Radio România Internațional

Tag: Schengen accession

  • November 2, 2022

    November 2, 2022

    AMENDMENTS – The Government is expected to
    pass a number of legislative amendments in preparation of Romania’s Schengen
    accession. The Government noted the current legislation no longer reflects the
    current European framework for exchanging information among Member States,
    while the national digital reporting system also needs improvement. The
    government wants to decide which authorities should have a right to access,
    transmit or consult data from the national digital system.


    COLD SEASON – 58% of Romanians say they
    will have trouble paying energy bills this upcoming winter, estimating
    temperatures in their homes will be lower compared to previous years, a recent
    study reveals. According to its findings, soaring utility expenses have shaped
    Romanians’ purchasing behavior. 55% of Romanians said they have stopped buying
    non-essential products. 40% of respondents have described energy bills as their
    biggest concern for the period ahead.


    MOLDOVA – Moldova’s President, Maia Sandu,
    received assurances regarding Bucharest’s full support for Chișinău
    in the context of the energy crisis in this country. President Sandu on Tuesday
    met Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă in Bucharest, expressing gratitude for
    their support and Romania’s actions to facilitate the provision of electricity,
    natural gas, fuel oil and firewood to Moldovan citizens. Furthermore, Maia
    Sandu thanked Romania for quickly responding to offset Moldova’s electricity
    deficit. We recall Bucharest has started supplying electricity and natural gas to
    Moldova after Ukraine has ceased energy exports to Moldova after its energy
    infrastructure was affected by Russian bombings.


    REFUGEES – The Border Police Inspectorate
    announced some 65 thousand people entered Romania on Tuesday, of whom 7,500
    were Ukrainian nationals. According to a press release, some 2.7 million
    Ukrainians have entered Romania starting February 10, most of them headed to
    countries in Western Europe. Over 86,500 Ukrainians have chosen to stay.


    SHIPMENTS – Russia today agreed to resume grain
    exports from Ukraine after receiving guarantees in writing from Ukraine
    regarding the demilitarization of the maritime corridor used for their transport.
    On Saturday, Moscow suspended grain exports invoking drone attacks on Russian military
    watercraft in the port of Sevastopol. Russia claimed the drones moved along the
    secure corridor addressing trade vessels transporting Ukrainian grain. On
    Monday, Russia had warned against the danger of freight ships continuing to navigate
    the corridor used by Ukrainian trade vessels to reach the Mediterranean through
    the Bosporus strait without its consent.


    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – The Constitutional
    Court of Romania today admitted a notification filed by USR in opposition
    regarding the law that sanctions the building of small power plants in
    protected areas. USR has lodged 11 unconstitutionality claims, including the
    violation of the principle of bicameralism, considering there are major
    differences between the law adopted in the Senate and the version passed by the
    Chamber of Deputies. USR also claims the law is in breach of the right to a
    clean environment. Early this year, Parliament adopted the law stipulating that
    power plants in protected areas that are over 60% complete are considered
    projects of national security and must be rendered operational by the end of
    2025. (VP)

  • October 20, 2022 UPDATE

    October 20, 2022 UPDATE

    WAR IN UKRAINE -
    Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that its forces continued to
    target military and energy infrastructure objectives in Ukraine. The Ministry
    also claims its forces repelled a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kherson
    region in the south, where the local occupation administration is trying to
    evacuate tens of thousands of residents. The Russian MFA claims weapon
    deliveries from the EU to Kyiv have turned the community bloc into a
    belligerent faction in the Ukrainian conflict. MFA spokesperson Maria Zakharova
    referred to countries that delivered weapons to Ukraine as sponsors of
    terrorism.


    RESIGNATION – British Prime
    Minister Liz Truss has announced her resignation amidst challenges targeting
    both herself and her party. The British official admitted she cannot keep the
    promises made when she submitted her candidacy for the leadership of the
    Conservative Party after her predecessor, Boris Johnson, stepped down. Liz
    Truss’s economic measures based on reducing taxation have disrupted global
    markets, resulting in a sharp drop of the Pound and state bonds. Liz Truss
    steps down after only 45 days in office, thus becoming the shortest-ruling Prime
    Minister in the history of the UK.




    EUROPEAN COUNCIL – Romania’s
    president, Klaus Iohannis, is attending the European Council meeting devoted to
    the energy crisis and solutions for Europeans to pay their bills. European
    leaders met to reach consensus regarding a reduction of energy prices in the
    context of the war in Ukraine. President Iohannis said the European
    Commission’s proposal with regard to the steep price of natural gas is good,
    and that Romania agrees to the proposal. The president explained gas prices
    will be capped without causing troubles for distributors while preventing the
    unwarranted increase of prices. We have started working on regulations that
    separate the natural gas market from the electricity market. We have a number
    of common acquisitions as part of a joint platform for natural gas. We have a
    series of elements that can help member states cope with the energy crisis,
    Klaus Iohannis further pointed out.




    PROTESTS – Trade unions of
    the Cartel Alfa trade confederation on Thursday staged a protest action in
    Bucharest, calling on the authorities to curb impoverishment. Unionists call
    for a better control of prices and taxing excess profits, an increase of
    salaries and pensions and starting collective negotiations for the modification
    of the Law on Social Dialogue. Protesters have warned that, unless their
    demands are met, they will return in larger numbers to call for the resignation
    of the government. Earlier this month, Cartel Alfa representatives decided to
    organize a number of protests at national level in response to what they have
    described as absurdly high energy costs and the soaring prices for food and
    other essential goods, which force millions of workers to make painful
    decisions and bring many of them on the brink of poverty.




