Radio România Internațional

Tag: swine fever

August 27, 2018

DIPLOMACY – The annual meeting of Romanian diplomats begins today in the capital city Bucharest, under the motto “Diplomacy – A Pillar of Centennial Romania. The annual meeting of Romanian diplomats is a broad platform for the discussion of topics of major interest to Romania, such as the rotating presidency of the EU Council, to be taken over by Romania early next year, bilateral as well as strategic relations. The national priorities on the agenda of the meeting also include regional cooperation, the eastern neighbourhood and economic diplomacy. Attending the event are the Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu, the Minister delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, heads of Romanian embassies and consular offices abroad, and Romanian and foreign guests. A special guest in this years meeting is the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who will join his Romanian counterpart in a special session entitled “Bucharest – Berlin – Brussels, together for a strong Europe.

SWINE FEVER – Scheduled to begin on Monday, the slaughtering of around 140,000 animals at Romanias largest pig farm, in Braila County in the south-east, where the African swine fever virus has been confirmed, was postponed at the request of the owners. They requested the setup of a special assessment committee, given the extensive damages to be incurred. A swine fever hotbed has been recently confirmed in another farm in Braila County, which was breeding some 35,000 pigs, and where the slaughtering process has already been initiated. One-quarter of Romanias counties are affected by the African swine fever epidemics, with over 700 hotbeds identified by the authorities in the south-east and north-west of the country. The Pro Agro National Federation has requested the Government to have the situation discussed in the Supreme Defence Council.

POLITICS – The Romanian parliamentary parties have scheduled meetings to outline their strategies ahead of the autumn parliamentary sitting. Liviu Dragnea, the president of the main ruling party in Romania, the Social Democratic Party, announced that next weekend the partys National Executive Committee and parliamentary groups will convene in the Black Sea resort of Neptun, in order to set out the partys priorities. The meeting will also tackle the activity of the Dancila Cabinet ministers. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Social Democrats ruling coalition partners, will also have a meeting of its Executive Political Bureau early next week, to discuss the partys priorities and the selection criteria for the ensuing elections for the European Parliament. The main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, will also plan its moves for the autumn parliamentary session. The Liberals have tried and failed to have a special session convened this summer, in order to set up an investigation committee focusing on the violent clashes during the August 10 anti-government protest of Romanian expats. The Liberals also seek to have the Interior Minister Carmen Dan removed from office by Parliament.

FESTIVAL – The Golden Stag music festival celebrates 50 years of existence in 2018. After a 9-year break, the international pop music competition held in Brasov, central Romania, will be resumed on Wednesday with a special gala devoted to the Union Centennial. Romanian and international artists will hold concerts, including James Blunt, Amy Macdonald, Andra, Delia, Loredana, Carlas Dreams and Horia Brenciu. The Festival, to be held between August 29 and September 2, will bring together 18 competitors from 15 countries. During the same period, book lovers are invited to the Gaudeamus Caravan, an event organised by Radio Romania.

MOLDOVA – The Republic of Moldova citizens and expats took part on Sunday in a protest organised by ACUM Resistence Movement, created after the elections for the Chisinau city hall, won by the pro-Europeans, were cancelled. The participants criticised the corruption of the current ruling class, the invalidation of the elections in Chisinau and the new mixed election system. The protest took place ahead of todays celebration of 27 years since the small ex-Soviet state proclaimed its independence from Moscow.

TENNIS – Three of the 6 Romanian players taking part in the US Open are playing their first matches today. Number 1 in the world Simona Halep is facing Kaia Kanepi (Estonia), Irina Begu takes on the American Jennifer Brady, and Ana Bogdan plays against the Czech Marie Bouzkova. The other Romanians are Mihaela Buzărnescu, who is to play against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, Sorana Cîrstea, scheduled to play against the American Alison Riske, and Monica Niculescu, who will take on the Israeli player Julia Glushko. The only Romanian in the mens competition is Marius Copil, who takes on the Croatian Marin Cilic, number 7 in the world.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

27 August 2018
August 26, 2018

ProEtnica Over 600 representatives of the national minorities are
participating in the 16th edition of the ProEtnica Intercultural Festival,
which is due to end today in Sighisoara, central Romania. During the event,
which has been staged under the European Year of Cultural Heritage, almost 50
folk ensembles and representative groups for 20 national minorities in Romania
have performed on the stages of Sighisoara, the only inhabited medieval town in
Europe. ProEtnica has also included a science section, film screenings, art
exhibitions by artists belonging to various ethnic groups as well as artisan
workshops. Radio Romania is a media partner of the event.

VOUCHERS Holiday vouchers granted to state employees in Romania starting
this year have significantly boosted the country’s tourism sector, which is
expected to see 3.2 billion Euros in turnover this year alone. According to a survey
conducted by a consulting company, the country’s hotel industry has seen an
almost 40% growth in the past five years, with a turnover growth of 1.2 billion
Euros in 2017. Turnover figures in hotel industry are expected to exceed this
sum in 2018. Against the background of increased consumption restaurants are
expected to double the figures they reported five years ago. Over 16 thousand
companies are active in Romania’s hotel & restaurant industry.

SWINE
FEVER The process of
culling animals at Romania’s largest pig breeding facility is due to begin on
Monday. The measure has been decided after the swine fever virus was detected
at the farm on Saturday. The facility, located in the county of Braila, in
south-eastern Romania has a reported production of 140 thousand animals.
Another outbreak has been reported at a different pig breeding unit also located
in Braila, where they already started culling animals. Swine fever outbreaks
have been reported in a quarter of Romania’s counties, particularly in the
country’s south-eastern and north-western regions. 120 thousand pigs have
already been culled whereas the National Pro Agro Federation has called on the
Romanian authorities that the situation caused by the swine fever outbreaks,
which are currently wreaking havoc on the country’s pork production be tackled by
the Country’s Higher Defence Council.

WEATHER The National Meteorology Administration on Sunday has issued a
code yellow alert for heavy rains and unsettled weather in 25 Romanian counties
in the country’s center, north, west and south-west. The code is valid until
Monday night. Torrential rains and thunderstorms are expected in some of the
aforementioned regions. The weather is presently hot in almost all the Romanian
regions with highs ranging from 26 to 35 degrees and a noon reading in
Bucharest of 29 degrees.

