Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romanian presidency of the EU Council

February 18, 2019 UPDATE

EU – The Romanian Economy Minister,
Niculae Bădălău, on Monday chaired in Brussels the first meeting of the
internal market and industry section of the Competitiveness Council (COMPET),
under the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. The agenda of the
Council meeting included talks on competitiveness, artificial intelligence and
its impact on EU industry and the Commission’s communication A Clean Planet
for all: A European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern,
competitive and climate-neutral economy. Moreover the Council also adopted the
conclusions on the Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence, which is part
of a Coordinated Plan on the Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence
Made in Europe.

JUDICIARY – The High Court of Cassation
and Justice has once again postponed, to March 18, the appeal filed by the
Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea against a 3-and-a-half-year prison
sentence he had received from the court of first instance in a
corruption-related case. In June 2018, the Supreme Court sentenced Dragnea for
instigating abuse of office, in a case involving the fictitious employment of 2
individuals who were on the payroll of the Teleorman Directorate General for
Social Assistance and Child Protection, but who actually worked exclusively for
the Social Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea, who was the head of the County
Council at the time, was accused of having ordered the hiring. He claims to be
innocent and has appealed the initial ruling, but the trial has been repeatedly
postponed, amid controversies regarding the membership of the 5-judge panels at
the Supreme Court. In 2016, Dragnea also received a suspended 2-year prison sentence
for attempted election fraud, but last summer the Supreme Court reversed the
decision to suspend his sentence.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS – The Romanian Foreign Minister
Teodor Meleşcanu on Monday attended a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in
Brussels. The agenda included the developments in Ukraine and Syria. According
to Minister Melescanu, concerning Syria, everyone agreed that the EU needs to
get more involved in finding a political solution to the crisis in this
country, considering the impact the crisis is having on the EU, especially in
terms of migration and the return of military combatants from Syria. As regards
Ukraine, Teodor Melescanu said it is important the Council sends a clear
message of support by means of its resolutions that should focus on the
observance of Ukraine’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Moreover,
the Romanian official said the best solution after the election in Moldova
would be a pro-European Parliament majority that should continue its EU
accession path.

STATISTICS – 1.6% of Romanian employees
were working in culture-related fields in 2017, as against the 3.8% the EU
average, according to data made public by the European Statistics Bureau,
Eurostat, on Monday. Around 8.7 million EU citizens were working in culture-related
fields or had professions in this field. The highest rates were reported in
Estonia (5.5%) and Sweden (4.8%). According to Eurostat, in 2017 EU households
allotted an average 8.5% of their total expenses to entertainment and culture,
with Denmark and Sweden spending as much as 11.5% and 11% respectively,
compared to Greece with 4.6% and Romania with 5.8%. The total expenses for
entertainment and culture across the EU in 2017 reached 710 billion euros,
accounting for 4.6% of the Union’s GDP.

FLU – In Romania, the number of
deaths caused by the flu has reached 131. According to the National Centre for
Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control, the last victims are a woman and 2
men. They had previous conditions and had not been immunized against the flu.
Romania is currently struggling with a flu epidemic.

NAVY – The Lieutenant Lupu Dinescu minesweeper on Sunday left
the port of Constanta to join the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group. The
mission is aimed at carrying out specific actions in the Black Sea to ensure
NATO’s collective defense on its eastern flank. Taking part are vessels from
Bulgaria, Germany, Spain and Turkey. The Group will also take part in the
Poseidon 19 Romanian-Bulgaria bilateral exercise. The crew of the Romanian
minesweeper comprises 78 military.

PIPELINE – Construction works for phase
II of the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau pipeline kicked off on Monday, the Romanian
Ministry of the Economy reports. The project is proof of Romania’s support for
the Republic of Moldova and of its efforts to consolidate energy security and
integration on the European single energy market. The first phase of the
pipeline was inaugurated in 2014 and can carry some 1,5 billion cubic meters of
natural gas.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep
is as of Monday world number 2 in WTA standings. She will play Eugenie Bouchard
of Canada in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships,
totaling 2.8 million dollars in prize money. Also on Monday, the pair made up
of Irina Bara of Romania and Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia advanced to the round
of 32 in the doubles competition, after easing past Belinda Bencic of
Switzerland and Daria Kasatkina of Russia, 2-6, 6-4, 11-0. They will next play
Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, seeded 8th
in the competition, who ousted Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania and Alicja
Rosolska of Poland. Mihaela Buzarnescu on Monday also lost to Sofia Kenin of
the United States in the singles competition, 6-3, 6-nil.