    SCHENGEN – The Dutch
    Parliament on Thursday passed a resolution calling on the Government to vote
    against the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria. Dutch MP Sophia in ‘t
    Veld, the coordinator of the Renew Europe group in the Committee on Civil Liberties,
    Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) in the European Parliament, expressed regret
    for the decision, arguing that both countries comply with technical accession
    criteria. We recall that the European Parliament on Tuesday adopted with a
    large majority a resolution calling on the Council of the European Union to
    take all the necessary measures to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the
    visa-free travel area by the end of the year. Schengen enlargement requires a
    unanimous decision at the level of the EU Council. At present, of all EU Member
    States, only Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are not part of the
    Schengen area, which also includes countries that are not members of the
    community bloc (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein).




    FOOTBALL – Romania’s Under-21 team has been drawn in
    Group B alongside Spain, Ukraine and Croatia at the U21 European Championships
    in 2023. The competition will be hosted by Romania and Georgia over June 21 -
    July 8. Romania’s matches will take place in Bucharest, whereas the city of
    Cluj will host matches in Group D. The U21 teams of Norway, Switzerland, France
    and Italy will play their matches in this city. Romania will also host two
    matches in the quarterfinals phase. The top three teams will automatically
    qualify to the Paris Olympics of 2024. For the first time in its history,
    Romania will be present in the European Championships for the third consecutive
    time, after securing qualification to the 2019 and 2021 editions. (VP)

  • The European Parliament supports Romania’s Schengen accession

    The European Parliament supports Romania’s Schengen accession


    Bucharest authorities hailed Tuesdays resolution passed by the European Parliament where MPs supported the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria in large numbers. It is the fourth such resolution adopted by Parliament. All Romanian MPs argued in favor of the document. Conversely, MEPs representing the party of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte abstained, while a Dutch MEP from the ruling coalition voted against. Tuesdays resolution, however, has no legal binding. The Schengen accession of the two countries requires unanimity in the Council of the EU. The Netherlands is one the states that have been opposing the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the visa-free travel area, and, for the time being, it preserves its misgivings. Schengen accession should be tied to reforming the judiciary and observing the rule of law, the Netherlands has argued. University professor Silviu Nate with the “Lucian Blaga” University in Sibiu and the director of the Center for Global Studies commented the resolution:




    “We can notice widespread support at European Parliament level, which should make us happy and serve as our starting point. The Netherlands has invoked concerns regarding our capacity to manage the flow of illegal migrants and other cross-border risks, but Romania has proved it has the capacity to fare better than other states that have long been part of Schengen, as the case was with the crisis of refugees from the Middle East or the current wave of migrants from Ukraine. Then, the Netherlands also points to aspects pertaining to the rule of law, which dont actually apply to Romania”.




    Why, then, would Netherlands oppose Romanias Schengen accession? Silviu Nate explains:




    “Schengen accession has its own geo-economic stakes. Romania is known for its significant agricultural potential, and it can also become a facilitator of grain exports from Ukraine. There is one assumption that has prevailed in recent years, according to which the Netherlands would fear competition to its own port of Rotterdam in terms of trade. Obviously, we cannot prove the Netherlands opposition is tied to any individual stake, but we can see ambiguity in the latest statements made by Dutch officials, which are inconsistent with the strong support coming from other EU states”.




    Romania has met all Schengen accession criteria as early as 2011, something with countries such as France or Finland, which originally opposed the idea, have meanwhile recognized. The Council of the EU is expected to make a decision on this matter on December 8. (VP)




  • February 6, 2019

    February 6, 2019

    DRAFT BUDGET – Talks continue in Bucharest on Romanias 2019 draft budget, as the leaders of the ruling parties are to meet today with representatives of the Municipal Cities Association, who are discontent about the way in which money is allotted to local communities. The coalition intends to finalise talks for the budget to be discussed in Fridays session of the Government, to then be forwarded to Parliament for debate. Meanwhile, the Fitch rating agency has warned that the 2019 budget bill, in the current form which has been launched for public debate, is actually based on optimistic estimates and does not shed light on the uncertainty over the tax on bank assets. The Fitch analysts are sceptical that Romania will observe the budget deficit target of 2.6%, given that the state budget is based on an economic growth rate of 5.5%, higher than the 3.2% initial estimate by the agency.



    SCHENGEN ACCESSION – The EU Justice and Interior Ministers, three European commissioners and presidents of some EP committees are today coming to Bucharest. They attend an informal meeting which is organised against the backdrop of Romanias holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union, and interior minister Carmen Dan has said she will use this opportunity to put into the spotlight the issue of Romanias being accepted in the Schengen Area. Carmen Dan said she will have bilateral talks with the ministers of the countries which have been opposed to Romanias joining the free movement area. The European Interior ministers will gather on Thursday for talks on the prevention of and fight against terrorism, the Schengen Area, migration and asylum. On Friday, the EU justice ministers will discuss ways to boost judicial cooperation in civil, commercial matters and criminal law, in the EU. Attending the talks will be, among others, the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European Commissioner for Security Union, Julian King and the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vera Jourova as well as the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, Gilles de Kerchove.



    BRUSSELS – Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă is currently on a two day working visit to Brussels for talks with the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans. Against the backdrop of Romanias holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, Viorica Dancila will attend a conference titled The Fight against Anti-Semitism: a common approach to better protect Jewish communities in Europe. From politics to action. The Romanian official will also participate in the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions, to present the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Viorica Dăncilă is accompanied in Brussels by the minister delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, and the minister for European funds, Rovana Plumb.



