Radio România Internațional

Tag: offshore bill

  • The Week in Review: October 21-27, 2018

    The Week in Review: October 21-27, 2018

    Justice Minister requests the removal of the Prosecutor General




    The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has initiated the procedure to dismiss Augustin Lazar as Prosecutor General of Romania, following an assessment of his work. Earlier this year, also at the request of the Justice Minister and bound by a Constitutional Court ruling, President Klaus Iohannis had dismissed the chief of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi. Tudorel Toader explained that the same kind of behaviour that prompted Kovesi’s removal was now bringing the downfall of the Prosecutor General.



    According to the Justice Minister, Augustin Lazar has generated 3 judicial conflicts related to the separation of powers, and has made unprecedented accusations against public authorities, parliament and the government. Lazar is also accused of challenging the rulings of the Constitutional Court, of failing to meet his professional objectives, of criticising the justice laws after the constitutionality check had been completed, and of breaking the law by signing protocols with the intelligence services, thus paving the way for a parallel judicial system.



    In response, Augustin Lazar says the Justice Minister’s claims are exaggerations and that freedom of expression must be used against any interference that threatens to affect the independence of prosecutors.



    The Prosecutors’ Section of the Superior Council of Magistracy has scheduled the hearing of the Prosecutor General on November 13, and is to make public an official opinion on the dismissal request on November 21.



    According to President Klaus Iohannis, the Justice Minister’s request to remove Lazar is completely unjustified, and calls on Tudorel Toader to step down. Once again, the head of state says, attempts are being made to persuade people that prosecutors are the enemies of society. The President also urged magistrates not to lose faith in the Romanian society’s ability to withstand a new attack on the rule of law.



    The National Liberal Party, in opposition, believes the request to dismiss the Prosecutor General is groundless and is just an attack against the independence of the judiciary, whereas the leaders of Save Romania Union say Tudorel Toader has removed the chief prosecutors on orders from the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats.



    Talks on the rule of law and the justice laws in Brussels and Bucharest



    The head of the Romanian state Klaus Iohannis Tuesday addressed the European Parliament for the first time, presenting Romania’s views on the future of the European bloc. He pleaded for unity, cohesion and solidarity in the effort to strengthen the Union, and rejected the idea of a “multi-speed Europe.” Klaus Iohannis also said Romania is a democratic country, respecting the rule of law and fully committed to the fight against corruption. In fact, on Wednesday in Bucharest he held consultations with the parliamentary parties, precisely concerning the changes to the justice laws operated by the ruling coalition.



    Previously, the Venice Commission had released a report which found that the new justice laws and Criminal Codes undermine the fight against corruption and organised crime. The head of state has said that the justice laws must be rethought, modernised and improved and that the legislative cycle in the field must be resumed. On the other hand, the Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea has said that his party opposes the resuming of the legislative process in the case of the justice laws, because there is already a decree on this matter in Parliament.



    In his turn, the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, has said, after consultations, that a consensus on the justice laws is necessary, but also common premises, such as putting an end to the abuse committed through secret protocols. The National Liberal Party, in opposition, has said that it supports the head of state’s idea of debates being resumed. The leader of the Save Romania Union, Dan Barna, believes that Romania’s presidency could be a very good platform for debate and a real mediation between magistrates, politicians, civil society and Romania’s citizens, who truly want an independent and functional justice system.



    The offshore bill, regulating gas exploitation in the Black Sea, passed by Romanian MPs



    Romanian MPs have adopted the offshore law, regulating gas exploitation in the Black Sea. The Opposition has criticised the lack of some precise calculations to justify modifications to this law, while the Power believes the Romanian state’s interests are protected by this law. Last week, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats reached consensus over modifications to this law. Thus, it was agreed that 50% of the natural gas production in the Black Sea should be traded on the domestic stock exchange market while the operators’ investment should be deducted from the additional tax within the limit of 30%.