(Translated by Ana-Maria Popescu
& V. Palcu)

18 February 2019
European meeting on agriculture issues

The seventh largest country of the EU’s 28
members in terms of surface area, and the sixth after Brexit, Romania was once
called Europe’s granary due to its highly fertile land. Experts still see it as
a country with great agricultural potential. Though not always exploited
efficiently, this potential has however allowed Romania to become again an
important cereal producer and exporter. Consequently, European agricultural
policies are high on Romania’s agenda particularly now, when the country holds
the 6-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On Monday, Romanian
Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea, attended in Brussels the Agriculture and
Fisheries Council, the first during the Romanian Presidency of the Council of
the EU.

The meeting’s agenda included topics such as the Common Agricultural
Policy after 2020 and the Romanian presidency’s priorities, such as animal
health and the consolidation of the farmers’ position. According to Radio
Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, Bucharest plans to make progress in the
negotiations on the modernisation and simplification of the Common Agricultural
Policy. Legislative proposals laying emphasis on the common organisation of
markets will be a priority. Also, the Romanian presidency wants to take
measures likely to encourage the production of plant proteins that would make
the EU independent in this respect. In terms of animal health, Romania wants to
implement a set of measures for the control and eradication of major animal
diseases, and for antimicrobial resistance in veterinary medicine.

Consolidating the position of farmers, who are now seen as the most vulnerable
ring in the food supply chain, will continue to be a priority during Romania’s
mandate. Minister Daea hopes that the farmers’ status will be improved through
the official adoption of the directive on unloyal trade practices. The Romanian
presidency of the Council of the EU will also try to find, together with the
community legislative, the best solution for the long-term management of fish
stocks, Minister Daea has pledged in Brussels. We must fully exploit the
potential of sustainable aquaculture in the Union, in order to meet the
consumers’ expectations and increase the number of jobs, Petre Daea went on to
say. The Romanian official has admitted that the short time left until the
European elections in May is one of the challenges. He has voiced hope,
however, that he will be able to collaborate with the MEPs in order to finalise,
during the current European Parliament legislature, the negotiations regarding
the control regulation and the multiannual fund for fishing.

29 January 2019
Romania and the EU-NATO Cooperation

Romania remains a trustworthy partner of NATO
and will continue to fulfill its obligations within the Alliance, the Romanian
PM Viorica Dancila said after a meeting with the NATO Secretary General Jens
Stoltenberg. The two officials met on Wednesday in Brussels on the occasion of
Romania’s taking over the presidency of the Council of the EU. PM Dancila
presented the NATO official with Romania’s priorities at the helm of the
Council, focusing on cohesion and cooperation among member states in the face of
new security challenges and ensuring a more important role of the EU at world
level.

Romania firmly supports a strong Alliance and the consolidation of the
trans-Atlantic relationship, which is vital for Euro-Atlantic security, Dancila
said. She added that Romania wants the EU to improve its capacity to face
security challenges, but as a partner of NATO. We are faced with many common threats,
such as hybrid attacks, including in the cyber field and the use of disinformation
and fake news to create tension and mistrust. We must face them together, the
Romanian PM said.

The two officials also approached the issue of security
in the region, in particular the developments in the Black Sea area, but also defense
on the eastern flank. Viorica Dancila:

I have conveyed the Romanian
Government’s support for the important progress made by NATO in adjusting to
the new realities. I have pointed out that security in the Black Sea area is part
of the Euro-Atlantic security and that the Alliance needs a strategic approach
in this region.

In turn, the NATO Secretary General, Jens
Stoltenberg, talked about Romania’s crucial role in the Black Sea area and appreciated
Romania’s contribution in the field of security. Moreover, he hailed the
country’s decision to spend 2% of the GDP on defense. The partnership has been important to both NATO and Romania. This year
is the 15th anniversary of Romania joining our Alliance. Your membership has been important for NATO
and for Romania. You contribute to our shared security in many different ways
and your contributions are making us all stronger and safer Stoltenberg said.