    ROMANIAN-US RELATIONS– Romanian deputy prime-minister Ana Birchall, on a visit to the US, has reiterated the Romanian Governments firm commitment to further develop the relation with the US on all dimensions of the Strategic Partnership. According to a communiqué, during her official visit to the US, Ana Birchall has had talks with several US high officials with responsibilities on the relation with Romania. They approached issues of high interest on the bilateral agenda, such as organising the Romania-US Strategic Dialogue, whose last session was held in Bucharest, in June 2018. The officials also tackled opportunities of cooperation with the Romanian side to promote common objectives on the trans-Atlantic agenda, such as Romanias priorities during its tenure at the helm of the Council of the European Union.



    STATE OF THE UNION – US President Donald Trump has launched an
    appeal for unity in his State of the Union address in Congress on Tuesday.
    An economic miracle is taking place in the United States and the only
    thing that can stop it is foolish wars, politics, or ridiculous party
    investigations, he said. His remarks came as Democrats who now control
    the House planned a series of probes into the Trump administration, while
    Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller investigates Russian involvement in the 2016
    presidential election, Euractiv writes. The US President has underlined
    that his agenda is a national one, in the interest of all Americans. Donald
    Trump, who has made migration policies a priority of his second year in office,
    has devoted much of his address to this issue, calling on Congress to defend
    the US’s southern border from illegal migration.

    MACEDONIA – The NATO member states have today signed in Brussels, the NATO Accession Protocol with Macedonia, an important step towards accepting that Baltic country as the 30th member of the organisation. Macedonia will be allowed to participate from now on, in NATO meetings, as observer, until all allied countries ratify the accession protocol. This step has been taken after the resolution of a protracted dispute between Skopje and Athens on the name of the country. The former Yugoslav republic agreed last year to change its name into The Republic of North Macedonia, to thus make a clear distinction between the former Yugoslav republic and the old Greek province of Macedonia. The name change will become official once Greece has ratified the accession protocol.


    FLU – The number of people who succumbed to the flu in Romania stands at 89, according to the latest data released by National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases. Doctors call again on people to get the anti-flu shot. Almost all people who died of the flu virus had not been vaccinated. Some 1.3 million people have been vaccinated so far, and the Health Ministry has purchased another 30,000 doses of the vaccine for people in the high risk category: people with chronic diseases, pregnant women, children and elderly people. A flu epidemic has officially been declared in Romania, because of the fast-paced spread of the virus and the high number of flu-infections and deaths. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • January 16, 2019 UPDATE

    January 16, 2019 UPDATE

    UPDATE (21:40): The motion of no confidence in Theresa May’s government, tabled in Britain’s Parliament by the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, in an attempt to force a general election, fails by 325 to 306 votes.

    On Tuesday, the British MPs rejected by a large majority the UK’s EU withdrawal agreement. The rejection of the Brexit deal is the harshest defeat for a British cabinet in modern times, and questions Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, less than 3 months before it is scheduled to take effect. Analysts predict a severe crisis in the UK. Several scenarios have been discussed, including early elections and the holding of a second referendum.


    BREXIT – Britains government must clarify its position after Parliament voted down the Brexit agreement, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis said in Bucharest on Wednesday. In his opinion, this decision is regrettable. He added however not that all the procedures which may lead to the approval of the deal have been used, and that the Romanians living in the UK need not worry because the European leaders are prepared for other options as well. The agreement approved by the 27 member states will not be renegotiated, the head of the Romanian state added. In turn, the Romanian Foreign Ministry writes in a communiqué that the UKs withdrawal from the community bloc is a major priority on the agenda of the Romanian Government, particularly from the perspective of finalising this process during Romanias mandate at the helm of the Council of the European Union.



    COMPENSATORY APPEAL – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Wednesday called on the government to come up with solutions to the issue of compensatory appeal, after several cases of violence have been reported of late, perpetrated by former convicts, released from prison ahead of time, based on this law. Also on Wednesday, the Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, announced that on Monday he will present the PM Viorica Dancila with an analysis of the compensatory appeal law and its effects, as well as with other legislative proposals. The law took effect as from the autumn of 2017 and according to it, detainees who stayed in improper conditions benefitted from 6 days of time credits for every 30 days spent in prison. Over 500 detainees were released from prison on the very first day the compensatory appeal law took effect.



    PROTOCOLS – Romanias Constitutional Court on Wednesday accepted the notification sent by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies on the existence of a legal conflict of a constitutional nature between the Public Ministry on the one hand, and Parliament, the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the other courts, on the other, on the issue of the protocols of cooperation with the Romanian Intelligence Service, SRI, in 2009 and 2016. Romanias Constitutional Court admitted that the protocols continue to produce effects, even after they were denounced. Romanias Constitutional Court announced that the prosecutors offices and courts are to establish whether the law was infringed or not, by exceeding competences, in the case of the files based on documents compiled based on the secret protocols between the Public Ministry and SRI. Last year, the head of the Romanian Intelligence Service, Eduard Hellvig, and Romanias Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazar, made public the existence of two legal protocols between the two institutions, on whose existence they had briefed the Superior Council of Magistracy and which were later denounced, as they were no longer necessary.



    SCHENGEN The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu said on Tuesday in Strasbourg that there is no reason to deny Romanias Schengen accession, and voiced hopes that a solution will be reached during the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. He promised that the Romanian presidency will allow for “very open discussions with the countries opposing Romanias entry, and will invite those countries to present the reasons why they are against Romanias inclusion in the visa-free area. “We hope to be as convincing as possible and to reach a solution, Teodor Melescanu added.



    PROTEST – Some of the miners with the Oltenia Energy Compound (in the south-west) continue their strike, being discontent about the 150 Euro pay rise proposed by the company management, but those who had gone on hunger strike gave up on that form of protest. The miners call for 45% pay rises, holiday vouchers and better working conditions. The energy, economy and finance ministers, respectively on Wednesday had an operative meeting with decision makers in the energy field to analyse the effects produced by the miners protest and also to find a solution and unblock the situation. Thermal power plants are currently functioning at normal parameters but they will run out of coal stocks in a few days time and the supplying will not be resumed.



