Radio România Internațional

Tag: UCC

  • May 1, 2016 UPDATE

    May 1, 2016 UPDATE

    EASTER -
    Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide are celebrating Easter, or the
    Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his Easter message, the Patriarch of the Romanian
    Orthodox Church, Daniel, said the Resurrection of Christ is symbolical of the
    triumph of love, which renders our lives meaningful. The high prelate also
    mentioned the Romanians who live outside the borders of the country, saying
    Let us not forget, in our prayers, those who live far from the country,
    longing for home. We are waiting for all of them to return to the country for
    good, because many of Romania’s localities are sad and helpless without them.
    Our villages are getting old. Many children grow up without their parents and
    many old people are helpless without their sons and daughters who live far
    away, the patriarch also underlined at the Patriarchal Cathedral, during the
    Easter mass, which was also attended by Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis and
    his wife. According to a poll, 68% of the Romanians believe Easter should be
    celebrated simultaneously by Orthodox and Catholic believers.





    VISIT -
    The presence of Romanian troops on the theatre of operations in Afghanistan
    comes as Romania’s firm response to NATO’s request to ensure that country’s
    security and stability, says Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis. The head of
    state on Sunday visited the Romanian troops stationed at the military base in
    Kandahar and celebrated Easter together. In a speech to the military, President
    Iohannis underlined that Afghanistan is, for the North Atlantic Alliance, the
    main battlefront against terrorism. He added that the reconstruction of that
    country entails long-term efforts, fully assumed by the international
    community. The Romanian President also met with brigadier general Antonio
    Aguto, commander, Train, Advise, Assist Command – South, in Afghanistan. The
    talks between the two officials underlined the excellent level of cooperation
    between Romanian and US troops in the new common missions, focussed on
    providing assistance and training the Afghan security forces.




    NEW UCC -
    The main customs formalities will be simplified as of May 1, following the
    enforcement of the new Union Customs Code across the EU. The code sets common
    and streamlined procedures in all EU member states, to make life simpler for
    businesses doing trade in Europe. The same rules apply regardless of where in
    the EU the goods are declared and once the goods have cleared customs in a
    member state, they can circulate freely or be sold anywhere within the EU
    customs territory, that is in any of the 28 member states. Furthermore, the use of
    IT &C becomes mandatory. Thus, the European Commission hopes to reduce tax
    evasion in the field of cross-border trade, which currently stands at 50
    billion Euros a year.




    NATIONAL OPERA ROW – Romanian Prime Minister Dacian
    Ciolos on Tuesday will send to President Klaus Iohannis the proposal to revoke
    Vlad Alexandrescu from the position of culture minister and to nominate another
    person at the helm of that institution. The revocation comes against the
    backdrop of the Bucharest National Opera scandal, which was generated by
    general discontent about successive nominations at the top management of the
    institution and about salary disparities between Romanian and foreign ballet
    dancers. Protests led to the cancellation of three performances and prompted
    Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos to demand Vlad Alexandrescu’s resignation. In
    several Facebook posts and articles in the press, Vlad Alexandrescu claims he
    had to leave office because he had reportedly disturbed various groups of
    interests, such as those in Rosia Montana, which he added on the country’s
    tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Prime Minister said he hadn’t
    been briefed on the problems Vlad Alexandrescu claims to have been faced with,
    and promised to request the new culture minister to go ahead with the reforms
    started by his/her predecessor.

    PAY RISE – Over one million one hundred thousand Romanian employees will receive a pay rise worth 200 lei (some 50 Euros), as of May 1st, following a government decision adopted at the end of 2015, which increased the minimum wage from 1,050 lei to 1,250 lei.

    ROYAL FAMILY – Romania’s Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu, alongside officials
    and members of other European Royal Houses, attended a series of
    events held in Stockholm to mark the 70th anniversary of King Carl Gustaf XVI
    of Sweden. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu who started an official visit to
    Sweden on Friday, attended the special Easter mass at the Romanian Orthodox
    Bishopric and met with members of the Romanian community. This is the third
    official visit abroad by Romania’s royal family this year, after those to
    Turkey and the Republic of Moldova. The Royal House recalls that King Carl
    Gustaf XVI of Sweden and Queen Silvia paid a state visit to Romania back in
    2003.


    BUCHAREST CITY TOUR – The Bucharest Public Transport Utility, RATB, on Sunday reactivated
    the Bucharest City Tour tourist line. Four double deckers will take the tour
    of the city and of its main tourist objectives. The buses are equipped with
    audio-guides in Romanian, English, French and Italian. A ticket costs 25 lei
    (approximately 5 Euros) for adults and 10 lei (around 2 Euros and 20 cents) for
    children in the 7-14 year age bracket. The travel pass can be purchased on the
    bus and can be used all day long, for tourists to be able to visit all tourist
    attractions in Romania’s capital city.




