March 1, 2017 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 01.03.2017, 19:50
POST- BREXIT SCENARIOS On Wednesday, the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker presented 5 potential scenarios regarding the future of the EU after Brexit. He said that the EU summit due in Rome on March 25th, when the EU will celebrate its 60th anniversary, must be marked by the start of a new chapter for the European Union and called on the leaders of the member countries to show unity and leadership. The so-called white paper marks the beginning of a process through which the 27 EU members will decide together the future of the Union. The charter analyses the way in which Europe will change in the next ten years, from the impact of new technologies on society and jobs, to doubts concerning globalization, security threats and the rise of populism. The five scenarios include the possibility of a multi-speed Europe, with the member countries developing faster together, without forcing the community bloc to follow the same pace. The option has already raised concern in the east, including in Romania.
VISIT On Wednesday, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis received the Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, whose country is holding the rotating presidency of the EU. The Romanian head of state voiced his opposition to the idea of a multi-speed Europe, saying that such a reconfiguration formula might lead to the dismantling of the EU. Both the president and PM Grindeanu stressed the need for a common stand of the EU regarding the domestic market and the rights of the European citizens in Great Britain after Brexit. The talks focused on the priorities of the Maltese presidency, in particular the future of Europe, the management of migration, strengthening the single market, the neighborhood policy and the enlargement process. The two prime-ministers also talked about preparations for Romanias taking over the presidency of the EU in the first half of 2019.
INVESTIGATION The Supreme Council of the Magistracy has decided not to start a disciplinary investigation against the Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar and not to verify the conditions in which the National Anti-Corruption Directorate decided to investigate the drafting of the controversial emergency decree no.13. The emergency government decree amending the criminal law was later repealed by the government and rescinded by Parliament. According to Lazar, the decision by the Superior Council of the Magistracy is tantamount to a vote of confidence in the Prosecutor General and comes as a proof that the judiciary is independent. He said the investigation into the way in which the government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats issued the emergency decree will continue even after the Constitutional Court has ruled on the matter. On Monday, the Court noticed the existence of a legal conflict between the state powers generated by the fact that the National Anti-Corruption Directorate reportedly assumed prerogatives to verify the opportunity and legality of issuing the ordinance, prerogatives which belong only to Parliament and the Constitutional Court. The Court has said however that investigation into potential direct criminal acts is permitted. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate, which sent the file to the General Prosecutors Office, suspects the law might have been broken in this case, by means of aiding the offender, destroying documentary evidence and the ill-intended presentation of imprecise data.
BUDGET DEFICIT The difference between the estimates made by the European Commission and those made by the Romanian Government on the countrys budget deficit in 2017 is the result of applying different estimation methodologies, reads a communiqué issued by the Romanian Finance ministry. The line ministry has given assurances that the Romanian authorities have assumed responsibility for a governing program which will observe the 3% budget deficit target. The communiqué was issued shortly after the European Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Pierre Moscovici had sent a letter to the Romanian Finance Ministry, following the European Commissions issuing country reports on the economic and social situation of the member states. According to the winter economic forecast made public in mid February, the public deficit in Romania might reach 3.6% of the GDP in 2017, as compared to 3.2%, the figure estimated in autumn, to then go up to 3.9% of the GDP in 2018.
FISCAL MEASURES The Romanian Labour Ministry announced on Wednesday that the minimum guaranteed social pension was increased, as of March 1, from some 90 Euros to 115 Euros. The measure, which benefits some one million pensioners, will have a budgetary impact of over 225 million Euros, according to data released by the Fiscal Council. However, a number of fiscal measures which should have taken effect on March 1st were postponed. These include zero VAT for advertising and for selling dwellings with a market value below 100,000 Euros. Also, a VAT cut for raw materials and services provided in agriculture is no longer enforced and healthcare employees will not receive a series of payment bonuses.
FUEL PRICE The Competition Council in Romania has started a sectoral investigation on the fuel market, to see why prices in Romania exceed the EU average. The president of the Competition Council Bogdan Chiritoiu says the evolution of prices is surprising and clarifications should be made to see whether there are legislation-related problems, if there are errors made by the Romanian state, or problems caused by the conduct of companies, which might lead to sanctions. Romania is among the few countries in Europe which extract oil, boasts big refining capacities and exports fuels to the neighbouring countries. Despite all that, the prices of gas and diesel in Romania exceed the EU averages, although the extra excise duty on fuel was eliminated and the VAT was cut early this year.
EIB In 2916, the European Investment Bank provided Romania with more than 1 billion Euros in loans, and the European Investment Fund, also part of the EIB Group, ran operations worth 61 million Euros. According to a communiqué issued by the Bank, the loans were used to fund projects of utmost importance for the public infrastructure, under several EU operational programmes within the 2014-2020 framework, supported SMEs and thermal rehabilitation programs for apartment buildings in Bucharest. Also, the EIB granted loans to agriculture and provided consultancy to the Ministry of Health for the building of three regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj-Napoca and Craiova. The European Investment Bank ensures long-term loans and advice with a view to promoting the EU objectives. It supports both EU projects and other projects from outside the Union.
ISIS PROPAGANDA Two German citizens, both ISIS sympathizers, of whom one Syrian-born, have been declared personae non grata on Romanian soil for a period of 10 years, as they were running activities seen as a threat to national security, reads a communiqué issued on Wednesday by the Romanian Intelligence Service. The two came to the attention of the service in 2016, when they were carrying out religious propaganda with the aim of attracting adepts to Jihadist ideology. Also, the two looked into ways of getting to Syria and join Daesh.
SPRING CELEBRATION The Romanians on Wednesday celebrated the “Martisor”, the main symbol of spring. Small amulets, tied to a white and red thread are offered to the beloved ones on this day. The word “martisor” is of Latin origin and is the popular name given to the month of March. According to the old Roman calendar, March 1 was the first day of the year, when the God Mars was celebrated. Martisor is a tradition kept in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the neighbouring regions inhabited by Romanians and Aromanians. Similar customs are also observed in Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia.