    FLU Nine people have died of the flu in Romania so far. According to the authorities, the 9th victim is a 40-year old man who had previous medical conditions and had not been vaccinated. The man tested positive for the AH1 flu virus. Because of the large number of viral respiratory infections, visitor access has been restricted in many hospitals in the country. Nearly 53,000 respiratory infections and over 100 flu cases have been confirmed since the first week of the year.



    TENNIS The Romanian player Irina Begu (70 WTA) has been defeated by the Czech Petra Kvitova (6 WTA), 1-6, 3-6, in the second round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. The other Romanians still in the race are world no 1 Simona Halep and Marius Copil. Also on Wednesday, in the womens doubles, the Romanians Irina Maria Bara and Monica Niculescu qualified into the second round, after beating the Spaniards Lara Arruabarrena / Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-1, 6-1. In the next stage they are facing the winners of the match pitting Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) / Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) against Mona Barthel (Germany) / Sofia Kenin (USA). Other Romanians play in the doubles: Irina Begu and Mihaela Buzărnescu, Sorana Cîrstea playing together with Latvias Jelena Ostapenko and Raluca Olaru with Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan). (Translated by AM Popescu and D. Vijeu)

  • January 15, 2019

    January 15, 2019

    EUROPEAN AGENDA – PM Viorica Dancila is today presenting the priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in a plenary session of the Romanian Parliament. Of the files to be managed by Romania, Brexit is a very important one, and the Romanian PM has repeatedly said that Bucharest is interested in protecting the rights of the Romanian citizens working in Great Britain after the UK leaves the community bloc. The future budget of the EU is another delicate file, and PM Viorica Dăncilă is intent on taking huge steps forward towards building this budget, the more so as in the future, too, it will have to finance importance common European policies, such as the agricultural and cohesion ones. According to a press release issued by the Romanian Government, the PM and the members of her cabinet on Monday attended an official dinner in Strasbourg, offered by the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani. Also on Monday, the minister delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, had a meeting in Strasbourg with the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Sylvie Guillaume. The minister delegate has reiterated Romanias commitment to work closely with the EP, during its 6-month tenure, in an effort to get positive and concrete results for the European citizens.



    SCHENGEN ACCESSION – “If Romania wants to be part of the Schengen area, it should meet some criteria, but Slovenia considers that all states should meet the same criteria. I really want Romania to be part of this area, the President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, has today said in a meeting with the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. President Iohannis has said Romanias Schengen accession is impossible without consensus. He has underlined that his country should make some progress to convince some states that it is ready to join the free movement area. Romanias Schengen accession was scheduled for March 2011, but it has been repeated postponed, on grounds related to the field of justice.



    NATO MILITARY COMMITTEE – The Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army, general Nicolae Ciucă, is attending today and tomorrow the 180th NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defense Session, held in Brussels. The agenda of the meeting includes military issues of topical interest regarding NATOs present and future strategic challenges, NATOs military strategy, the Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan, seeking reconciliation and peace for Afghanistan, and involving assistance, conciliation and the training of Afghan national defence and security forces, and of Afghan institutions, as well as the regional security situation. Talks will also include issues related to the development of capabilities funded by common funds, the NATO – Georgia partnership, as well as the security situation in the Western Balkans and the Kosovo Force mission.




    NATIONAL CULTURE DAY – The National Culture Day is celebrated today, on the birthday of the national poet of the Romanians, Mihai Eminescu, for the ninth year in a row. A host of events are organised on this occasion both in Romania and in the European capital cities. A festive session is held at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. On this occasion, the Romanian Academy launches the app “Mihai Eminescu, complete works, which is available free of charge on smart-phones. The National Culture Day is also celebrated in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population as well as in the Romanian communities abroad.



    MARCH – Thousands of Poles marched in the streets of Warsaw on Monday evening, protesting against hatred and violence, after the death of mayor of Gdańsk, Paweł Adamowicz, who was stabbed on Sunday evening. Similar events were held in several cities and towns across Poland. The authorities in Warsaw have decreed three days of mourning in memory of the mayor of Gdańsk. Paweł Adamowicz, 53, died on Monday in hospital, after having been stabbed by a former convict, during a charity concert. The attacker, arrested on the spot by policemen is a former convict released from prison in late 2018.



    TENNIS– No.1 WTA Romanian Simona Halep
    has defeated Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in three sets,    6-7, 6-4, 6-2, today in Melbourne, in the first round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam
    tournament of the year. Also today, Mihaela Buzărnescu, 25th seed, has
    been defeated by the US player Venus Williams in three sets, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2. Another Romanian,
    Ana Bogdan has lost to Poland’s Iga Swiatek, also in three sets,     3-6, 6-3, 4-6. In the men’s competition, Romanian
    tennis player Marius Copil has qualified for the second round of the Australian
    Open, after having defeated Spaniard Marcel Granollers in three sets,6-3, 6-4, 6-4. He will meet in the second round Belgian David
    Goffin.


    CURRENCY – The Romanian national
    currency, the leu, has today reached a record low as against the European
    single currency, the Euro. According to the exchange rate set by the National Bank
    of Romania, 1 Euro stands at 4.6822. The
    leu has also lost ground against the USD, 1 dollar being traded for 4.0973 lei.