The NATO Secretary General also talked
about the Romanian military’s participation in NATO international missions. NATO and the EU are already working more closely than ever, in areas
including military mobility, cyber and hybrid threats, and maritime security.
And I welcome your plans for further strengthening NATO-EU cooperation during
Romania’s presidency, Jens Stoltenberg also said.

25 January 2019
December 12, 2018 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY OF THE EU COUNCIL – The priorities of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, as of January 1, 2019, are structured onto four pillars: Europe of convergence, Europe of safety, Europe-global actor and Europe of common values-Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă said in the Romanian Parliament on Wednesday. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, gathered in a joint session, adopted a declaration on the parliamentary dimension of the presidency of the EU Council, that Romania will hold for 6 months. In the document, Parliament expresses readiness to actively cooperate with the Government on all major files and the proposed initiatives during Romanias tenure. The Romanian Parliament also says the program of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council is focussing on a stronger, more democratic Union, closer to its citizens. For 6 months, Romania will be at the core of the European decision-making process, its mandate including, among other issues and responsibilities, organising European Parliamentary elections in May. Furthermore, this mandate will be held in a complex European and international context, with Brexit and the multi-annual financial framework being only two of its challenges.

GAC – Romanian Minister-Delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, has officially taken over the mandate of president of the General Affairs Council of the European Union, at the end of a meeting with his counterparts, held in Brussels. Special attention was paid at the meeting to the 2021-2027 multi-annul financial framework, in preparation for the debates to be held by the European leaders at the European Council due on December 13-14.

MOTION – 163 MPs, members of the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party, in the right-of centre opposition, as well as non-affiliated members have signed for tabling a censure motion in Parliament against the Danicla cabinet, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. Naming the cabinet an “organised crime group, the signatories to the text say the Government is ruining the rule of law and blowing out Romanias political and economic stability, at a moment of international instability. The motion will be filed on Friday and it will be debated and voted upon next week. The vice-president of the National Liberal Party, Raluca Turcan, has made an appeal to all MPs to join the demarche, for the motion to be passed. In exchange, the president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, has said the Government enjoys support in Parliament, underlining that he does not know who the person envisaged by the opposition for the position of prime minister is. Filing the censure motion ahead of Romanias taking over the presidency of the EU Council is a signal which does not do any good to the country, says PM Viorica Dăncilă, who has also added that she is not nervous about the fate of her cabinet.

PENSIONS – The Chamber of Deputies final vote on the new pension law has been postponed, after having been green lighted by the Labour and Social Protection Committee on Tuesday. Some MPs in opposition say this is due to the fact that the ruling alliance has not managed to gather enough votes for the bill to pass. Among its provisions is also the one saying that work experience worth 15 years is the minimum amount that qualifies a worker for a public pension.

UKRAINE – State Secretary with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Dan Neculaescu, has said in a message to the Ukrainian authorities that they must implement the Venice Commissions recommendations as regards the education law. Romania says the law banning schools from teaching in minority languages beyond primary school level is unacceptable, as it deprives national minorities of the rights they have earned. The Romanian officials position was presented at the 7th session of the Romanian-Ukrainian joint intergovernmental commission regarding the protection of national minorities, held in Bucharest. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, in spite of the efforts deployed, it was not possible to have the text of the sessions protocol agreed on and signed at the December 11 meeting. Dan Neculaescu has voiced confidence that the Ukrainian side will not take measures likely to restrict the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine. Almost 500 thousand ethnic Romanians live in the neighbouring country, most of them on the Romanian territories annexed by the former USSR in 1940 and taken over by Ukraine, as a successor state, in 1991.

MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE– Romanian President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message of condolence to his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, following Tuesdays attack in the eastern French city of Strasbourg. Romania stands by France in its battle against those who threaten the lives of innocent people and our way of living, President Iohannis has said in his message. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry there are no Romanian citizens among the victims and no consular assistance has been requested. Romanias Consulate monitors the situation and keeps in touch with local authorities. Romanias PM Viorica Dancila has firmly condemned, in a Facebook post, the attack on innocent people. Hundreds of police officers are hunting a gunman who killed three people and wounded 12 others in a shooting in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The suspect escaped after exchanging fire with soldiers and armed police. The shooting took place close to a popular Christmas market near one of the central squares, Place Kléber. The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Police sources said the 29-year- old suspect was born in Strasbourg and was already known to the security services as a possible terrorist threat. France had raised its security alert level to emergency attack.

12 December 2018
October 12, 2018

EU TALKS – The Secretary General of the European Commission, Martin Selmayr, and Clara Martinez Alberola, Head of Cabinet of the EC President, Jean-Claude Juncker, are today being received in Bucharest by president Klaus Iohannis and the Speakers of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu, respectively. On Thursday, the European officials met with PM Viorica Dancila. Talks focussed on the larger context in which Romania takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council, on January 1, 2019. The PM expressed Romanias readiness to ensure an efficient and pragmatic presidency of the EU Council. During the six month term, elections for the European Parliament will be held, Great Britain will leave the community bloc and negotiations will be held on the future multiannual budget of the EU.

ROMANIAN-ITALIAN RELATIONS – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, will travel to Italy, between October 14th and 17th, on the first visit by a Romanian president to that country over the past 45 years. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration, Klaus Iohannis is due to meet his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella, PM Giuseppe Conte, and the Speakers of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and Roberto Fico, respectively. The agenda of the visit also includes meetings with representatives of the Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman-Catholic religious denominations as well as with representatives of the Romanian community, the largest outside the borders of the country. The visit is paid against the backdrop of celebrations marking the Great Union Centennial and 10 years since Romanian-Italian relations were raised at the level of Consolidated Strategic Partnership, the communiqué also reads.

FRANCOPHONIE – Romania further assumes the role of flagship country of the Francophone Movement, Romanian deputy prime minister Ana Birchall, said during the Conference of heads of state and government of the Francophone countries, held in Yerevan, Armenia, between October 10 and 12. Ana Birchall gave a speech in her capacity as head of the Romanian delegation, underlining Bucharests commitment to Francophonie and its values. The agenda of talks also covered issues related to the adoption of documents and resolutions concerning the Francophone area, electing the Secretary General of the Francophonie for the 2018-2022 period, debates on crisis situations in the Francophone area and accepting new members of the International Organisation of the Francophonie. Talks also covered such issues as the importance of culture, education and research for the development of countries in the whole Francophone area. On this occasion, the Romanian deputy PM signed an agreement regarding the headquarters of the Regional Bureau of the International Organisation of the Francophonie for Central and Eastern Europe, concluded by the Romanian Government and the International Organisation of the Francophonie.

POLL – Almost two thirds of the Europeans say they are not convinced that their lives would be worse without the European Union, a poll carried out by a polling institute in Brussels, Europes Friends shows. The poll was conducted in September, among 11,000 interviewees, from all member states. According to the poll, 64% of the Europeans are not convinced that their lives would be worse without the EU, and almost half of the respondents said the Union is irrelevant. The poll underlines that over 30% of the North Europeans, the French and the Germans want to promote values and democracy in the EU, whereas over 40% of the citizens in Southern Europe and the Vishegrad Group, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, believe the main objective of the European bloc should be economic growth.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national team Under 21 is meeting this evening on home soil, in Cluj, north-western Romania, the team of Wales, on the last but one game in the preliminaries for the European Championship due next year. On Tuesday, on home soil, in Ploiesti, southern Romania, the Romanian team will play the last qualifying match, with Liechtenstein. Ranking first in the group is Bosnia, with 18 points, followed by Romania with 18 points but a match still to be played. Romania failed to qualify for Under 21 final tournaments in the past 20 years. On Thursday evening, the seniors defeated Lithuania, away from home, 2-1, in a Group 4 C Series match of the newly created Nations League. In the same group, Montenegro-Serbia ended their match,0-2. Leading the group is Serbia with 7 points, followed by Romania with 5 points and Montenegro with 4. Lithuania has failed to win any point. Romania will face Serbia and Lithuania- Montenegro on Sunday.

