020 UPDATE

    EASTER In Romania, Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians are marking Easter Week or Bright Week, with believers greeting each other with “Christ Is Risen! on Monday, the second day of Easter, the same religious service was performed in churches as the one on Easter night. Believers can only attend Mass online, as their presence in churches is restricted over the COVID-19 pandemic. In a Facebook post, the Interior Minister Marcel Vela thanked all those who complied with the restrictions, writing that “Your proof of respect and patriotism for our work these days has been truly impressive! Minister Vela said on Tuesday he will announce a special action aimed at preserving a constant dialogue with citizens. On the other hand, hundreds of people have been fined by police over the past 2 days, for breaking the measures introduced by authorities to contain the virus. In some cases, violent clashes were reported, with police resorting to their weapons in order to end the scuffles.




    COVID-19 TIn Romania, authorities are not yet considering a lifting of coronavirus containment measures, given that these measures are still necessary at this point. The Strategic Communication Group says discussions about a gradual lifting of restrictions will take into account actual epidemiologic data, the need to prevent the risk of a second wave of infections, the recommendations of the European Commission and coordination with other EU member states. The coronavirus pandemic has killed around 470 people in Romania so far, out of a total of nearly 9,000 cases, 190 of them confirmed in the last 24 hours. Over 2,000 people have recovered. As many as 60 Romanian nationals living abroad died since the pandemic started, out of 730 that tested positive for the COVID-19, most of them in Italy and Spain.




    AID Romania will receive 800,000 USD in medical assistance from the US, in addition to the US-financed transport operation that brought protection equipment to the country, the US Embassy to Bucharest announced in a news release. Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman emphasised the close relations between the 2 countries and voiced confidence that, thanks to the cooperation between the 2 partner countries, the challenges of this period will be successfully overcome. The announcement comes shortly after an Easter message sent by the American Ambassador in Romanian on the occasion of the Orthodox Easter.




    PANDEMIC There are over 2.4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world, according to data centralised by the Johns Hopkins University in the US. More than 165,000 people died, and nearly 630,000 recovered. The US continues to report the highest numbers of cases and deaths, and in Europe the worst hit countries are Italy, Spain, France and the UK. Italy already sees a 6th week of lockdown. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Rome, people will only be allowed to leave their homes in 14 days, if the daily number of new cases drops. In Spain, the number of COVID-19 deaths dropped on Monday below 400 in 24 hours, for the first time since the WHO declared the pandemic, on March 11. Madrid intends to extend the existing restrictions until May 15, but in light of the recent positive signals some measures may be lifted sooner. In Belgium, the corona crisis seems to be over, authorities announced on Monday, saying that the number of new cases is the lowest of the past month. Belgiums Security Council convenes on Friday to discuss the easing of restrictions as of May 4. On Monday Germany reopened a number of small-sized shops, but Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that it is much too soon to discuss further lifting of restrictions. Last week Germany announced that the number of new cases is falling and that the epidemic is under control.




    OIL US oil prices dropped by around 20% on Monday, to less than 15 USD, the lowest level since March 1999, as the Covid-19 pandemic deepened uncertainties in the global market and cut the demand for fuel, while onshore storage capacities in Europe are maxing out. In its report for April, the International Energy Agency estimated that the global oil demand might fall in 2020 by a record 9.3 million barrels a day, as the pandemic paralyses the worlds economy.




    STATISTICS The EU reported a 22.4 billion euro surplus in trade, as against 16.4 billion euros in the corresponding period of 2019, according to preliminary data made public on Monday by the European Statistics Institute, Eurostat. As for Romania, data shows that in January – February 2020, exports rose by 2%, to 11.6 billion euro, while imports went up 3%, to 14.2 billion euro, resulting in a 2.6 billion euro deficit in the first 2 months of the year compared to 2.5 billion euro in the corresponding period of 2019.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 20, 2020

    April 20, 2020

    EASTER In Romania, Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians are celebrating the second day of Easter, Bright Monday. On this day, the same religious service is performed in churches as the one on Easter night. Believers can only attend Mass online, as their presence in churches is restricted over the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, hundreds of people have been fined by police over the past 2 days, for breaking the measures introduced by authorities to contain the virus. In some cases, violent clashes were reported, with police resorting to their weapons in order to end the scuffles.




    COVID-19 The coronavirus pandemic has killed 451 people in Romania so far, out of a total of nearly 9,000 cases, 190 of them confirmed in the last 24 hours. Over 2,000 people have recovered. Over 1,000 healthcare personnel have so far tested positive for Covid-19, most of them in Suceava (north-east), the main outbreak in the country, and in Bucharest. According to the Healthcare Minister Nelu Tătaru, Romania is seeing an upward trend in terms of new infections, but the increase is slow. As many as 60 Romanian nationals living abroad died since the pandemic started, out of 730 that tested positive for the COVID-19, most of them in Italy and Spain.