  • Recommendation for Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen Accession

    Recommendation for Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen Accession

    Romania and Bulgaria should become
    Schengen member states as soon as possible, the MEPs on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs have urged, a
    communiqué posted on the site of the European Parliament on Monday reads. The two neighbouring states, that joined the European Union in 2007,
    should have received the status of full fledged members of the free movement
    area as early as March 2011. All hopes
    shattered however at that time, although Bucharest and Sofia had consistently
    followed the accession strategy and met the requirements, complying with all
    major points in the Schengen acquis. The
    opposition of such countries as the Netherlands, Austria and Germany has led to
    the repeated postponement of the two countries’ Schengen accession.

    One of the evoked
    reasons included the countries’ failure to comply with some of the commitments
    made under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, through which the
    European Commission is monitoring the evolutions in the justice field. Now the
    MEPs on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs have brought
    again the issue into the focus of attention, saying the Schengen area is a
    unique system and one of the EU’s biggest achievements, and the refusal to
    receive Bulgaria and Romania as full fledged members has produced negative
    consequences not only for the two countries, but also for the whole of the
    European Union. Furthermore, they are opposed to the intensely circulated idea
    of a partial accession, starting with air and sea borders in a first stage, to
    be later continued with a prospective land borders accession.


    This two stage approach sets a dangerous
    precedent which has no solid legal justification and attracts a series of
    economic, social and political inconveniences for the EU, a communiqué quotes the Bulgarian rapporteur,
    Sergei Stanishev, a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and
    Democrats in the EP, as saying. Maintaining or reintroducing internal controls
    in the Schengen area undermines the citizens’ confidence in the process of
    integration and in the European institutions, the MEPs have underlined, adding
    that the enlargement of the Schengen area should not be affected by
    deficiencies linked to other policies pursued by the community bloc, such as
    the asylum and migration policy. Romania and Bulgaria are currently partially
    applying the Schengen acquis, with checkouts being carried out at their
    borders. The report issued by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, without having a
    legislative significance, is to be submitted in December to the plenary session
    of the European Parliament, which agreed with Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen
    accession as early as June 2011, reiterating its standpoint several times since
    then.





  • The European Parliament recommends Romania’s Schengen accession

    The European Parliament recommends Romania’s Schengen accession

    Romania was first supposed to join the Schengen area in 2011, four years after becoming a member of the European Union, but its accession has been repeatedly postponed due to the opposition of several member states such as The Netherlands, Austria and Germany. The motives cited include failure to fulfil some of the commitments made under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism used by the European Commission to monitor the progress of the judiciary in Romania and put in place when Romania entered the Union in 2007. These commitments have to do with the judiciary and combating corruption and organised crime.



    The subject has remained under consideration in Brussels. Following a plenary session, the European Parliament has reiterated in a resolution that Romania and Bulgaria are ready to be part of the Schengen area and has called on the European Council to approve the accession of the two states. In this resolution, which was adopted with 439 yes votes, 157 no votes and 80 abstentions, Euro MPs condemned the reintroduction of checks on the Schengen internal borders due to the shortcomings in the European asylum system and the lack of political will, solidarity and responsibility-sharing.



    According to the European Parliament, these controls restrict the freedom of movement among the 26 member states. It argues that member states should consolidate cooperation, solidarity and mutual trust in the functioning of the Schengen area, which is “one of the biggest achievements of the European Union”. In the wake of the terrorist threats faced in recent years, France has temporarily reintroduced border checks, extending them until October for the time being. Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway are also doing border checks, invoking the wave of migration from 2015. The European Commission believes, however, that the situation is now under control and that there is no reason now to authorize such checks.



    According to the European Parliament, many of these extensions are neither necessary nor proportionate and are therefore unlawful. “We must bring Schengen back to our citizens”, emphasized rapporteur Carlos Coelho, from the European Peoples Party, calling on member states to comply with all the rules, not just those they want. According to a well-known polling institute, European states have built more than 1,200 kilometers of walls and fences, spending at least 500 million euros in the process. If all states reintroduce border checks on a permanent basis, this would cost between 100 and 230 billion euros in the next 10 years, the European Parliament also warns. The Schengen area guarantees unrestricted movement within a territory made up of 26 European countries, 22 of which are EU members, and home to 400 million people. (translated by Cristina Mateescu)


  • The Romanian PM has talks with EU officials

    The Romanian PM has talks with EU officials


    While on her first formal visit to Brussels since taking office as PM of Romania, the former MEP Viorica Dancila talked with EU officials about Romanias forthcoming presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019, about financial prospects, as well as the countrys Schengen accession. Romania clearly belongs in the Schengen area, the president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker told a joint press conference with the Romanian PM, adding that at present there are no reasons for Romania not to be a member of this area. He also expressed his belief that the Government of Romania would make all efforts to ensure the functioning of the judicial system.



    According to Jean Claude Juncker, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for Romania and Bulgaria should be over by the end of the current Commissions term in office. In turn, PM Viorica Dancila said the Mechanism should be ended even sooner, namely before Romania takes over the EU Council presidency:



    “We hope that Romanias Schengen accession will take place during Mr. Junckers presidency. Romania meets all the criteria set by the Commission in this respect, and it also meets all the criteria for the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism to be closed, because it is not normal for Romania to take over the Council presidency while under a penalty.”



    Strengthening high-level cooperation with the EU institutions was the main goal of this visit, said PM Viorica Dancila, who also had meetings with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. The latter called on the Romanian official to carry on the fight against corruption and efforts to strenghen the rule of law. Here is the Romanian PM once again:



    “I believe good cooperation benefits both Europe, and Romania. I will address the European Parliament, and talk about the future of Europe, in which Romania must be actively involved, considering its capacity as future holder of the rotating presidency and given the challenges Europe is facing.”