    Italian Interior Minister pays visit to Bucharest



    The Romanian Interior Minister, Carmen Dan, met on Tuesday in Bucharest with the Italian deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. Bilateral cooperation in the field of security, especially in the context of Romania’s taking over the EU Council presidency in the first six months of 2019 were among the topics tackled by the two officials. The Romanian community in Italy and the Italian community in Romania make the relationship between the two countries even stronger, and contribute to their economic and social development, Minister Carmen Dan has said. In turn, Matteo Salvini has said that the Romanian community in Italy numbers more that 1 million and that the mistakes some of them make should not impact the other members of the community. Also, Salvini has thanked the Romanian authorities for their support in identifying Romanian fugitives in Italy.

  • October 1, 2018 UPDATE

    October 1, 2018 UPDATE

    JUDICIARY – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest Monday approved a request filed by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate to reopen a case involving the Social Democrat leader, Liviu Dragnea, who is also the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. Dragnea is accused of abuse of office in this case which was closed in 2013, but prosecutors decided to reopen it following reports from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). The investigation will target the award of public contracts to a construction company back when Dragnea was the president of the Teleorman County Council. In fact, Dragnea is currently subject to a second probe in a case concerning the same company. He was also sentenced to 3 and a half years for having ordered the fictitious employment of 2 party members, and has another 2-year suspended sentence for election fraud.



    2018-2019 ACADEMIC YEAR – Nearly half a million students in Romania Monday started a new academic year. President Klaus Iohannis attended the opening ceremony in Iasi, recalling that the city hosted the first modern university in Romania in 1860. The President added that the recent decades, marked by economic and technological advancement, have turned the great university centres in pillars of economic growth. In turn, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila attended the opening ceremony at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Craiova, saying that the Romanian medical school is an elite school, and that healthcare and education should underlie the development of society. The new academic year starts with the Education Minister position left vacant, after Valentin Popa resigned last week. Rovana Plumb, Minister of European Funds, has been nominated as interim Education Minister.



    REMARKS – The recent changes to the justice legislation in Romania risk throwing the country back in the early 2000s, a period marked by deep corruption, US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm said today at the opening ceremony of a new academic year at the Law School in Bucharest, also attended by the French Ambassador to Bucharest, Michele Ramis. Hans Klemm referred to the amendments brought to the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, the modifications brought to the Judicial Inspection Corps, and the magistrates protests against the changes, which were “unimaginable in the past, Klemm argued. In their current version, these amendments will hinder or make it utterly impossible the investigation and prosecution of such crimes as murder and organized crime, the US official went on to say. According to Ambassador Klemm, international cooperation in the justice field will be reduced significantly over worries linked to sharing information with Romania.



    PARLIAMENT – Romanian Senators and Deputies will resume session on Tuesday after attending ceremonies marking the start of a new academic year across the country on Monday. The Chamber of Deputies agenda includes the law regulating the exploitation of natural gas in the Black Sea. The debate and the vote on this matter were delayed by a week. The bill got Senates approval and has been tabled to the Chamber of Deputies. Members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania have announced they would introduce several amendments, while Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea wants to delay the vote, to give MPs enough time to analyse and discuss the offshore bill. Also this week the ruling coalition faces two simple motions. The Liberal Party in opposition has filed a simple motion against Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici in the Chamber of Deputies, while the Save Romania Union and Liberal party have filed a motion against Transport Minister Lucian Sova in the Senate. Both documents will be debated and voted on Wednesday. Parliaments committee investigating the involvement of the Personal Security Service (SPP) in the activity of certain political parties and some of their leaders is also scheduled to start its activity this week.