26 August 2018
The Week in Review 20-26.08.2018

The effects of the anti-Government protest meeting in Bucharest

It’s been two weeks since the anti-Government protest of August 10th, and yet no light has been shed on the violent events that occurred on that day. Hundreds of complaints have been filed by people who suffered from the gendarmes’ intervention and activities aimed at identifying those who committed acts of violence continue. On Thursday, the head of the Gendarmes’ Special Intervention Brigade, colonel Catalin Paraschiv, was heard at the Prosecutor General’s Office. Paraschiv is the one who coordinated the forceful intervention of the gendarme forces during the protest. Previously, the Interior Minister Carmen Dan held a press conference, which she started by apologizing to those who suffered during the protest, both civilians and gendarmes.

The minister continued by presenting the film of the events and a summary of what she called the ‘fake news and lies’ that circulated in the press and on-line. On Tuesday, Carmen Dan was heard in Parliament, and stated that she did not have operative responsibilities as minister during the protest. She also said that the report she had received from the competent structures subordinated to her would be submitted to the specialized parliament committee as soon as the due procedure was finalized. The right-wing opposition, according to which the minister should resign, has voiced discontent over the fact that the document is kept secret and that the prefect did not attend the hearing in parliament, so there was nobody to clarify the reasons for which that level of intervention was decided. According to the opposition, Carmen Dan is trying to cover up the fact that the gendarme forces are responsible for tear-gassing and brutalizing peaceful protesters. In response, the ruling Social Democratic Party has stated that the whole thing was an attempt to brutally topple a legitimate government.

Reactions after the meeting of the Romanian Diaspora

In her first reaction after the events on August 10th, two weeks after, the Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has accused the opposition of trying to take over power by using non-democratic means, after failing in the elections. She has stated that what she saw was an attack against state institutions, with the Gendarmerie as the first target, and has called on ministers and heads of state institutions to avoid what she called ‘this spiral of conflict’. Ludovic Orban, the head of the main opposition party in Romania, the National Liberal Party, has blamed the prime-minister for not taking responsibility for the gendarmes’ actions and their effects on the protesters. “There is no spiral of conflict supported by the opposition, by the National Liberal Party or by president Klaus Iohannis; it’s just lies and abuses, promoted by the Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea, prime-minister Viorica Dancila, interior minister Carmen Dan and all those who endorsed the reprisal of the protest and the hurting of people who participated in the anti-government protest” said Ludovic Orban in a press release.

The August 10 events should be an opportunity for the decision-makers in Romania to reflect and to identify the right means to help the specialized structures evolve, from organization and staff training to means of control, says Bertrand Cavallier, an expert in public order and one who knows very well the Romanian system. A former member of the French National Gendarmerie, he has met with members of the Committee for defense, public order and national security of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, in charge of clarifying the events on August 10th.

African swine fever gains ground

One quarter of Romania’s counties are affected by African swine fever, with more than 700 outbreaks identified in particular in the south-east and north-west of the country, mostly in villagers’ households. So far, 120,000 pigs have been culled. The National Federation Pro Agro has called on the Government to call a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense, to discuss the situation created by the spread of the swine fever virus, which has seriously affected meat production in Romania. The federation believes that a state of emergency should be declared in the affected counties, because the companies that have invested in the sector are on the brink of bankruptcy. Authorities carry on actions aimed at preventing the spread of the disease, among which the decision to allow the hunting of infected wild boars and jackals in the Danube Delta.

Poor results scored by Romanian football teams

Romania’s champions CFR Cluj and vice-champions FCSB lost the matches they played on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs. CFR is the author of a counter-performance in Romanian football, as the only Romanian team ever defeated by a squad from Luxembourg, Dudelange. FCSB lost 3-1 the game against Rapid Vienna. The return games will be held on August 30th. If none of the two manages to qualify, Romania will have no representatives left in the competition.

25 August 2018
August 25, 2018

Protocols — The Romanian justice minister Tudorel Toader on Saturday announced the start of the procedure for the assessment of the managerial activity of Romania’s prosecutor general Augustin Lazar in the context of the protocols concluded with the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI). The assessment results will be made public within 30 days at the most. The General Prosecutor’s Office announced it concluded in December 2016 two cooperation protocols with the Romanian Intelligence Service which were in force only for 3 months. One of them, which was made public, set the conditions for access to the technical systems belonging to the National Centre for Interception of Communications, while the other, which was classified, was related to cooperation regarding crimes against national security, terrorism as well as crimes made by the military staff within the Intelligence Service. The head of the Romanian Intelligence Service Eduard Hellvig said Friday that no such cooperation protocol between the Intelligence Service and other state institutions is currently valid. The speaker of the Senate and leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the governing coalition Calin Popescu Tariceanu said that the news related to the two protocols between SRI and the General Prosecutors’ Office, even if officially denounced, was further proof of the SRI’s attempt to subordinate justice and violate the rights and freedoms of Romanians. The leaders of the governing coalition have repeatedly denounced the existence of secret connections between SRI and prosecutors.

Moody’s — Moody’s Rating Agency maintained the BBB-/A-3 rating for Romania’s government debt on long and short term, in hard and local currency, reconfirming the country’s stable outlook, the Finance Ministry officials announced in a communiqué conveyed to AGERPRES news agency. Moody’s rating shows that Romania has a solid economic growth rate that will be maintained in the coming years, and this prospect for growth and the moderate level of public debt are reason enough for investors to trust the Romanian economy, claims the finance minister Eugen Teodorovici. According to the aforementioned source, some of Romania’s strengths underlying Moody’s rating include the country’s robust potential for economic growth on medium term, its moderate fiscal capacity and the moderate exposure to external risks. Moody’s ratings point to an increase, in the next 2 years, in Romania’s real GDP by 4% in 2018 and by 3.5% in 2019.

Swine fever – The sanitary veterinarian authorities have confirmed the existence of the African swine fever virus in Romania’s biggest pig farm, the 2nd largest in Europe, located in the southeastern county of Braila. The farm has as many as 140 thousand pigs. All the pigs will be slaughtered starting on Monday. There are three more pig farms in Braila where the virus was confirmed. The African swine fever spread in counties from the northwest and southeast of Romania, affecting mainly pigs from households and farms. The producers’ associations believe that a state of emergency should be declared in the affected counties, as the companies that invested in the pig farming sector are on the brink of bankruptcy.

