July 22, 2022 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 22.07.2022, 19:45

Resources. PM Nicolae Ciucă has promised that Romania will have the
necessary natural gas to cover demand for the coming winter. According to the
PM, more than 1.6 billion cubic meters
of gas is already stored, and the energy plan stipulates that 80% of the total
capacity will be reached by November 1. Meanwhile, he also said, in spite of
the drought, there is enough wheat to cover the domestic demand and export
commitments and there are no reasons to worry about the maize and sunflower
crops.

Heat wave. Meteorologists have announced that Romania will be
facing extremely hot days. A yellow code warning of extreme heat and high
thermal discomfort is valid until Sunday in the southern and western half of
the country. At the same time, an orange code of growing heat and heightened
thermal discomfort was issued for Friday and Saturday, for nine counties in the
western half of the country. Thermal discomfort will be accentuated in most
regions and on relatively large areas the temperature-humidity index will reach
and exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. The skies will be variable, with
temporary cloudiness especially in the mountain area, where there will be
showers, electrical discharges, short-term intensification of the wind and
possibly gales and hail in limited areas.

Measures. On Friday, PM Nicolae Ciucă asked prefects to conduct information and
prevention campaigns so that people are aware of the risks entailed by the high
temperatures and that activities to mitigate the effects of the heat wave may
be coordinated. He added that it was important for all localities to have
cooling shelters and medical teams providing assistance and free water. PM
Ciucă also called on the line authorities to take steps to ensure navigability
on the River Danube. The low water flow has made it nearly impossible to
navigate the Danube, with several vessels stranded in sand and scores of cruise
ships cancelling their stopovers in the port of Giurgiu over the past
month.

Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia each signed, with Turkey and
the UN, an agreement that will allow Ukraine to resume grain exports via the
Black Sea. This agreement will bring relief for developing countries on
the brink of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine,
by helping to stabilize global food prices, said UN Secretary-General António
Guterres. The document, signed in Istanbul, aims to unblock three Ukrainian
ports and guarantee the delivery of millions of tons of grain. According to the
BBC, there are three main provisions of the agreement. The first is that Russia
must guarantee a truce for the duration of the shipments. Second, Ukraine must
guarantee the guidance of ships through mined waters. Also, Turkey, with the help of the UN, must
guarantee the security of the ships and inspect their cargo, because the
Russian authorities fear possible arms smuggling. The EU has described the
agreement as a step forward in the right direction and called for a rapid implementation.

Refugees. The Romanian Border Police announced on Friday that
11,511 Ukrainian nationals had entered Romania on Thursday, 4.5% fewer than the previous day. According to a news
release, border checks are conducted efficiently and in line with the national
and EU legislation, and border police units are working at full capacity.

Infringement. The European Commission announced on
Friday that it had launched four new infringement procedures against the United
Kingdom, which may lead to a referral to the European Court of Justice, for
non-compliance with the post-Brexit customs provisions provided for in the
Northern Ireland protocol. According to FP, in total, the EU executive has
initiated seven procedures of this type against London regarding the Northern Ireland
protocol, a source of tension between London and Brussels. The UK has two
months to respond to the EC’s letters and take the necessary measures. The
Northern Ireland Protocol was negotiated between London and Brussels as part of
their break-up treaty, to address the sensitive issue of the border between
Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of
Ireland, a member of the EU.

COVID-19. Nearly 7,400 new COVID cases were reported over the
past 24 hours, out of around 24,400 tests, the authorities announced on Friday.
Over 2,600 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, 171 of them in intensive care.
Seven COVID-related deaths have also been reported. Hospitals are beginning to
take measures, including increasing the number of beds set aside for COVID
patients, regular staff and patient testing, and cancelling visiting hours in
order to reduce the risk of infection. (MI)