    NOBEL PRIZE – Scientists James P. Allison of the United States and Tasuku Honjo of Japan were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2018 “for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation. The Nobel Prize for Literature will be announced next year along with the recipient selected for 2019, in the wake of wide-ranging sexual assault allegations targeting members of the Swedish academy, made public by #MeToo. The Academy has thus decided to postpone the literature prize for next year, to allow the institution to reform and replace its outgoing members. Five Nobel prizes were instated by Swedish inventors, industrialist and philanthropist Alfred Nobel, for medicine, chemistry, physics, literature and peace. A sixth Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was founded by Bank of Sweden in 1968.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep is ranked first and enjoys a considerable lead in WTA standings. Halep is up 2,400 points over runner-up Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and 2,700 against Germanys Angelique Kerber. The gap will shrink starting next week, considering Halep withdrew in the first round in Beijing this year. Last year the Romanian player reached the finals. This is Simonas 48th consecutive week at the top of the womens singles rankings. Also the Romanian player is ranked 11th in an all-time ranking. Other Romanians ranked in the WTA Top 100 are Mihaela Buzarnescu (24), Irina Begu (53), Sorana Cirstea (61), Ana Bogdan (80) and Monica Niculescu (82).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Vlad Palcu)

  • September 24, 2018 UPDATE

    September 24, 2018 UPDATE

    OFFSHORE BILL — The Romanian Senate on Monday passed the offshore bill, regulating the exploitation of natural gas in the Black Sea. The specialized committees of the Romanian Senate earlier that day relaxed conditions for investment depreciations for companies exploiting natural gas in the Black Sea. According to the bill, the taxation system and rules will remain unchanged throughout the entire period of the contract, thus ensuring predictability and stability. Another amendment forces companies to sell on the Romanian market some 50% of exploited gas every year. Liberal Senator Florin Catu from the opposition claims none of the president’s demands in the reexamination request has been met. The Chamber of Deputies passed the law on July 9. On August 2nd, president Klaus Iohannis sent back to Parliament for reexamination the offshore bill, saying that it had to be reviewed in terms of long-term stability and predictability of the legal framework applicable to this sector and in order to avoid any potential negative effects.



    UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY – 130 heads of state and government are attending in New York the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. Romania is represented by president Klaus Iohannis. On Wednesday, in the speech he will give during the assembly’s general debates, the Romanian head of state will stress the importance of an effective response to the main challenges to international peace and security, alongside with identifying the causes of this crisis-generating conflict. Also, the Romanian president will participate alongside the other world leaders in the opening of the top level debate segment, themed ‘Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies’. At the end of the debates the participants will adopt a resolution.



    VISIT – Over September 24-28, the Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor will pay a formal visit to the US, where he will meet at the Pentagon his American counterpart James Mattis. The agenda of talks includes subjects concerning defense cooperation, both bilateral and within the North Atlantic Alliance. On Monday, Mihai Fifor is participating in a forum organized by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), based in Washington. Established in 2005, CEPA is an American non-profit, public policy research institute, whose activity is focused on the study of European states and societies. The visit to the US also includes meetings with the governor of the State of Alabama, Kay Ivey, and representatives of the US Congress, on which occasion the officials will tackle priority issues on the defense agenda.



    MISSIONS — The Romanian frigate King Ferdinand is taking part in two international missions in the Mediterranean Sea over September 27 — October 24, as per Romania’s commitments to NATO. According to a Romanian Navy Forces release, the frigate will first take part in the Mavi Balina anti-submarine multinational exercise hosted by Turkey over September 24 — October 4. The exercise is aimed at consolidating cooperation and increase interoperability with NATO structures in the field of anti-submarine warfare. Attending will be scores of battleships and aircraft, submarines and troops with the Special Operations Forces in Azerbaijan, Greece, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Romania, Spain, the United States and Turkey. The second mission will unfold over October 5-24 and will entail the participation of the Romanian frigate in the 2018 Sea Guardian, a maritime security operation in the Mediterranean Sea.



    KIDNAPPING – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the kidnapping of a Romanian sailor in the attack on a ship under Swiss flag, which occurred on the 22nd of September, in the Nigerian waters. The crisis cell activated at the ministry was activated upon order by the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu. The diplomatic representatives of Romania in Bern and Abuja have already acted together with the local uathorities.12 of the 19 crew members were kidnapped in the attack.