Tennis — The pair made up of the Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch Jean Julien Rojer won the ATP doubles in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the US, a competition offering total prizes worth 700 thousand dollars. They defeated 6-4, 6-2 the pair Jamie Cerretani (USA)/ Leander Paes (India). The Romanian-Dutch pair is to defend the title at the US Open, the year’s last grand slam tournament that will start on Monday in New York. In the US Open, Romanian Simona Halep, world’s no. 1 player and top seed, will be up against the Estonian Kaia Kanepi in the first round. Another 5 Romanian players will play in the singles. Mihaela Buzărnescu will first play against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, Sorana Cîrstea will face the American Alison Riske, Irina Begu will be up against another American player, Jennifer Brady, Ana Bogdan will play against the Czech Marie Bouzkova, while Monica Niculescu will be pitted against Israeli Julia Glushko. Marius Copil, the only player in the men’s competition, will be up against Croat Marin Cilic, world’s no. 6 player, in the first round. (translation by L. Simion)

25 August 2018
August 16, 2018 UPDATE

ARETHA FRANKLIN – Aretha Franklin, the undisputed “Queen of Soul” who sang classics such as “Think,” I Say a Little Prayer” and her signature song, “Respect,” has died at age 76 from advanced pancreatic cancer. Franklin had been in ill health since 2010, when she was diagnosed with a tumour but returned to live performance after undergoing surgery. She died of advanced pancreatic cancer. Known as “the queen of soul”,Aretha Franklin sold more than 75m records in her lifetime and won 18 Grammy awards. She had 77 entries in the US Billboard Hot 100 and 20 No 1 singles on the R&B chart.

SWINE FEVER – The fence that Bulgaria is building at the border with Romania to prevent the African swine fever from spreading on its territory is almost finished. According the Bulgarian deputy Agriculture Minister, Atanas Dobrev, over 100 kilometres out of a total 133 have already been built. Also, at Romania’s checkpoints with Bulgaria, vehicles are being disinfected while vehicles transporting pork are thoroughly checked, the Bulgarian media reports. In Romania, the number of African swine fever hotbeds stands at 677 in 132 localities from eight counties in north-western and south-eastern Romania.

ACCIDENT – The Bucharest Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday night that one of the two Romanian citizens caught in the A 10 viaduct collapse in Italy who were declared dead is in fact in a deep coma. He is now being cared for in a clinic in Genoa. The Foreign Ministry said that the error was due to the fact that the Italian authorities had great difficulties in identifying the victims of the tragedy. The Ministry added that the efforts to take all the victims out of the rubble are ongoing. The provisional body count is over 39, among them children, including French, Chilean, and Colombian citizens. About 35 vehicles and three trucks were caught in the collapse, which occurred during a torrential rain.

PROETNICA — The city of Sighisoara, in central Romania, is hosting from August 22 to 26, the 16th edition of Proetnica Intercultural Festival, an event attended by over 600 representatives of the 20 national minorities. The festival is aimed at preserving and developing ethno-cultural identities in Romania and promote intercultural dialogue and artistic interaction at European level.

PROTESTS — The General Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday that military prosecutors have taken from the Romanian Gendarmerie the documents regarding the chemical substances used against protesters on August 10^th in Bucharest. The Prosecutor’s Office has said all the substances used have quality and guarantee certificates. Also on Thursday, the coordinator of the gendarmes at the anti-government protest in Bucharest has publicly apologized to the people who suffered, quote, needlessly after security forces intervened. He emphasized that he has not made a decision regarding his resignation, and that he has nothing to feel guilty about. Military prosecutors have opened a case in rem for abusive treatment, abuse of office, and negligence while on the job by gendarmes, during the so-called Diaspora protest. So far, over 200 criminal complaints have been filed against the gendarmes. Also, a number of gendarmes have also filed criminal complaints of their own.

EMPLOYMENT – Employment agencies have found jobs abroad for over 19,000 Romanian citizens in the first half of the year, mainly in Germany, Holland, Austria, Spain and Britain, according to data centralized in Bucharest. At the same time, 282 Romanian citizens got work contracts abroad in the first semester through the EURES network, which facilitates free circulation of workers in the European space. According to the Organization for Cooperation and Economic development through the International Migration Outlook 2017 publication, in mid-2015, over 3.5 million Romanian citizens were living outside the country.

ECONOMY — The economic growth that started four years ago in former communist states in eastern Europe is starting to slow down, according to Bloomberg. Even though Hungary, Romania and Slovakia managed to have higher growth rates, obstacles they face are higher cost loans, a shortage of labor, and the slowdown in the Eurozone, their main market for exports. The region has managed to mostly avoid the turmoil that affected other developing markets, but uncertainties in trade are gradually eroding the demand for products such as automobiles and electronics. Meanwhile, inflation pressure has caused Romania and the Czech Republic to raise interest rates, Bloomberg writes. According to the National Institute of Statistics, Romania’s economy grew in the first semester by only 4.0%. In the second quarter, the economy grew by 1.4% as against the first.

16 August 2018
August 9, 2018 UPDATE

PROTEST – A large-scale protest by members of the Romanian diaspora against the ruling coalition is scheduled to take place on Friday in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest. City Hall announced that the protest is not organised by anyone in particular, as the law provides, as no entity has applied for a protest protocol. One man who was broadcast urging people towards violence against the authorities has been indicted by organised crime prosecutors. The Communications director for the Romanian gendarmes Marius Militaru told potential protesters on Thursday to refrain from giving way to provocations towards violence. Bucharest gendarme spokesperson Georgian Enache called on protesters to aid public order enforcers to do their job in case violence ensues.

EU PRESIDENCY – Some 1,500 experts have been trained for Romanias taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on January 1, 2019, the minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu, told a TV channel on Thursday. According to him, the training programme started last year, with support from the European Institute in Romania, the European Commission and the General Secretariat of the EU Council. The Romanian official explained that these experts must be able to listen to the views of member states and come up with consensual solutions acceptable to all member countries.

GRAINS – The research firm Strategie Grains has cut its forecast for this years European wheat harvest to a 6-year low. Analysts say this is because circumstances in northern Europe led to disastrous crops, whereas favourable conditions in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy and Spain offset the pressures on crops caused by the hot and dry weather in Germany, Poland, France and the Czech Republic, Reuters reports. The crop forecaster also emphasises that Romania and Bulgaria will have more wheat for fodder, thanks to the recent rainfalls. In a report released on Thursday, the French company estimates that the EUs wheat crop will amount to 127.7 million tonnes, 10% less than last year. Meanwhile, the harvest in Romania, the Unions 3rd largest wheat exporter, might decrease by at least 20% this year, the head of the Romanian League of Farmer Associations Laurenţiu Baciu warned last week.

DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor Thursday received the new Ambassador of Slovakia to Romania, Karol Mistrik. The talks focused on bilateral cooperation within NATO and EU projects and initiatives. The 2 officials also discussed the importance of implementing the decisions made at the recent NATO Summit in Brussels, and expressed interest in strengthening the bilateral cooperation in the defence sector.

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry responded on Thursday to statements made by Italys deputy PM Matteo Salvini, who accused Romania and Bulgaria of sending slaves to Western Europe. According to Mediafax news agency, Bucharest says any connections made between the citizens of a country and a crime category is unacceptable. Romania takes responsibility for what its citizens do abroad, and has adopted the international standards for the prevention and combating of human trafficking, being a signatory of the main relevant international documents. Matteo Salvini, Interior Minister and deputy PM of Italy and leader of the radical Northern League party, has accused Romania and Bulgaria of sending slaves into western Europe, and asked for measures to restrict human trafficking and exploitation.

WEST NILE – A person died in Romania from the West Nile virus, the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced on Thursday. The man was 79 years old and suffered from chronic diseases. The Public Health Ministry announced there is no risk of an epidemic, and the cases reported so far are isolated. Experts warn that West Nile is not transmitted between humans, but that it is spread through mosquito bites. 23 West Nile patients have been confirmed in Romania since early May.

SWINE FEVER – In Brăila County, in south-eastern Romania, 2 new African swine fever hotbeds were confirmed on Thursday, bringing the county total to 18. According to the latest data, the total number of hotbeds in Romania is nearly 580, in over 100 villages in 8 counties. More than 78,000 pigs have been culled. The owners will receive compensations for their losses, and the forthcoming budget adjustment earmarks additional funding for eradicating this disease.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

9 August 2018
August 5, 2018 UPDATE

ANTI-CORRUPTION AGENCY – The Romanian Justice Ministry on Monday starts a new selection procedure for the position of head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. It will unfold until September 6, when the results are made public. The procedure started in July hasnt been finalised, because all four candidacies have been rejected by the justice minister, Tudorel Toader. The position of chief prosecutor became vacant last month, when president Klaus Iohannis revoked Laura Codruta Kovesi, being compelled to make this decision following a ruling issued by the Constitutional Court. Since then, the interim head of the anti-corruption agency has been prosecutor Anca Jurma, a former counsellor of Laura Codruta Kovesi.

ELLIE WIESEL – The Romanian Foreign Ministry expresses regret and firmly condemns any anti-Semitic gestures, after the Memorial House of the late Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, was vandalised. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry condemns any behavioural slippage and discourse which promotes intolerance and xenophobia. The Romanian Police has started an investigation, after anti-Semitic comments in pink paint were scrawled on the facade of the “Elie Wiesel Memorial House in Sighetu Marmaţiei, on Friday to Saturday night. In 2016, the Romanian born American writer and philosopher Elie Wiesel received the distinction of Honorary Citizen (post – mortem) of Maramureş County.

BREXIT- British trade minister Liam Fox said intransigence from the European Union was pushing Britain towards a no-deal Brexit, in an interview published Saturday by the Sunday Times.
“With less than eight months until Britain quits the EU, the government has yet to agree a deal with Brussels and has stepped up planning for the possibility of leaving the bloc without any formal agreement, Reuters reports. “Fox, promising Brexit supporter in Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet, put the odds of Britain leaving the European Union without agreeing to deal over their future relationship at 60-40. If Britain fails to agree on the terms of its divorce with the EU, it will return to trade under the World Trade Organization rules in March 2019 without even a transitional arrangement. Most economists think this would cause serious harm to the world’s No.5 economy, as trade with the EU, Britain’s largest market, would become subject to

tariffs, Reuters also reports.

SCORCHER– Over 1,000 fire-fighters are making sustained efforts to put out wildfires in Portugal and Spain, where temperatures exceed 46 degrees Celsius. The Iberian peninsula is under code red alert. The Portuguese region of Algarve, well known for its beautiful beaches, as of Friday has been affected by wildfires, the most powerful on the peninsula. The current wave of high temperatures favours the spreading of fire. In Spain, over 1,000 people had to flee their homes and travel destinations in Marbella, because of the high risk posed by wildfires. Other countries are also affected by scorcher. Traffic has been temporarily halted on the highway linking France and Spain, in the region of Jonquera, in the Pyrenees, after a fire which broke out on the French-Spanish border. In the Netherlands, several highway segments have been closed because of high temperatures and in France, four nuclear reactors have been halted for safety reasons.

SWINE FEVER – Two new African swine fever hotbeds have been confirmed in Galati county, south-eastern Romania. Meanwhile, two pig farms in Tulcea, the most affected county, have been taken out of quarantine, after the test results were negative, and the approximately 4,000 pigs there can be used for consumption. Some 60,000 animals have been slaughtered in Tulcea county alone, in an effort to contain the spread of the epidemic. Nationwide, some 550 African swine fever hotbeds have been confirmed so far, in some 100 small towns and villages in 8 counties. In south-eastern Romania, the swine fever is spreading at a very fast pace, experts from the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority have warned. African swine fever is not transmittable to humans, but it has a huge social and economic impact. The epidemic has had an explosive evolution since its outbreak, in early June.

KABUL- NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan on Sunday announced that three of its soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber in eastern Afghanistan. A US military and two Afghan soldiers were also injured in the attack. Afghan officials announced the blast occurred in the region of Parwan and said the suicide bomber targeted foreign forces on a patrol mission. The attack has been claimed by the Taliban, who fight for the reintroduction of the strict Islamic law in Afghanistan after they were removed from power in 2001.

SPORTS – On Sunday Romania got a silver medal, won by the mens pair and a bronze medal by the mens eight, at the European Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain. On Saturday the Romanians won three gold medals, by the womens eight, the mens four and the mens pair, a sliver medal by the womens four and a bronze medal by the mens pair. Romanian rowers are topping the medals table at the European Championships. Also in Glasgow, Denisa Golgota, the only Romanian gymnast competing in the seniors apparatus pieces finals at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships, got a bronze medal in the vault event.

5 August 2018
August 5, 2018

UPDATE (14.12): NATO’s Resolute
Support Mission in Afghanistan on Sunday announced that three of its soldiers
were killed by
a suicide bomber in eastern Afghanistan. A US military and two Afghan soldiers
were also injured in the attack. Afghan officials announced the blast occurred
in the region of Parwan and said the suicide bomber targeted foreign forces on a
patrol mission. The attack has been claimed by the Taliban, who fight for the reintroduction
of the strict Islamic law in Afghanistan after they were removed from power in
2001.

