December 31, 2023 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 31.12.2023, 13:55

SCHENGEN The EU member countries on
Saturday night unanimously endorsed the gradual accession of Romania and
Bulgaria to Europe’s passport-free area Schengen, after Austria, the last EU-27
country opposing the decision, had lifted its veto. Starting March 2024 controls
at the interior air and sea borders with these two countries will be lifted,
Austria, Bulgaria and Romania pledging to convene later over a date on also lifting
controls at land borders, the Spanish presidency of the EU Council has
announced. The decision also stipulates a series of measures on strengthening
border control and fighting illegal migration so that Romania and Bulgaria will
continue to get significant financial support as well as FRONTEX assistance.
Among the European leaders to first hail the two countries’ partial accession
to Schengen is the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, of the
European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Parliament,
Roberta Metsola and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson. The
EU Council’s decision is a first major step, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis
has said. Romania’s key objective remains that of applying the Schengen aquis
by eliminating controls at the land borders. The Council’s decision has also
been hailed by the government and by Romania’s Foreign and Interior Ministers.
The country’s Social Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has underlined
that this government has kicked off an irreversible process adding that the
efforts to completely close this chapter will continue the next year. In turn,
the president of the Senate, Liberal Nicolae Ciuca said that Romania’s
accession to Schengen is a fulfilled promise.

HIKES The new year kicks off with
higher prices in food products and fuel but also in a series of services. The
VAT for traditional and organic food that is produced at altitudes over 1,000
meters will rise from 5% to 9%. Excises for tobacco, alcohol and sweet drinks
will also rise while some small enterprises will be paying higher taxes as well
as banks, hotels and restaurants. Excises for fuel will be also on the rise in
2024 and so will real estate, whose VAT rises from 5% to 9% for units with a
value over 120 thousand euros. Analysts believe the effects of the latest price
hikes will be higher on the market, and consumers are expected to buy cheaper
products, whereas producers will have to trim output in an attempt to cap
prices.

POLICE Roughly 24 thousand employees of the Romanian Interior
Ministry will be on duty during the New Year mini-holiday. Traffic police units
are monitoring the motorways with 360 radars and have set up checkpoints in an
attempt to discover drunk and drugged drivers. 5000 firefighters and paramedics
are ready to intervene in any emergency situations that might occur. Border
police have also implemented a series of measures aimed at easing the traffic
of people and vehicles at the border checkpoints. In an attempt to protect
citizens, the policemen from the units specialized in Guns, Explosives and
Dangerous Substances, jointly with their colleagues from other structures have
stepped up their actions of preventing and fighting the illegal trade with
pyrotechnic devices. Authorities have seized over 100 tons of pyrotechnic
materials have opened 500 criminal cases and have renewed their appeal to
parents to avoid the purchase of fire crackers, which could be extremely
dangerous.

TAROM Romania’s air carrier, TAROM, will resume its flights to Tel Aviv
starting January 1 2024. According to company sources, Tarom continues to
monitor the security situation in Israel and keeps in touch with the local and
international authorities with a view to resuming its biweekly flights to that
country. The flights will be adjusted according to the security situation in that
Middle East country and be visible in the flight-booking schedule.

(bill)