    MOLDOVA – The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova, the former Soviet republic with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population, has decided to temporarily suspend the prerogatives of the pro-Russian president Igor Dodon, after the latter refused to sign the decrees for the appointment of two new ministers in the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Pavel Filip. According to the Court’s ruling, Parliament President Andrian Candu or the prime-minister will sign the decrees appointing the new ministers of agriculture and health. Dodon has twice refused to sign the decrees, in breach of the constitution. This is the fourth time that president Dodon has been suspended.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.1 in the WTA rankings, as of Tuesday takes part in the Wuhan tournament in China, with 2,750,000 dollars in prize money. Qualified straight to the second round, Halep will first face the Slovak Dominika Cibulkova. In the first round, Cibulkova defeated 2-nil another Romanian player, Monica Niculescu.


    (Translated by M. Ignatescu & V. Palcu)

  • September 24, 2018

    September 24, 2018


    UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY – 130 heads of state and government are attending in New York the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. Romania is represented by president Klaus Iohannis. On Wednesday, in the speech he will give during the assemblys general debates, the Romanian head of state will stress the importance of an effective response to the main challenges to international peace and security, alongside with identifying the causes of this crisis-generating conflicts. Also, the Romanian president will participate alongside the other world leaders in the opening of the top level debate segment, themed Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies. At the end of the debates the participants will adopt a resolution.



    VISIT – Over September 24-28, the Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor is paying a formal visit to the US, where he will meet at the Pentagon his American counterpart James Mattis. The agenda of talks includes subjects concerning defense cooperation, both bilateral and within the North Atlantic Alliance. Today, Mihai Fifor is participating in a forum organized by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), based in Washington. Established in 2005, CEPA is an American non-profit, public policy research institute, whose activity is focused on the study of European states and societies. The visit to the US also includes meetings with the governor of the State of Alabama, Kay Ivey, and representatives of the US Congress, on which occasion the officials will tackle priority issues on the defense agenda.



    PSD – The top leaders of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the senior partner in the left-wing Government in Bucharest have gathered today for a meeting of the National Standing Bureau. The meeting was convened after on Friday the Executive Committee of the party decided to keep supporting their president Liviu Dragnea, whose resignation had been requested by a few Social Democratic leaders.



    OFFSHORE BILL – The specialized committees of the Romanian Senate are today presenting a joint report on the offshore bill, following a request for reexamination made by president Klaus Iohannis. Also today, the document, which establishes the rules under which companies can exploit gas in the Black Sea, would have to get a vote in plenary session. On July 9th, the Chamber of Deputies adopted the bill regarding several measures needed for the implementation of oil operations by owners of agreements on offshore oil perimeters. On August 2nd, president Klaus Iohannis sent back to Parliament for reexamination the offshore bill, saying that it had to be reviewed in terms of long-term stability and predictability of the legal framework applicable to this sector and in order to avoid any potential negative effects.



    MOLDOVA – The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova, the former Soviet republic with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population, has today decided to temporarily suspend the prerogatives of the pro-Russian president Igor Dodon, after the latter refused to sign the decrees for the appointment of two new ministers in the cabinet headed by PM Pavel Filip. According to the Courts ruling, Parliament President Andrian Candu or the prime-minister will sign the decrees appointing the new ministers of agriculture and health. Dodon has twice refused to sign the decrees, in breach of the constitution. This is the fourth time that president Dodon has been suspended.



    KIDNAPPING – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the kidnapping of a Romanian sailor in the attack on a ship under Swiss flag, which occurred on the 22nd of September, in the Nigerian waters. A crisis cell has been activated within the ministry upon order by the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu. The diplomatic representatives of Romania in Bern and Abuja have already acted together with the local authorities. 12 of the 19 crew members were kidnapped in the attack.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.1 in the WTA rankings, as of Tuesday takes part in the Wuhan tournament in China, with 2,750,000 dollars in prize money. Qualified straight to the second round, Halep will first face the Slovak Dominika Cibulkova. In the first round, Cibulkova defeated 2-nil another Romanian player, Monica Niculescu.