NAVY DAY – Celebrations of the Romanian Navy Day have started in Galati, south-eastern Romania with an anniversary concert given by the band of the Romanian Naval Forces. This is the first in a series of events to be held this year, for the first time in seven cities across the country: Constanţa, Galaţi, Mangalia, Tulcea, Brăila, Bucharest and Cernavodă. Celebrations will be held in the coming days in all the countrys military ports and will culminate with a big naval show in Constanta, on August 15. All throughout this period, tens of ships and vessels, armament and military equipment will be put on show, for visitors. Navy Day is also an opportunity for the representatives of navy education institutions to make public their educational offer. The event will be held on Constantas seafront on Monday. The timetable of events marking Navy Day will be completed by military ceremonies, exhibitions, shows and scuba diving workshops.

SCORCHER– Over 1,000 fire-fighters are making sustained efforts to put out wildfires in Portugal and Spain, where temperatures exceed 46 degrees Celsius. The Iberian peninsula is under code red alert. The Portuguese region of Algarve, well known for its beautiful beaches, as of Friday has been affected by wildfires, the most powerful on the peninsula. The current wave of high temperatures favours the spreading of fire. In Spain, over 1,000 people had to flee their homes and travel destinations in Marbella, because of the high risk posed by wildfires. Other countries are also affected by scorcher. Traffic has been temporarily halted on the highway linking France and Spain, in the region of Jonquera, in the Pyrenees, after a fire which broke out on the French-Spanish border. In the Netherlands, several highway segments have been closed because of high temperatures and in France, four nuclear reactors have been halted for safety reasons. Red and orange code alerts are still valid today in several European countries, including the Swiss Alps. Three people died in Spain and another one in Italy because of heat.

SWINE FEVER – Two new African swine fever hotbeds have been confirmed in Galati county, south-eastern Romania. Meanwhile, two pig farms in Tulcea, the most affected county, have been taken out of quarantine, after the test results were negative, and the approximately 4,000 pigs there can be used for consumption. Some 60,000 animals have been slaughtered in Tulcea county alone, in an effort to contain the spread of the epidemic. Nationwide, some 550 African swine fever hotbeds have been confirmed so far, in some 100 small towns and villages in 8 counties. In south-eastern Romania, the swine fever is spreading at a very fast pace, experts from the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority have warned. African swine fever is not transmittable to humans, but it has a huge social and economic impact. The epidemic has had an explosive evolution since its outbreak, in early June.

BREXIT- British trade minister Liam Fox said intransigence from the European Union was pushing Britain towards a no-deal Brexit, in an interview published Saturday by the Sunday Times.
“With less than eight months until Britain quits the EU, the government has yet to agree a deal with Brussels and has stepped up planning for the possibility of leaving the bloc without any formal agreement, Reuters reports. “Fox, promising Brexit supporter in Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet, put the odds of Britain leaving the European Union without agreeing to deal over their future relationship at 60-40. If Britain fails to agree on the terms of its divorce with the EU, it will return to trade under the World Trade Organization rules in March 2019 without even a transitional arrangement. Most economists think this would cause serious harm to the world’s No.5 economy, as trade with the EU, Britain’s largest market, would become subject to

tariffs, Reuters also reports.

ELLIE WIESEL – The Romanian Foreign Ministry
expresses regret and firmly condemns any anti-Semitic gestures, after the Memorial
House of the late Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel,
was vandalised. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry condemns any behavioural
slippage and discourse which promotes intolerance and xenophobia. The Romanian
Police has started an investigation, after anti-Semitic comments in pink paint
were scrawled on the facade of the Elie Wiesel Memorial House in Sighetu
Marmaţiei, on Friday to Saturday night. In 2016, the Romanian born American writer
and philosopher Elie Wiesel received the distinction of Honorary Citizen (post
– mortem) of Maramureş County.

UNTOLD – The largest electronic music festival in Romania, “Untold, hosted by the western Romanian city of Cluj Napoca is coming to a close. Performing on the 10 stages of the festival have been over 250 musicians and performs. The main stage has been two times larger than last year, by over 80 m wider and 31 m higher. The guests of the Untold festival included The Chainsmokers, Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Tujamo şi Afrojack. For the first time, concerts were broadcast live on YouTube. According to the organisers, hundreds of thousands of spectators from both the country and abroad have come to Cluj, for this years edition of the festival. Over 1,100 gendarmes, policemen, fire-fighters and medical staff have ensured order, public and health safety measures.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzărnescu (no.24 WTA) is today facing Greeces Maria Sakkari (no.49 WTA), in the finals of the San Jose tennis tournament in California, with some 800,000 USD in prize money up for grabs. On Saturday in the semi-finals, Sakkari defeated American Danielle Collins (no.42 WTA), whereas Mihaela outperformed Belgiums Elise Mertens (no.15 WTA). In the doubles, Buzărnescu and British Heather Watson were defeated in the semi-finals by the Ukrainian twins Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok.

5 August 2018
The African swine fever continues to spread

In only one week, the number of swine fever hotbeds in Romania has increased by some 100 and the overall number stands at 550. This is an aggressive, explosive evolution, says the president of the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, Geronimo Brănescu, who explains:

“The swine fever outbreak in the north-west of the country was caused by the illegal introduction in Romania of products made of sick animals or infected with the African swine fever virus. Pigs in the east of the country were infested because of the migration of wild boars, initially within the Danube Delta biosphere reserve. The wild boars got into contact with the domestic pigs living near the reserve and then spread to the households in the region.”

There are some 100 affected villages and communes so far and some 50,000 pigs have been slaughtered, because there is no vaccine or treatment for this disease. Ever since June, the fast spreading of the swine fever has affected mainly households. The Interior Ministry on Wednesday hosted a meeting of the Committee for Special Emergency Situations on the topic of the African swine fever. The authorities call on the owners to allow the slaughtering of the sick animals and observe the protection measures.

The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat:

“There were counties where prefects and our colleagues have not been allowed to intervene. It is important that compensations are granted and this is what people should understand. There is no reason for them to slaughter the pigs and fraudulently take them to another region and sell the meat, because the swine fever is thus spreading. It is preferably to announce the pig is sick, receive the compensations and let the authorities solve the situation at the site, and thus help contain the disease.”

