3 March, 2016

Public figures express concern for King Mihai of Romania, PM Ciolos represents Romania in EU meetings

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Newsroom, 03.03.2016, 11:59

Numerous politicians and cultural figures in Bucharest expressed their worry at the news that the last king of Romania is in poor health, expressing hope that he recovers. After his recent cancer operation, he announced his withdrawal from public life, and that his first of five daughters, Crown Princess Margaret, will represent him in public.

Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos represents Romania for the second time at the European Council in Brussels, according to the presidency. Ciolos will attend the meeting of heads of state and government of member countries of the EU with Turkey, the country crucial to stopping the exodus of refugees in the Middle East. President Klaus Iohannis delegated technocrat PM Dacian Ciolos to represent Romania at these meetings late last year.

Bucharest hosts an event attended by the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, dedicated to fighting poverty. The European Commission initiative provides analysis, expertise and advice to authorities in order to improve absorption of European funds. Also today, the commissioner will take part in a conference to evaluate the impact of the present operational program. According to Eurostat, several regions in Romania count amongst the poorest in Europe. At the same time, Romania risks losing European funds, as it has not met conditions set by the EU. According to the Ministry for European Funds, Romania ranks last in the EU in terms of accessing community funds.

Local authorities in Arges County, in southern Romania, said that the statements made by the minister of agriculture, Achim Irimescu, on E. Coli infections were irresponsible. The cheese made by a local dairy maker are suspected of being the source of infections that led to hemolytic uremia syndrome in dozens of babies, resulting in three fatalities. So far it is not known how the bacteria ended up in the cheese made by this factory, which has in the meantime been shut down. Farmers who provide milk to the factory have stated that they would sue the minister, who said that the infection came from the milk. They said that the minister’s statements halved their sales.

An IMF team led by the new head of mission for Romania, Pakistani Reza Baqir, is in Bucharest for the annual evaluation of Romania’s economy. Until15 March, international experts have scheduled meetings with representatives of the authorities, political parties, unions, businesses, academia and banks. According to the IMF statute, this economic evaluation is obligatory for all member states. At present, Romania has no loan contracted with the Fund.

Romania will contract a 48 million Euro loan from the IBRD, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The money goes towards a project for the integrated control of nutrient pollution, according to the Romanian government. The measure comes in order to ensure compliance with EU directives on nitrates and protecting underground water sources. The money will be invested in local communities in order to reduce such pollution, in order to better manage animal and household waste, plant trees to screen waste, create better sewage systems, and treat waste water. The project is run by the Ministry of the Environment over six years, with the last installment of the loan scheduled to be received in March 2022.