February 14, 2024 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 14.02.2024, 19:59

Rome — The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu on Wednesday started a two-day working visit to Rome, the focal point of which is the third joint meeting of the governments of Romania and Italy. The previous intergovernmental summit was 13 years ago. On this occasion, there will also be an economic forum with the participation of the business environment from the two countries. The prime minister also has scheduled meetings with the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy, as well as a papal audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Romanias ambassador to Italy, Gabriela Dancău, said that, a joint declaration will be signed by the prime ministers on the development of the consolidated strategic partnership, and, at the level of the ministers, several sectoral cooperation documents will be signed. On Thursday, Marcel Ciolacu will have an official meeting with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, after which they will make press statements. Italy is home to the largest community of Romanians abroad, over 1,100,000. Italy is Romanias second trading partner, with a share in our countrys total trade of approximately 9.5%.

Cyber attack – Several hospitals in Romania, including in Bucharest, have been targeted by a cyber-attack that encrypted data on their servers, the National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) announced. Most of the healthcare units affected by the incident had safety copies of their data. According to the health ministry, exceptional security measures have been implemented, with many units in the healthcare system disconnected from the internet for further inquiries. The Directorate Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism Offences has started a criminal investigation.

Farmers – The European Commission has officially endorsed a regulation which grants a one-year exemption from the rule requiring farmers to keep 4% of their arable land fallow. The rule, designed to help improve environment conditions, had sparked protests across the EU, including in Romania. In exchange, farmers are now required to grow nitrogen fixing crops such as lentils or peas. The new regulation is intended to give farmers more flexibility, while also protecting biodiversity and land quality. The measure is to be applied for the year 2024. Member States have 15 days to notify the Commission of the implementation option that they choose out of the 2 alternatives available.

Statistics — Romanias economy grew by 2% in 2023, according to the data published on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest. In exchange, the gross domestic product increased last year by only 0.5% both in the EU and in the euro zone. At the same time, the annual rate of inflation in Romania was 7.41% in January compared to 6.61% in December 2023. Services prices rose the most, by 1.55%, followed by foodstuffs, by 1 .3%, and non-food products, by 0.74%. More important price drops were recorded in milling products and edible oil.

Medicines – The National Agency for Medicines in Romania will establish, this year, a list of vital medicines for our country. The decision comes after, at the European level, around 200 medicines have been identified that often miss from the markets of several member states. The European list will be transformed into a series of national lists of critical medicines, said the President of the Agency, Răzvan Prisada. About the medicines included in the document he explained that they are not necessarily in short supply at present, but that risks may arise once they become scarce. Among the causes that can lead to a shortage of medicines, Prisada identified an entire range, from commercial reasons to the lack of raw materials. He added that, at the European level, there is a seasonal problem with the lack of antibiotics, but this will be solved once the epidemiological season ends.

Renewable energy – Romania remained the last country in the European Union that failed to regulate the trading of guarantees of origin for the export of renewable energy, which limits the national renewable energy market. This takes place in the context of the multiplication of long-term contracts for the purchase of electricity negotiated directly, against the background of the spread of energy from renewable sources. The Secretary of State in Romania’s Energy Ministry, Dan Drăgan, has given assurances that the problem will be solved. He estimates that, by mid 2024, the National Energy Regulatory Authority will become part of the European regulatory framework, and by the end of this year guarantees of origin will be able to be traded at the European level. (AMP, LS)