The first payments of compensations to the affected farmers have already been made, and their total value is close to 30,000 Euros. Compensations are offered both for the slaughtered animals and for collateral damage. On a visit to Brussels last month, Romanian agriculture minister Petre Daea requested funds from the European Commission to compensate the losses caused by halting pork production and of other losses produced by plummeting prices in the affected areas. The financial assistance will also cover costs related to disinfection, the disposal of fodder and the slaughtering of pigs.

The swine fever does not affect people and is not transmissible to humans. However, in a country like Romania, with a relatively high consumption and production of pork, the African swine fever has a devastating social and economic impact. Producers say the estimated losses produced by the swine fever virus stand at hundreds of millions of Euros.

2 August 2018
July 31, 2018 UPDATE

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, on Tuesday notified the Constitutional Court with respect to the Administrative Code. The president claims, among other things, that the law has not been adopted transparently and that deficiencies in the parliamentary procedure have been reported. The president also says that the law, in its entirety, runs counter to the Constitution and he mentions, in that respect, tens of articles included in the new Administrative Code. The document was endorsed by Parliament on July 9.In its
turn, the Constitutional Court announced on Tuesday the president’s notification
regarding the Administrative Code will be debated upon on September 20.

SWINE FEVER – The situation of African
swine fever hotbeds in Romania was the focal point on the agenda of a
government session on Tuesday. Attending the informal meeting were several members
of the cabinet, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed
Arafat, as well as representatives of the National Sanitary-Veterinary
Authority. Romanian pig farmers having lost animals because of the African
swine fever outbreak have so far received compensations of nearly 28,000 Euros.
The compensations are granted both for the animals slaughtered in view of
containing the swine fever hotbeds, and for collateral damages. In order to
prevent the disease from spreading, restrictions have been introduced in
certain areas regarding the transport of pork products, and citizens have been
informed of relevant prevention measures. Since the beginning of the year, 440
African swine fever hotbeds have been identified in Romania, both in large
farms and individual households.

CAR POLLUTING FEE – The Romanian environment minister, Graţiela Gavrilescu, announced on Tuesday that she will come up with a new version of the car polluting fee by the end of the year. The car polluting fee was introduced in Romania in January 2007, shortly after the country joined the EU. At that time, the first car registration fee was calculated in accordance with three elements: the age of the car, the type of catalyst and the engine capacity. After the fee had been repeatedly changed, in 2013, a tax was introduced in 2013, depending exclusively on the level of exhausted fumes. Four years later, in 2017, the authorities scrapped that fee.

WORKERS – Over the past few years Romanian companies in hospitality, catering, light industry, agriculture and constructions have hired workers from outside the EU. Most of them come from countries with living standards below those in Romania, like the Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Romanian employers have resorted to this strategy for various reasons, including the migration of domestic workers to more developed countries in western Europe, a drop in birth rates, labour mobility requirements and the inability of the national education system to adjust to the needs of the local labour market.

SHEEP FARMING – Romania, the 4th largest sheep and goat breeding country in the EU, last year imported mutton and lamb worth 3.5 million Euros, from countries as far away as New Zealand. According to data made public by the National Statistics Institute, last year 11.5 million sheep and goats were bred in Romania, of which some 10 million sheep. Romania exported live stock worth over 180 million Euros and sheep and goat meat amounting to more than 35 million Euros. Sheep farming relies extensively on exports, because Romanians are not regular consumers of lamb and mutton.

ASYLUM – 900 people applied for protection from the Romanian state in the first half of the year, 55% fewer than in the corresponding period of last year. According to the General Inspectorate for Immigration, the largest number of asylum seekers come from countries like Iraq, Syria and Iran, and the largest number of applications have been submitted to the centres in Bucharest and in Timişoara (in the west). Close to 950 other people have been included in an integration programme.

GREECE – The Greek authorities made public the latest toll of the wildfires that ravaged several towns and villages near the capital city Athens last week: 92 dead, 25 missing and 28 unidentified burnt bodies. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, 4 foreign citizens are among the victims. On Monday the PM of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, visited the villages of Mati and Rafina. An investigation is under way, looking into the causes of the tragedy. (Translated by AM Popescu and D. Vijeu)

31 July 2018
July 31, 2018

MOTORWAY – Traffic on the 3rd and 4th segments of A10 Motorway, connecting the towns of Sebeș and Turda, in central Romania, was opened on Monday night, 4 years after the works began. The 2 segments total 27 km. The entire motorway will be around 70 km long. The costs of the project amount to roughly 40 million euros, with 75% of the amount coming from the EU under the European Regional Development Fund, and 25% from the state budget.

SWINE FEVER – Romanian pig farmers having lost animals because of the African swine fever outbreak have so far received compensations of nearly 28,000 euros, the relevant authorities have announced. The compensations are granted both for the animals slaughtered in view of containing the swine fever hotbeds, and for collateral damages. In order to prevent the disease from spreading, restrictions have been introduced in certain areas regarding the transport of pork products, and citizens have been informed of relevant prevention measures. Since the beginning of the year, 440 African swine fever hotbeds have been identified in Romania, both in large farms and individual households.

WORKERS – Over the past few years Romanian companies in hospitality, catering, light industry, agriculture and constructions have hired workers from outside the EU. Most of them come from countries with living standards below those in Romania, like the Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Romanian employers have resorted to this strategy for various reasons, including the migration of domestic workers to more developed countries in western Europe, a drop in birth rates, labour mobility requirements and the inability of the national education system to adjust to the needs of the local labour market.

SHEEP FARMING – Romania, the 4th largest sheep and goat breeding country in the EU, last year imported mutton and lamb worth 3.5 million euros, from countries as far away as New Zealand. According to data made public by the National Statistics Institute, last year 11.5 million sheep and goats were bred in Romania, of which some 10 million sheep. Romania exported live stock worth over 180 million euros and sheep and goat meat amounting to more than 35 million euros. Sheep farming relies extensively on exports, because Romanians are not regular consumers of lamb and mutton.

GREECE – The Greek authorities made public the latest toll of the wildfires that ravaged several towns and villages near the capital city Athens last week: 92 dead, 25 missing and 28 unidentified burnt bodies. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, 4 foreign citizens are among the victims. On Monday the PM of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, visited the villages of Mati and Rafina. An investigation is under way, looking into the causes of the tragedy.

