March 15, 2017 UPDATE

The EC is concerned that Romania might have the biggest budget deficit growth within the EU this year/ A Romanian government delegation pays a visit to Italy amidst recent disclosures regarding cases of exploitation involving Romanian citizens in Sicily

Newsroom, 15.03.2017, 20:19

BUDGET DEFICIT – The European Commission is concerned that this year Romania might have the biggest budget deficit growth within the EU, the head of the EC Representation in Romania, Angela Cristea, said on Wednesday. Upon the presentation of the “2017 Economic report for Romania she said that, despite the assurances the EU received from the Romanian government that it has no reason for concern, the budget deficit might reach 3.6% in 2017 and 3.9% next year. Mrs. Cristea explained that the 2017 budget adopted by the leftist government includes several tax cuts and measures to increase budget expenditure for salaries in the public sector and for pensions. Also Romanias economic growth is estimated at 4.4% in 2017 as compared to 3.7% in 2018. After the presentation of the EC Report, Romanian finance minister, Viorel Stefan said Romania will reach the budget deficit target of 3% of the GDP, stipulated in the Maastricht Treaty, and if sideslips appear, then the government is ready to reduce spending.

SLAVERY – A Romanian government delegation headed by the minister for the Romanians abroad, Andreea Pastarnac, is paying, as of Wednesday, a working visit to Italy in the context of disclosures indicating cases of exploitation of Romanian citizens who are working in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. The Romanian officials will meet with the Italian local authorities, with representatives of the organizations of Romanian citizens working in Italy as well as with members of the associations involved in defending the rights of foreign workers and protecting them from abuse. Also, the Romanian Ombudsman has announced he will contact the Italian authorities while the Romanian MPs intend to send a delegation to Italy to discuss with their counterparts the situation of exploited Romanian women. As many as 7,500 women, mostly Romanian, are the victims of slavery in farms in southern Italy, according to estimates made by the Italian police. The women are victims of abuse, including threats and sexual assault, which is perpetrated with almost total impunity, shows an investigation published on Sunday by the British weekly “The Observer.

EU – ROMANIA – The future of Europe and the absorption of European funds are the main themes to be discussed by the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, with the Romanian authorities. As of Wednesday, she is on a visit to Romania until Friday. On Wednesday the European Commissioner is meeting with the representatives of the joint European affairs committees in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, while Thursday she will hold talks with PM Grindeanu, the deputy PM and minister of regional development, Sevil Shhaideh, as well as with other Romanian dignitaries. Corina Cretu has said the estimates on Romania made by the commission show the absorption rate of European funds in the 2007-2013 period will exceed 90%. Commissioner Cretu has also said the EC President, Jean-Claude Juncker, might pay a visit to Romania in the first half of the year, to celebrate 10 years since Romania joined the EU.

THE FUTURE OF THE EU – Wednesdays debate in the European Parliament on the future of the European Union has brought to light different views of the European project, which is now affected by the Brexit, the EFE news agency reports. The Presidents of the European Commission and European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, respectively, have backed the idea of a multi-speed Europe, the alternative being, in their opinion, the EUs impossibility to advance, a vision shared by the big pro-European political groups in the European Parliament. Donald Tusk insisted that the EU should be re-born anew at the Rome Summit due on March 25, when the future of the community block might be sketched. He also said that EU reform should be based on mutual understanding, an idea also shared during the debate by Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Maltese deputy prime minister, Louis Grech, whose country is holding the half-yearly rotating presidency of the EU Council. In exchange, the leader of the Liberal group in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt, stood for a federalised Europe, which entails a further limitation of the competences of national states in favour of EU institutions and of decisions made at EU level. In his opinion, the EU needs a European Army and a community economic government. (Translated by L. Simion and D. Vijeu)