    The delays in EU funds absorption were also approached by the Prime Minister in her meeting with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu. The EU official once again warned Bucharest officials that they must step up and simplify the procedures involved in spending European money. (translated by Ana Maria Popescu)




  • February 5, 2018 UPDATE

    February 5, 2018 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN — Romania is in the right context to join the Schengen area, the minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu, said on Monday. He explained that this context refers to the preparations that are being made for Romania’s presidency of the EU Council, in the first half of 2019. Negrescu said that Romania is currently meeting all technical criteria to join the Schengen area, the only problem being what he called the lack of unanimous political will among the partners. Few influential EU members point an accusatory finger to the persistent corruption in the Romanian administration and are opposed to Bucharest’s Schengen accession.



    REP. OF MOLDOVA — Currently on a visit to Chisinau, Romanian defence minister, Mihai Fifor, has reiterated Romania’s constant readiness to support the Republic of Moldova along its path to European accession, as well as within the North-Atlantic structures. After the meeting with his Moldovan counterpart, Eugen Sturza, Fifor has announced that this year, 41 troops of the Republic of Moldova will be trained in Romanian military education institutions. Furthermore, the number of scholarships in the military medical education system in Romania has been supplemented to 200. The official agenda of talks covered such issues as the security situation in the region and bilateral cooperation in the field of defence, laying emphasis on the joint projects for the continuation of Moldova’s European and Euro-Atlantic path. Mihai Fifor has been accompanied during the visit by the chief of staff of the Romanian army, general Nicolae Ciucă.



    NATURAL GAS EXPORTS — Romania will detail the technical conditions for natural has exports to neighbouring Hungary until 2020, according to an agreement signed in Bucharest on Monday by the foreign ministers of the two countries, Teodor Melescanu and Peter Szijjarto, respectively. The Hungarian foreign minister said Hungarian firms have already reserved 4.4 billion cubic meters, the whole capacity of the pipeline linking Romania to Hungary. It is for the first time in the past decades that Hungary has the opportunity to buy huge amounts of gas from other source than Russia, Szijjarto concluded. Earlier, Romanian energy minister, Anton Anton, had said he supports the exploitation of gas from the Black Sea so that Romania obtains maximum profit.



    TENNIS — Romanian woman tennis player Simona Halep, no. 2 WTA, will be replaced by Ana Bogdan (no.86 WTA) in Romania’s national team in the FedCup match with Canada, scheduled for the weekend, on home turf, in Cluj-Napoca, north-western Romania, sources with the Romanian Tennis Federation have announced. Halep has been struggling with an ankle injury that she sustained last month, in the Australian Open. Upon her return, she said she was “exhausted” from a physical point of view and added that she will have to undergo several medical investigations to see when she can return to the tennis court. The other players that have been summoned for the match with Canada are Sorana Cîrstea (no.38 WTA), Irina-Camelia Begu (no.37 WTA) and Raluca Olaru (no.45 WTA in the doubles).

  • January 23, 2018

    January 23, 2018


    SCHENGEN – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has today stated, at the annual meeting with the heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest, that Romanias joining the Schengen area is essential. He has also stated that the logistics needed for Romanias holding the presidency of the EU Council in 2019 must be properly prepared. The head of state has given assurances that Romania will keep taking part in the debates on strengthening the economic and monetary union and has added that, unless it joins the Schengen area, Romania will not enjoy all the benefits ensured by its EU integration. The president has also stated that Romanias foreign policy pillars are the strategic partnership with the US and its membership to the EU and NATO. Klaus Iohannis has also stated that Bucharest firmly pleads for strengthening trans-Atlantic ties.



    OPPOSITION – The National Liberal Party, the main opposition party in Romania, has today presented the so called “black book of the PSD-ALDE governing”. The president of the party Ludovic Orban has stated that 2017 was a lost year for Romania and the country is heading in the wrong direction from a democratic, economic and social point of view. According to the analysis made by the liberals, out of the 724 measures that the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats committed to implementing, only 33 were actually implemented, and as regards major fields such as education, health and the economy, less than 5% of the promised measures were taken. Also, budget expenditure exceeded revenues and the money was not used for development, it was mainly spent on personnel expenditure. The National Liberal Party also claims that, when the coalition started ruling, the inflation rate was 0.2%, to then reach 3.3% in 2017. Previously, Orban had announced that the liberals would establish the way in which they were going to act in Parliament to prevent the validation of the new governmental team, headed by the Social Democrat MEP Viorica Dancila. More on this after the news.



    JUSTICE LAWS – The Constitutional Court is today debating claims filed by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the opposition National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union regarding the changes brought to the justice laws. One of the notifications concerns the setting up of the Special Prosecutors Office responsible for investigating judges and prosecutors. Magistrates believe that this breaks the principle of equality before the law, as they would become the only professional category in Romania to have a special office for their own prosecution. In turn, the liberals say that the changes brought to the justice laws break several constitutional principles, including the senators and deputies right to have legislative initiatives. On Saturday, dozens of thousand of people protested again against the ruling coalition in Romania, whom they blame for trying to subordinate magistrates and to put an end to the fight against corruption. The changes in the justice laws have also been criticized by president Klaus Iohannis, the media and some of Romanias western partners. The Constitutional Court will probably issue its final ruling on the matter next month.



    IMF – In an update on its bi-annual “World Economic Outlook”, the International Monetary Fund estimates that world economy will increase its growth rate to 4% in 2018 and 2019. Also, the report reads that last year, economic activity in Europe and Asia was surprisingly better than estimated, so the fund has revised upwards its estimates for the Eurozone, in particular for Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. According to the IMF, the US economy would register an economic growth rate of 2.7% in 2018, but that would slow down to 2.5% in 2019. The Chinese economy would register a rate of 6.6% this year, and 6.4% in 2019. As regards Romania, in its “World Economic Outlook”, published in October 2017, the IMF revised the growth rate estimated for Romania in 2018, from 3.4% to 4.4%.