    BOXING – Romanian Lucian Bute faced Swedish boxer
    Badou Jack in Washington on Sunday morning for the WBC super middleweight belt,
    the oldest and most prestigious belt in boxing. The match ended in a draw. In
    such a situation, the belt is kept by the defending world super middleweight champion,
    Badou Jack. Lucian Bute, 36, is the former super middleweight champion in the
    IBF version. He successfully defended his title nine times, for nearly four
    years and a half. Jack Badou, 32, defended his WBC belt for the second time.

    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • May 1, 2016

    May 1, 2016

    EASTER – Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide are celebrating Easter, or the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his Easter message, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, said the Resurrection of Christ is symbolical of the triumph of love, which renders our lives meaningful. The high prelate also mentioned the Romanians who live outside the borders of the country, saying “Let us not forget, in our prayers, those who live far from the country, longing for home. We are waiting for all of them to return to the country for good, because many of Romanias localities are sad and helpless without them. Our villages are getting old. Many children grow up without their parents and many old people are helpless without their sons and daughters who live far away, the patriarch also underlined at the Patriarchal Cathedral, during the Easter mass, which was also attended by Romanias President Klaus Iohannis and his wife. According to a poll, 68% of the Romanians believe Easter should be celebrated simultaneously by Orthodox and Catholic believers.



    ROYAL FAMILY – Romanias Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu, alongside officials and members of other European Royal Houses, on Saturday attended a series of events held in Stockholm to mark the 70th anniversary of King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu who started an official visit to Sweden on Friday, attend the special Easter mass at the Romanian Orthodox Bishopric and meet with members of the Romanian community. This is the third official visit abroad by Romanias royal family this year, after those to Turkey and the Republic of Moldova. The Royal House recalls that King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden and Queen Silvia paid a state visit to Romania back in 2003.




    NEW UCC – The main customs formalities will be simplified as of today, following the enforcement of the new Union Customs Code across the EU. The code sets common and harmonised procedures in all EU member states, to make life simpler for businesses doing trade in Europe. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs said: An efficient EU Customs Union facilitates trade while at the same time enforcing necessary rules for security, safety and intellectual property rights. The new Union Customs Code opens the door to new state-of-the-art IT systems that will provide fast and quality data on goods being traded and will allow extremely close coordination among the administrations of our Member States, a press release issued by the European Commission writes. The Customs Union is unique in the world and is essential for the proper functioning of the Single Market. The new UCC reflects a move towards a more modern customs environment for EU countries, making European business more competitive and advancing the EU Strategy for growth and jobs. The use of IT &C will become a rule. Thus, the European Commission hopes to reduce tax evasion in the field of cross-border trade, which currently stands at 50 billion Euros a year.



    PAY RISE – Over one million one hundred thousand Romanian employees will receive a pay rise worth 200 lei (some 50 Euros), as of May 1st, following a government decision adopted at the end of 2015, which increased the minimum wage from 1,050 lei to 1,250 lei.




    NATIONAL OPERA ROW – Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Tuesday will send to President Klaus Iohannis the proposal to revoke Vlad Alexandrescu from the position of culture minister and to nominate another person at the helm of that institution. Vlad Alexandrescu seems to have lost his portfolio following the scandal which broke out at the Bucharest National Opera House. Romanian artists, old time employees of that institution, have done everything they could to remove from the institution the group of foreign ballet dancers brought to the Bucharest Opera House, a couple of years ago, by choreographer Johan Kobborg



    BOXING – Romanian Lucian Bute faced Swedish boxer Badou Jack in Washington on Sunday morning for the WBC super middleweight belt, the oldest and most prestigious belt in boxing. The match ended in a draw. In such a situation, the belt is kept by the defending world super middleweight champion, Badou Jack. Lucian Bute, 36, is the former super middleweight champion in the IBF version. He successfully defended his title nine times, for nearly four years and a half. Jack Badou, 32, defended his WBC belt for the second time.



    BUCHAREST CITY TOUR – The Bucharest Public Transport Utility, RATB, has today reactivated the “Bucharest City Tour tourist line. Four double deckers will take the tour of the city and of its main tourist objectives. The buses are equipped with audio-guides in Romanian, English, French and Italian. A ticket costs 25 lei (approximately 5 Euros) for adults and 10 lei (around 2 Euros and 20 cents) for children in the 7-14 year age bracket. The travel pass can be purchased on the bus and can be used all day long, for tourists to be able to visit all tourist attractions in Romanias capital city.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • April 30, 2016 UPDATE

    April 30, 2016 UPDATE

    POLL – 68 % of the Romanians believe Easter should be celebrated simultaneously by the Orthodox and Catholic believers, a poll conducted by IRES shows. This option is endorsed mostly by respondents over 65, living in urban areas, as well as by Romanian nationals living in the central region of Transylvania and Banat, in the south east, regions which are home to many mixed Orthodox and Catholic families. 87% of the respondents say they will attend the Easter Mass. The poll was conducted in April, on a nation-wide representative sample of 1,240 people aged over 18, with an error margin of plus/minus 2.8%.