12 October 2018
The annual meeting of Romanian diplomacy

Bucharest is currently hosting the meeting of the Romanian diplomacy, an
event which has a special significance this year. On the one hand, Romania
celebrates the Great Union Centennial and, on the other, one of the main topics
on the agenda of talks is Bucharest’s first mandate at the helm of the Council
of the EU in the first half of 2019.

The annual meeting of the diplomacy is a
large platform of debate on a series of topics of major interest for Romania,
such as bilateral and strategic relations, which are national priorities,
alongside regional cooperation, the eastern neighbourhood and economic
diplomacy.

Attending the meeting of the heads of Romania’s diplomatic and
consular missions abroad, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu has stated
that Romania’s diplomacy should remain a fundamental binder of society. He has
recalled that the country’s modernization process was possible due to the
consensus reached by the whole political class on Romania’s main objectives, accession
to NATO and the EU, and he has underlined that Romania enjoys an
unprecedentedly high level of security and prosperity.

In another move, the
Romanian Foreign Minister has said that in November, Parliament will adopt the
main political objectives of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, underlining
that there is solidarity at the level of the political class in Romania with
respect to EU-related issues. He has given these assurances as there have been
voices which cast doubt on Romania’s mandate, against the backdrop of political
tensions in the country.

In a press conference given jointly with his German
counterpart Heiko Maas, the special guest of the Bucharest-meeting, Teodor
Meleşcanu has also said that Romania will hold this presidency under the
auspices of the idea of a more united, integrated and cohesive Europe. In turn,
the German official has voiced confidence that the Romanian presidency of the
EU Council will be an efficient one and underlined that Bucharest will enjoy
Berlin’s support during its term at the helm of the Council.

Heiko Maas has
also recalled what the main challenges of this mandate will be: Brexit, the multi-annual financial framework and migration-related issues. The German Foreign
Minister has also referred to the reform of the judiciary in Romania and
underlined that the right balance in the separation of state powers can be reached.
The German official has also said that compromise can be reached, and that
would in turn render society more united.

28 August 2018
The annual meeting of Romanian diplomacy

Bucharest is currently hosting the meeting of the Romanian diplomacy, an
event which has a special significance this year. On the one hand, Romania
celebrates the Great Union Centennial and, on the other, one of the main topics
on the agenda of talks is Bucharest’s first mandate at the helm of the Council
of the EU in the first half of 2019.

The annual meeting of the diplomacy is a
large platform of debate on a series of topics of major interest for Romania,
such as bilateral and strategic relations, which are national priorities,
alongside regional cooperation, the eastern neighbourhood and economic
diplomacy.

Attending the meeting of the heads of Romania’s diplomatic and
consular missions abroad, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu has stated
that Romania’s diplomacy should remain a fundamental binder of society. He has
recalled that the country’s modernization process was possible due to the
consensus reached by the whole political class on Romania’s main objectives, accession
to NATO and the EU, and he has underlined that Romania enjoys an
unprecedentedly high level of security and prosperity.

In another move, the
Romanian Foreign Minister has said that in November, Parliament will adopt the
main political objectives of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, underlining
that there is solidarity at the level of the political class in Romania with
respect to EU-related issues. He has given these assurances as there have been
voices which cast doubt on Romania’s mandate, against the backdrop of political
tensions in the country.

In a press conference given jointly with his German
counterpart Heiko Maas, the special guest of the Bucharest-meeting, Teodor
Meleşcanu has also said that Romania will hold this presidency under the
auspices of the idea of a more united, integrated and cohesive Europe. In turn,
the German official has voiced confidence that the Romanian presidency of the
EU Council will be an efficient one and underlined that Bucharest will enjoy
Berlin’s support during its term at the helm of the Council.

Heiko Maas has
also recalled what the main challenges of this mandate will be: Brexit, the multi-annual financial framework and migration-related issues. The German Foreign
Minister has also referred to the reform of the judiciary in Romania and
underlined that the right balance in the separation of state powers can be reached.
The German official has also said that compromise can be reached, and that
would in turn render society more united.

28 August 2018