ASYLUM – 900 people applied for protection from the Romanian state in the first half of the year, 55% fewer than in the corresponding period of last year. According to the General Inspectorate for Immigration, the largest number of asylum seekers come from countries like Iraq, Syria and Iran, and the largest number of applications have been submitted to the centres in Bucharest and in Timişoara (in the west). Close to 950 other people have been included in an integration programme.

MIGRATION – The US president Donald Trump praised the Italian PM Giuseppe Contes firm stance on migration, during a meeting with the Italian official at the White House on Monday. Trump added that many other countries in Europe and the world should do the same. Giuseppe Conte is heading a right-wing government whose Interior Minister has taken a tough position regarding immigrants. According to the Italian government, the people rescued from the Mediterranean should no longer be brought into Italian ports.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

31 July 2018
The Week in Review, 22-28 July

Government presents report after 6 months in office

The third governmental team put together by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats this week reviewed its accomplishments after the first six months in office. Higher budget revenues, increased investments and better spending of EU funds are some of the achievements presented by PM Dancila on Monday. She also mentioned the Governments measures to encourage employment and support farmers. Viorica Dancila explained that in the first 6 months of the year the state budget revenues were some 3.2 billion euros higher than in the corresponding period of last year. Doubling the salaries of healthcare personnel and a 25% increase of teaching staff incomes were also listed as “social measures. In the first 6 months in office, the Government also approved 13 strategic investment projects, 4 of which in the transport infrastructure sector. Also, 192 km of power lines were completed, which allow for inter-connection with the neighbouring Hungary and Serbia. Ludovic Orban, the president of the National Liberal Party, in opposition, criticised the activity of the government, arguing that the current Cabinet brought to a halt the economic growth of the past few years and lowered the citizens purchasing power.

PM visits Montenegro and the Republic of Macedonia

The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, while on an official visit this week to Podgorita, reiterated Romanias support for Montenegros EU accession efforts. The head of the Romanian Cabinet had meetings with president Milo Djukanovic and her counterpart Dusko Marcovic, as well as with the Parliament Speaker Ivan Brajovic. Mrs Dancila promised that the Western Balkans will be a key priority of the upcoming Romanian EU Council presidency and that Romania will be offering the expertise and the necessary technical assistance for the success of this process. She also congratulated Montenegro on its recent NATO accession, emphasising that Podgorica is a true friend and ally of Romania. The Romanian Prime Ministers Western Balkans tour continued with a visit to the Republic of Macedonia, the agenda of which included meetings with the head of state Gjorge Ivanov, PM Zoran Zaev and Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi. The topics approached included opportunities to strengthen bilateral relations.

The position of chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate remains vacant

According to an announcement of the Romanian Justice Ministry on Friday, all four candidacies for chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate have been rejected, and the selection procedure will be resumed. The press release reads that none of four met the necessary requirements. The four candidates, interviewed on Thursday, were Florentina Mirica, chief prosecutor with the Anti-corruption Service of the Directorate, Cristian Lazar, deputy chief prosecutor with the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor Generals Office, Marius Iacob, deputy chief prosecutor with the National Anticorruption Directorate, and Elena Grecu, prosecutor chief of service with the central offices of the National Anticorruption Directorate. The position of Chief Prosecutor of the Directorate became vacant when Laura Codruta Kovesi was dismissed under a decree signed on July 9th by the countrys president, Klaus Iohannis, who thus complied with a ruling of the Constitutional Court.

Romania supports fire-ravaged Greece

The disaster in Greece, dubbed by many as Biblical, has sensitized the entire world, including Romanians, who have shown their willingness to help. On Wednesday, the Romanian Air Forces sent two airplanes and 20 soldiers to help the Greek authorities. The C-27 J Spartan, designed to extinguish fires, launches special cardboard boxes, each filled with 1.000 litres of water, and the other aircraft, a Hercules C-130, provides logistical support. Princess Margaret, the Custodian of the Crown of Romania and president of the Romanian Red Cross, has conveyed a message of compassion to the Greek people. Also, the Romanian Patriarchy has urged all eparchies in the country and abroad to provide financial support to those affected and has announced the opening of several bank accounts. The money will be donated to the Athens Archbishopric.

Bad weather takes Romania in its grip again

One person has died taken by the waters and lots of households and thousands of hectares of farming land and pastures have been damaged this week by heavy ran and flooding, affecting half of the country. Such phenomena have become quite normal this summer, which has proven rather atypical. July 2018 has been the coolest summer month in the last 34 years, with temperatures below the average and heavy precipitations reported almost every day, keeping meteorologists busy issuing one alert after another for heavy rain, storms and unstable weather across the country. Firefighters and military rescue teams have intervened to help the population deal with the damage caused by the bad weather. The Government has announced it will provide emergency aid in the areas affected by flooding and has called on local authorities to take all the necessary measures.

Swine fever wreaks havoc

The African swine fever virus continues to spread across Romania and cause colossal damage among local farms, amounting to hundreds of millions of Euro. Some 440 outbreaks have been reported since the beginning of the year, mostly in the county of Tulcea, in the south-east. Tens of thousands of pigs have been slaughtered, and deliveries of pork and pork meat products have been restricted. The African swine fever affects only animals, therefore it cannot hurt humans, but there is no treatment or vaccine against it.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Mihaela Ignatescu)

28 July 2018
July 26, 2018 UPDATE

EU PRESIDENCY Romania has finalised a calendar of the events and meetings to be held in the country and abroad during its presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The announcement was made by the Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, who presented a report of his term in office so far. The calendar includes 1,400 formal meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg, and another 300 meetings in Romania. Negrescu added that the venues for these meetings have also been chosen.

ANTI-CORRUPTION In Bucharest, the 4 candidates for the office of head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate were interviewed on Thursday by the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. On Friday a decision will be reached on either the nomination of one candidate, or the restart of the procedure, Tudorel Toader said. The 4 candidates are prosecutor Florentina Mirică – head of the Corruption Combating Division of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, prosecutor Cristian Lazăr – deputy chief of the Prosecution Division in the General Prosecutors Office, prosecutor Marius Iacob – deputy chief of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and prosecutor Elena Grecu – head of division in the central structure of the Directorate. The former head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate Laura Codruţa Kovesi was dismissed under an order issued on July 9 by President Klaus Iohannis, further to a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Romania.