    LUMEN INFINITUM– Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide, including Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, on Saturday to Sunday night celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Jerusalem, the Holy Fire Mass was celebrated on Saturday. In an annual unique orthodox ritual, the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem came out of the Holy Sepulchre with candles lit and shared the light, called “lumen infinitum”. On Good Friday, the Passion of Christ was remembered by the Orthodox believers. Hundreds of people in Targu Jiu, southern Romania, symbolically retraced “Via Dolorosa” or the Way of Suffering, marching in the longest such procession in Europe.



    ROYAL CELEBRATION- Romania’s Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu, alongside officials and members of other European Royal Houses, attended a series of events held in Stockholm to mark the 70th anniversary of King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu who started an official visit to Sweden on Friday, will also attend a special mass on the second Easter day, at the Romanian Orthodox Bishopric and will meet with members of the Romanian community. This is the third official visit abroad by Romania’s royal family this year, after those to Turkey and the Republic of Moldova. The Royal House recalls that King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden and Queen Silvia paid a state visit to Romania back in 2003.



    NEW UCC — The new Union Customs Code, which comes into force on May 1, across the EU, including Romania, will make life simpler for businesses that trade in Europe, such as a reduced number of customs checks. According to the head of Romania’s General Customs Directorate, Claudiu Ardeleanu, some companies will benefit from a reduction and even the elimination of warrantees, or the postponement of paying the VAT at the customs points. Also on May 1, an electronic system will be implemented to facilitate exchanges of information between the customs authorities, as well as between entrepreneurs and customs officers. Thus, the European Commission hopes to reduce tax evasion in the field of cross-border trade, which currently stands at 50 billion Euros a year.



    ROAMING CHARGES CUT– Mobile phone roaming charges were cut within the European Union on Saturday, in a last stage preceding their complete elimination in mid 2017. The maximum overcharge will be of five cents per minute for calls, two cents for texting, and five cents per MB for people downloading data – such as emails, pictures or social media.



    FLYOVER CLARIFICATIONS — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that it is in permanent and direct contact with the Government in Chishinau, on the presence of a Romanian aircraft over Transdniester, a pro-Russian separatist region in the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian Foreign Ministry’s announcement comes shortly after the authorities in the separatist region claimed their airspace has been violated and activated their anti-aircraft warfare. The ministry makes clear the aircraft belongs to a private company based in Romania, which won a tender to conduct mapping and do a digital model of the relief of the Republic of Moldova. Complete information on this mission has been sent in due time to the authorities in Chishinau.



    CAR BOMBING– Over 21 Shia pilgrims were killed in a car bombing on Saturday, on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital city, Baghdad. The so-called Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Shia pilgrims, considered to be heretics by the Islamic State, were on their way to a shrine near Baghdad, the BBC reports.



    MEDIA 2020 CONFERENCE AND CONCERT-The second Media 2020 Conference hosted by Beijing, China, has come to a close. Organised by Radio Romania and the Asia Broadcasting Union, the event was aimed at delivering rich content across a range of platforms. The conference ended with a special gift offered by radio Romania to the participants of the conference: a concert by the outstanding Romanian musical duo- violinist Gabriel Croitoru and pianist Horia Mihail. The performance included pieces by famous European composers such as F. Kreisler, E.Elgar and Pablo de Sarasate as well as by the prominent Romanian composer and violinist, George Enescu. The programme was named after the great composer, The Violin of George Enescu, since Gabriel Croitoru played Enescu’s violin. Gabriel Croitoru and Horia Mihail won over the audience with their high professionalism and style.



    HANDBALL — Romania’s national women’s handball team will play Angola, Brazil, Montenegro, Spain and Norway in the Olympic Games Group A due this summer, following the drawing of lots in Rio de Janeiro, on Friday evening. Group B is made up of: Holland, Russia, Sweden, France, Argentina and South Korea. The Olympic handball tour will start on August 6, and the opening match will be played by Romania and Angola. To go past the group stage, the Romanian handball players will have to rank on one of the fourth positions. The women’s final is scheduled for August 20.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • Union Customs Code comes into effect

    Union Customs Code comes into effect

    As of May 1st, all EU members will have the same customs rules, regardless of the state where the goods are declared, following the introduction of the Union Customs Code. This will allow goods to travel freely or be marketed across the Union once they met the customs requirements. The code sets the foundations for the electronic customs project, which is to be implemented by 2020 and which entails that all customs procedures will become electronic. The Union Customs Code is a modernised version of the Community Customs Code, which entered into force in 1992.



    Economic operators involved in foreign trade are directly affected by the new legislation. Understanding the changes it brings and implementing them properly and on time is essential for Romania, which is an entry point for goods travelling to Central and Eastern Europe. The European Commission is working on a set of transitional measures to regulate existing customs licences and customs procedures initiated before May 1st, so as to allow economic operators to carry on their activities and to ensure compliance with the new provisions.



    Under the new Union Customs Code, economic operators will be able to provide clarifications and additional information before a decision by the national customs authorities. “The new customs code will facilitate trade and protect the internal market. A direct and faster cooperation with trade partners will secure supply chains and simplify the relationship between business and customs authorities. The new code also establishes the premises of simpler and faster customs checks by 2020, said Eugen Dragos Doros, the president of the Romanias main tax agency.