    AID Romania will receive 800,000 USD in medical assistance from the US, in addition to the US-financed transport operation that brought protection equipment to the country, the US Embassy to Bucharest announced in a news release. Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman emphasised the close relations between the 2 countries and voiced confidence that, thanks to the cooperation between the 2 partner countries, the challenges of this period will be successfully overcome. The announcement comes shortly after an Easter message sent by the American Ambassador in Romanian on the occasion of the Orthodox Easter.




    PANDEMIC There are over 2.4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world, according to data centralised by the Johns Hopkins University in the US. More than 165,000 people died, and nearly 630,000 recovered. The US continues to report the highest numbers of cases and deaths, and in Europe the worst hit countries are Italy, Spain, France and the UK. Italy already sees the 6th week of lockdown. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Rome, people will only be allowed to leave their homes in 14 days, if the daily number of new cases drops. At present Italy reports around 3,000 new cases and some 400 deaths every day. As of May 4, construction sites, shops, bars and restaurants will gradually open. Spain and France decided to postpone the lifting of containment measures for a few weeks, but in other EU countries measures are already being eased, the BBC reports. On Monday Poland reopens parks and forests and Norway opens kindergartens. The Czech Republic allows outdoor food markets to resume operation and in Albania the mining and oil industry are back to work. Also on Monday Germany reopens a number of small-sized shops, and the students due to take final exams this year go back to school. Last week Germany announced that the number of new cases is falling and that the epidemic is under control.




    OIL US oil prices dropped by around 20% on Monday, to less than 15 USD, the lowest level since March 1999, as the Covid-19 pandemic deepened uncertainties in the global market and cut the demand for fuel, while onshore storage capacities in Europe are maxing out. In its report for April, the International Energy Agency estimated that the global oil demand might fall in 2020 by a record 9.3 million barrels a day, as the pandemic paralyses the worlds economy.




    STATISTICS The EU reported a 22.4 billion euro surplus in trade, as against 16.4 billion euros in the corresponding period of 2019, according to preliminary data made public on Monday by the European Statistics Institute, Eurostat. As for Romania, data shows that in January – February 2020, exports rose by 2%, to 11.6 billion euro, while imports went up 3%, to 14.2 billion euro, resulting in a 2.6 billion euro deficit in the first 2 months of the year compared to 2.5 billion euro in the corresponding period of 2019.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 18, 2020 UPDATE

    April 18, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The number of deaths from coronavirus infections reported in Romania exceeds 420, out of a total of 8,400 confirmed cases. Over 1,000 healthcare personnel tested positive for the Covid-19 so far, most of them in Suceava (north-east) and in Bucharest. Around 1,700 people recovered and have been discharged from hospitals.PM Ludovic Orban said that according to estimates the pandemic will peak between May 1st and 5th in Romania, and once again urged citizens not to leave their homes except for emergencies.




    MEASURES The Resurrection of Christ is a celebration of hope in a season of rebirth, says the President of Romania in his Easter message, released on Saturday. He emphasises that unfortunately, this year Easter finds us in a situation that forces us to find the blessing and light of Easter within ourselves and our homes. Together, with devotion, love and faith, we will overcome this difficult challenge that mankind is facing, Klaus Iohannis adds. He urges Romanians to embrace the sacrifice of expressing their love to their beloved ones by complying with social distancing rules. Previously, Iohannis had called on citizens to avoid visits on Easter. He emphasised that Romania has not yet seen a peak of this epidemic, and that the only reasonable thing to do now is to stay away from our dear ones. The President also urged authorities to remain on alert. In a video message, PM Ludovic Orban in turn voiced his hope that the Easter symbols of love and sacrifice will give us the strength to be reborn together. Over 36,000 police, gendarme, fire-fighters, border police and other Interior Ministry and Defence Ministry staff are working during Easter to ensure compliance with the military orders, to prevent and curb crime and to step in in case of emergencies.




    EASTER The Orthodox majority in Romania, as well as the Greek Catholic Christians Sunday celebrate Easter or the Resurrection of Christ. This year believers will not be able to attend the Easter Mass, because of the measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, but they will be able to watch the midnight service on the media. The Easter light was brought from Jerusalem in a ceremony held in special conditions, without the thousands of pilgrims that used to attend this service in the past. Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wishes all Romanians, on this occasion, health and pace, joy and hope. “Our faith in the Resurrection helps us not to lose hope in the face of adversity, but to ask for Christs help with even more fervour, the Patriarch said in his Easter homily.