    FLU – A 40-year old woman has died in Botosani, north-eastern Romania, of complications triggered by the flu. This is the third death caused by flu viruses this year in Romania, after a 69 year old woman in Bucharest and a 15-year old boy in Salaj, north-western Romania. The Health Minister Florian Bodog has called on family doctors to continue the anti-flu vaccination campaign this month too, especially of people who are at risk. According to the National Centre for Disease Surveillance and Control, the total number of cases of acute respiratory infections has reached 75,000. Specialists say that, as compared to the same period last season, the total number of ill people is smaller by some 25%.



    AUSTRALIAN OPEN – The pair made up of the Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu has qualified for the semifinals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, after a 3 set victory against the US couple Jennifer Brady/Vania King. Next, Begu and Niculescu will take on the Russians Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina, who won the title in Melbourne back in 2014. On Wednesday, Romanias only representatives in the singles, Simona Halep, takes on Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Halep is the worlds number one player and also first-seed at the Australian Open.


    (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)


  • Romania and the Schengen area

    Romania and the Schengen area

    Initially scheduled for March 2011, the accession of Romania jointly with Bulgaria to the Schengen area has repeatedly been postponed, the Netherlands being the main opposing country. The reasons invoked over time are related to Romania’s failing to reach the objectives laid down in the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism pertaining to corruption, justice and fighting organized crime, though no connections should formally be made between the Schengen accession and the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism.



    The issue continues to be of interest to Bucharest as well as to Brussels, against the backdrop of the situation triggered by the unprecedented migrants’ exodus to Europe in recent years. Last week, making his annual state of the union speech in the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker said that Romania and Bulgaria must rapidly join the Schengen free movement area.



    Early this week, the European Commissioner for the Security Union, Julian King, on a formal visit to Bucharest, reiterated that idea. The Commissioner said that Schengen would be stronger and all of the countries would benefit if Romania were part of the Schengen area. Julian King made the statement against the backdrop of talks he had with Romanian officials on the activity at European level, the efforts made to combat terrorism, cyber and organized crime. The Commissioner also announced that at the beginning of the week, a package of measures would be taken at the European Commission’s level to increase the EU’s capacity of resistance and of deterring terrorist attacks. Romanian officials recalled that Bucharest met all Schengen accession criteria, Romania successfully fulfilling its obligations as the EU’s Eastern border state. Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social-Democratic Party, the main party of the ruling coalition, explains:



    “Schengen accession brings advantages not only to Romania, but also to all EU countries. Technically speaking, Romania has had nothing to achieve for quite a while. Many people tell me that certain countries, where elections are due this year, must take this stand. That is an unfair attitude towards Romania, utterly unfair. Romania secures the EU’s quite long Eastern border, Romania has made very big investments, has made great efforts and it is involved in all security structures at the Eastern border and still, it is denied its Schengen accession; the motivation invoked is not related to what was discussed in the beginning of this process.”



    The statement made by Liviu Dragnea, president of the Chamber of Deputies, came after the Netherlands and Germany had reiterated their opposition to Romania’s Schengen accession. (Translated by A.M. Palcu)

  • Romania and the Schengen area

    Romania and the Schengen area

    Initially scheduled for March 2011, the accession of Romania jointly with Bulgaria to the Schengen area has repeatedly been postponed, the Netherlands being the main opposing country. The reasons invoked over time are related to Romania’s failing to reach the objectives laid down in the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism pertaining to corruption, justice and fighting organized crime, though no connections should formally be made between the Schengen accession and the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism.



    The issue continues to be of interest to Bucharest as well as to Brussels, against the backdrop of the situation triggered by the unprecedented migrants’ exodus to Europe in recent years. Last week, making his annual state of the union speech in the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker said that Romania and Bulgaria must rapidly join the Schengen free movement area.



    Early this week, the European Commissioner for the Security Union, Julian King, on a formal visit to Bucharest, reiterated that idea. The Commissioner said that Schengen would be stronger and all of the countries would benefit if Romania were part of the Schengen area. Julian King made the statement against the backdrop of talks he had with Romanian officials on the activity at European level, the efforts made to combat terrorism, cyber and organized crime. The Commissioner also announced that at the beginning of the week, a package of measures would be taken at the European Commission’s level to increase the EU’s capacity of resistance and of deterring terrorist attacks. Romanian officials recalled that Bucharest met all Schengen accession criteria, Romania successfully fulfilling its obligations as the EU’s Eastern border state. Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social-Democratic Party, the main party of the ruling coalition, explains:



    “Schengen accession brings advantages not only to Romania, but also to all EU countries. Technically speaking, Romania has had nothing to achieve for quite a while. Many people tell me that certain countries, where elections are due this year, must take this stand. That is an unfair attitude towards Romania, utterly unfair. Romania secures the EU’s quite long Eastern border, Romania has made very big investments, has made great efforts and it is involved in all security structures at the Eastern border and still, it is denied its Schengen accession; the motivation invoked is not related to what was discussed in the beginning of this process.”



    The statement made by Liviu Dragnea, president of the Chamber of Deputies, came after the Netherlands and Germany had reiterated their opposition to Romania’s Schengen accession. (Translated by A.M. Palcu)

  • March 9, 2016

    March 9, 2016

    VISIT– Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, who is currently on an official visit to Israel, is today going to the Wailing Wall. He is also due to meet representatives of the Israeli community of Romanian origin. On Tuesday, Klaus Iohannis met with the Knesset Speaker, Yuli Edelstein. The focal points of the talks included, among others, the situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa. The Romanian President has also said all institutions should get involved in the common efforts to fight terrorism and extremist ideologies. Also in Jerusalem, Klaus Iohannis said that, back home, he will have talks with the Romanian government on the setting up in Bucharest of a museum dedicated to Jews and the Holocaust. On Thursday, the Romanian President will go the Palestinian territories, for talks with President Mahmoud Abbas.