GREECE The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has announced there is no information on whether there are any Romanians among the victims of the wildfires in Greece. The latest death toll of the wildfires that recently ravaged Greece stands at 81; 200 other people have been wounded with scores still missing. The Custodian of the Crown of Romania and president of the Romanian Red Cross, Margareta, has conveyed a message to Greece in which she expressed her compassion for the fire victims at the same time pledging support from the Romanian Red Cross. In turn, the Romanian Orthodox Church has urged all its churches around the country and abroad to donate money in order to give financial support to the victims of the fires in Greece. The funds raised will be eventually donated to the Archbishopric of Athens. On Wednesday Romania dispatched two planes to the fire-affected areas: one fitted with fire-extinguishing equipment and a Hercules C-130 to provide logistic support. Sweden has also reported a series of forest fires close to the Arctic Circle where several towns have already been evacuated.

SWINE FEVER – In Romania, the authorities are trying to contain African swine fever, with an emergency committee set up by the Agriculture Ministry to monitor the outbreak. The ministry has also informed the European Commission that it will apply for compensations for the producers who have been forced to kill their animals. Some 440 hotbeds have been identified since the beginning of the year.

AIR POLICE Two British Typhoon fighters were launched on Thursday from the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in south-eastern Romania, because a Russian aircraft flying over the Black Sea was heading for NATO airspace. A news release issued by the British Air Force mentions that the Russian bomber was a Su-24 FENCER aircraft. In May, when they were deployed on their 4-month mission in Romania, the British fighters were also forced to respond to a Russian aircraft approaching NATO airspace. The British aircraft are in Romania on enhanced air policing missions.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

26 July 2018
August 2, 2017 UPDATE

FOOTBALL The Football Federation in Turkey has reached an agreement with Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu to train the country’s national eleven. Lucescu, 72, will be replacing Fatih Terim who resigned last week. We recall that in early 2000, Lucescu coached Turkish side Galatasary, which subsequently won Europe’s Supercup. Lucescu next moved to their rivals Besiktas. In 2004 the Romanian coach started training Shaktaar Donetsk, which dominated the domestic football competition in Ukraine and became one of Europe’s major football clubs. Lucescu was under no contract after leaving Russian side Zenit Sankt Petersburg.

UNDESIRABLE The Court of Appeal in Bucharest has declared a Tunisian man living in Romania undesirable for 10 years for his involvement in terrorism-related activities. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), the man arrived in Romania in 2008 and subsequently went through stepped up Islamic radicalization. At the same time the man got involved in on-line propaganda activities for the Islamic State and was on a list of people providing funding for ISIS. The man was taken into custody by the General Immigration Inspectorate and will be expelled from Romania.

SWINE FEVER Romania keeps its statute of a country free of swine flu, a statute it obtained in May this year, the head of the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food-Safety Authority Geronimo Branescu said. According to him, the swine flu and the African swine fever recently confirmed in northwestern Romania are completely different diseases. The African swine fever is a deadly disease for pigs, which cannot be transmitted to humans. However, because the African swine fever could bring the Romanian pig breeders on the verge of bankruptcy, they have called on the authorities to urgently approve the necessary measures to contain the epidemic. The African swine fever has so far affected Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

NON GRATA Russia’s deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozyn on Wednesday was declared persona non grata by the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country. The decision was made by the government in Chisinau upon a proposal from Foreign Minister Andrei Galbur, after the Russian official had voiced his readiness to visit the Republic in September. We recall that last week his plane was denied permission to fly over Romania to land in the Republic of Moldova. The Russian official reacted angrily threatening the authorities in Bucharest. The deputy prime minister is one of the most senior Russian officials slapped with an EU visa ban in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

2 August 2017
August 1, 2017 UPDATE

ARMY SPENDING -
The Higher Defence Council of Romania convened on Tuesday to plan defence
spending in 2017-2026. The previous spending plan, submitted on 4th
of July, was withdrawn because it did not take into account the 2% of the GDP
commitment for defence made in 2015 by all political parties. Last week, the
Defence Minister Adrian Tutuianu had submitted to president Klaus Iohannis a
revised version of the plan, including that particular commitment and eight
specific investment programs worth over 100 million Euros each. Among them is
the purchase of Patriot missiles and 36 F-16 fighter jets.

COOPERATION – Romania’s Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has discussed with the
Ambassador of China to Bucharest Xu Feihong several projects in railway and
road infrastructure. One of these is a bridge over the Danube, at Braila, which
is included in the National Transportation Masterplan and for which the call
for tender has already been launched. Other projects include the building of a
motorway connecting Bucharest to the Bulgarian capital city Sofia and the
development of a high-speed rail network in a partnership with Bulgaria,
Serbia, and possibly Greece. All these projects may receive EU funding and may
be developed in a public-private partnership, in which Romania could benefit
from the know-how of major Chinese construction companies.

EMA – Romania’s
capital Bucharest is one of the 19 cities competing to become host of the
European Medicines Agency, after Brexit. The European Commission started
assessing the candidates on August 1st, and the result will be made
public on September 30th. Among competitors there are Amsterdam,
Bonn, Brussels, Dublin, Milan, Stockholm, Vienna, Warsaw, Sofia and Zagreb.
With 900 employees, the Agency, currently based in London, is a decentralized
body of the EU, responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision and
safety monitoring of medicines in the EU. The criteria used to assess the
applications include the possibility to start operating immediately,
accessibility, schools for employees’ children, access to the labour market and
medical care for their families.

HEALTH -
On Tuesday, the new European program to encourage healthier eating in schools
was launched, for which Romania will get 17 million Euros. EU authorities want
to introduce the program in the whole of the EU starting this school year,
allocating a total of 250 million Euro to promote healthy eating for children.
Half of the amount goes towards fruits and vegetables, and the rest to milk, on
condition no additional salt, sugar and fat be on the list of ingredients.
Although participation is optional, all member states have already announced
their intention to be part of it. Around 30 million European children benefited
from similar programs last year.

BUSINESS -
Limited liability companies, authorized natural persons and other types of
companies may apply for grants worth 2.5 million Euro for producing ice cream,
bread products, dairy products and craft beer, through the Rural Development
Program. Applications can be submitted on-line, between August 1 and October 31.
By mid August, the Ministry of the Business Environment will have introduced
two new programs for the business environment, one for commerce and another one
for small industries.

SWINE FEVER – Romania
has confirmed the first outbreak of African swine fever in the county of Satu
Mare, in the north. According to the Sanitary – Veterinary Directorate of Satu
Mare, circulation restrictions have imposed and inspectors are on high alert.
Seven animals have been sacrificed and proper disinfection was carried out. The
European Commission has been informed by the situation, and a decision will be
made for the area under restriction.

1 August 2017