    AID The Romanian Foreign Ministry welcomed on Saturday the announcement made by the US on April 16 regarding an 800,000 USD support package for Romania in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Foreign Ministry, the decision is further proof of the strength of the bilateral Strategic Partnership, at a time of global crisis. According to the same source, with support from the US Romania received a RT-PCR testing unit provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has used NATO aircraft to bring emergency medical supplies into the country.




    FINANCIAL Fitch financial rating agency revised Romanias rating outlook from stable to negative, against the background of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on public finances in the coming period, the Ministry for Public Finances announced. The agency said the revision was necessary, given the poor fiscal management in previous years. The Finance Minister Florin Cîţu said in the forthcoming period the ministry will focus on implementing tax and budget measures aimed at mitigating the negative effects of the pandemic and on measures to revitalise the Romanian economy. The main elements able to help improve the country rating are stabilising the share of public debt in the GDP in the medium run, and sustainable improvement of the foreign debt level.




    PANDEMIC The official number of novel coronavirus infections in the world is over 2.2 million, with the death toll standing at nearly 155,000. The largest number of victims is reported in the US and Europe. The WHO estimated that, just like China, which announced another 1,290 deaths on Friday in Wuhan, many countries will have to update their death figures for the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the WHO, an accurate reporting of the number of cases and deaths is rather complicated given a number of factors, such as the isolation of patients who die at home alone and difficult bureaucratic procedures.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 18, 2020

    April 18, 2020

    COVID-19 The number of deaths from coronavirus infections reported in Romania exceeds 400, out of a total of 8,400 confirmed cases. Over 1,000 healthcare personnel tested positive for the Covid-19 so far, most of them in Suceava (north-east) and in Bucharest. Around 1,700 people recovered and have been discharged from hospitals. More than 60 Romanian nationals living abroad died so far from this disease. PM Ludovic Orban said that according to estimates the pandemic will peak between May 1st and 5th in Romania, and once again urged citizens not to leave their homes except for emergencies.




    MEASURES The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has once again called on citizens to comply with social distancing measures on Easter. He emphasised that Romania has not yet seen a peak of this epidemic, and that the only reasonable thing to do now is to stay away from our dear ones. The President also urged authorities to remain on alert. Over 36,000 police, gendarme, fire-fighters, border police and other Interior Ministry and Defence Ministry staff are working during Easter to ensure compliance with the military orders, to prevent and curb crime and to step in in case of emergencies.




    EASTER For the Orthodox majority in Romania, as well as for Greek Catholic Christians, today is Holy Saturday, the day before the Resurrection of Christ. This year believers will not be able to attend the Easter Mass, because of the measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, but they will be able to watch the midnight service on the media. The Easter light will be brought from Jerusalem in a ceremony held in special conditions, without the thousands of pilgrims that used to attend this service in the past. Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wishes all Romanians, on this occasion, health and pace, joy and hope. “Our faith in the Resurrection helps us not to lose hope in the face of adversity, but to ask for Christs help with even more fervour, the Patriarch said in his Easter homily.




    FINANCIAL Fitch financial rating agency revised Romanias rating outlook from stable to negative, against the background of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on public finances in the coming period, the Ministry for Public Finances announced. The agency said the revision was necessary, given the poor fiscal management in previous years. The Finance Minister Florin Cîţu said in the forthcoming period the ministry will focus on implementing tax and budget measures aimed at mitigating the negative effects of the pandemic and on measures to revitalise the Romanian economy. The main elements able to help improve the country rating are stabilising the share of public debt in the GDP in the medium run, and sustainable improvement of the foreign debt level.




    SME In Romania, a support programme for small and medium enterprises has been initiated. SMEs will benefit from loans without interest and banking fees, which will be covered by the government. The funds earmarked for the programme total 3.1 billion euros, for working capital and investments, and will be granted not only to companies affected by the corona crisis, but to all interested SMEs. The facility is aimed at revitalising the Romanian economy, supporting around 600,000 jobs in a first stage.




    EU The European Parliament, convening in a special online session, approved 3 billion euros worth of emergency support for the healthcare sector. The money will be used for the procurement of emergency medical supplies, the transport of medical equipment and patients and support for the construction of field hospitals. Another measure approved on this occasion has to do with the transfer of funds and 100% European funding for containing the corona pandemic. Member states will thus be able to transfer money between various funds in order to meet emergency healthcare needs. MEPs also endorsed other measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the EU fisheries sector, which is heavily affected by the spread of the COVID-19.




    PANDEMIC The official number of novel coronavirus infections in the world is over 2.2 million, with the death toll standing at nearly 155,000. The largest number of victims is reported in the US and Europe. The WHO estimated that, just like China, which announced another 1,290 deaths on Friday in Wuhan, many countries will have to update their death figures for the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the WHO, an accurate reporting of the number of cases and deaths is rather complicated given a number of factors, such as the isolation of patients who die at home alone and difficult bureaucratic procedures.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)