    DIPLOMACY — Romanian Prime Minister, Dacian Ciolos, is currently on a visit to the Netherlands, a country which is holding the rotating presidency of the EU. The agenda of the talks held in the Hague with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Dutch MPs covers such issues as migration, Schengen accession, the European Commission’s report on Romania, issued under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, and bilateral cooperation. On Monday, the PM attended in Brussels, the EU-Turkey Summit devoted to the common plan on the refugee crisis. On Tuesday, the Romanian PM said, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, that Romania is ready to contribute resources and to concretely commit itself to increasing NATO’s presence on the eastern flank.



    KING — The last sovereign of Romania, Mihai I (1940-1947), continues to be in a severe but stable condition, news agencies quote sources close to the Royal House as saying. They said no major changes have occurred since the previous medical report was released on March 4, when medical doctors said his evolution was relatively stable. King Mihai, 94, underwent cancer surgery and announced his withdrawal from public life, on March 1, saying that his first born of his five daughters, Princess Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown, will represent him and will replace him in accomplishing his public duties. On August 23, 1944, during WWII, the King ordered the arrest of the de facto leader of the country, marshal Ion Antonescu, Romania’s withdrawal from the alliance with Nazi Germany and the country’s return to the side of its traditional allies, the United States and Great Britain. According to historians, his decision shortened the war by at least 6 months, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Three years later, when the country was practically under Soviet military occupation and was led by a communist government, the King was forced to abdicate and to go into exile in the West. He could return to the country only after the 1989 anti-communist Revolution.



    CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION— The plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies is today deciding by vote whether or not it endorses the request by the national anti-corruption prosecutors regarding the detention and preventive arrest of Social Democrat MP Cristian Rizea. He is accused of influence peddling, money laundering and subornation of perjury. The prosecutors claim that Rizea reportedly received 300,000 Euro worth of bribe from an American citizen to intervene in a case of land property return. The MP is rejecting the accusations levelled against him, saying that, in the run up to the June 5 elections, pressure has been put on him to withdraw from the electoral race for the position of mayor in one of Bucharest’s districts.



    MULTIPLE STABBING ATTACK — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced there is a Romanian national among the persons who have been injured in the attack which occurred in Tel Aviv on March 8. The Romanian citizen is stable, undergoing treatment in a hospital in the Israeli capital city. We recall that a US citizen has been killed in the multiple stabbing attack by a Palestinian militant on the Jaffa suburb of Tel Aviv. 6 other people were injured in the same attack. The attacker was shot dead by the Israeli security services.



    TEHRAN — Iran has tested a series of ballistic missiles to prove “the nation’s capacity to face any threat”. According to the BBC, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says the missiles are designed to be able to hit Israel. In another move, although Iran’s nuclear agreement, ratified last year, eased tensions between Tehran and Washington, the Americans consider Iran’s developing missiles as a threat to security. Tehran responded, saying that the U.S. put into jeopardy security in the Middle East, by the massive selling of armament to the allies in the region.



    HANDBALL — Romania’s national women handball team is today meeting on home turf, in the central city of Cluj Napoca, the defending world champion, Norway, in a Group 1 match of the European Championship qualifiers. The return game is due in Stavanger on Sunday. Ahead of this match, Norway and Romania stood on the first two positions in the group, with 4 points each, whereas Belarus and Lithuania, ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively, with zero points. The two teams met last year in the World Championship semi-finals, and the match was won by the Norwegian players after extra time. In the bronze final, Romania defeated Poland and grabbed the bronze medal.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • Romania and the Schengen Accession

    Romania and the Schengen Accession

    A major foreign policy goal for Romania is its Schengen accession, postponed repeatedly since 2011. The time has come for Romania to be part of the border-free area, President Klaus Iohannis said during his official visit to Italy, on Monday and Tuesday. The head of state was once again reassured by top-level politicians that Rome was supporting that goal. Italian Prime Minister Mateo Renzi emphasised that Romania’s presence in the Schengen area was not only beneficial to Bucharest, but also to Italy and the EU as a whole. The same topic was approached by Prime Minister Victor Ponta during his meetings with EU officials in Strasbourg on Tuesday. He said Bucharest had the support of both the European Commission and the European Parliament. Victor Ponta:



    “We obviously talked about the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and about the Schengen accession, but our standpoints are already well-known. There is support, both at the European Commission and European Parliament top level, but we are yet to convince one or two member countries that still have reservations in this respect.”



    Last week, during a visit to Bucharest, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, whose country will take over the half-year rotating presidency of the EU, said that during his previous visit to Romania, in 2011, Romania’s joining the Schengen area was already a widely discussed topic. In his opinion, all the EU countries that have fully met the technical criteria should be allowed into the border-free travel area. Romania completed the technical preparations four years ago, but there is still a little stumbling block, Asselborn admitted. He told Bucharest that it should talk to the German, French and Dutch to find a solution, and should this solution be found, October could be a good month for a resolution to this problem.



    He also promised he would try to make the case for Romania, although some of the older EU members link the Schengen accession to substantial progress in the judiciary and in fighting corruption. Romania’s joining the Schengen area seems therefore to be conditioned by the lifting of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, put in place upon Romania’s and Bulgaria’s EU accession in 2007, in order to monitor the reform of the justice system and the fight against organised crime and corruption.