March 6, 2015 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 06.03.2015, 12:15
Romania’s foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is attending a two-day informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers hosted by the Latvian capital Riga. Talks focus on the crisis in Libya, the situation in Ukraine and the European Union’s relationship with Russia, the preparation of the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga on the 21st and 22nd of May and the revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy and the EU Strategic Framework. The situation in the EU vicinity will also be discussed by the EU foreign ministers with their counterparts in the EU candidate countries.
On Monday, the German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier will pay a visit to Romania, where he will meet with President Klaus Iohannis, Prime — Minister Victor Ponta and his counterpart Bogdan Aurescu. According to the German embassy in Bucharest, Steinmeier will also receive the title of citizen of honour of the city of Sibiu, in central Romania. In Sibiu the German official will attend an event organized by the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania, which is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary. On the occasion, Mr. Steinmeier will also participate in the inauguration of a fresh investment by a German company.
Romania has received over 460 million euros from the European Commission this year, its absorption rate of European funds now exceeding 52% at the end of February, the minister for European funds, Eugen Teodorovici, has announced. Romania reimbursed structural and cohesion funds as part of the Sectoral Operational Programmes for Transport and Human Resources Development and the Regional Operational Programme. In the opinion of the Romanian minister, Romania will reach an 80% absorption rate by the end of 2015, the last year when Romania can still use the funds allocated for the 2017-2013 programming period.
Last year, the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism in Romania confiscated drugs worth 16 million Euros, discovered five clandestine labs and identified 37 new psychoactive substances. The statement was made by deputy chief prosecutor Giorgiana Hosu, who on Friday presented the 2014 activity report of the directorate. Last year the institution had to deal with a larger number of cases of human trafficking, with minors accounting for one third of those trafficked. Another issue stressed by Mrs. Hosu was an increase in the number of cyber-attacks on Romanian state institutions. Giorgiana Hosu also highlighted a major success: the seizing on Romanian soil of 12 million fake Euros, in cooperation with Italian authorities.
The EU on Friday officially adopted its contribution to the UN climate change conference, which is due in Paris in December, and committed itself to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% until 2030, as compared to 1990. The announcement was made by the European Environment Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, after the meeting in Brussels of the EU line ministers. The UN Conference in Paris is aimed at adopting a new binding agreement regarding climate change, to replace the Kyoto Protocol starting 2020. The goal of the new agreement is to reduce the emissions of developed and developing countries down to a level that would maintain global heating below 2 degrees Celsius.
The European Central Bank will launch on Monday a 1,100 billion euro bond-purchase programme to stimulate the Eurozone economy and steer the euro area away from deflation. The programme will encompass an asset-backed securities purchase programme and a covered bond purchase programme. The annual inflation rate in the Eurozone dropped for the second consecutive month in January to minus 0.6% from 0.2% in December. If this trend continues, the Eurozone will technically enter a period of deflation.
Romania’s Davis Cup team is ahead Israel 2-0 in the first round of Europe/Africa Zone Group I. On Friday, Adrian Ungur defeated Bar Tzuf Botzer 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 and Marius Copil beat Dudi Sela 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2. In Saturday’s doubles match, Horia Tecau and Florin Mergea face the pair Jonathan Erlich and Edan Leshem. On Sunday, Adrian Ungur plays against Dudi Sela and Marius Copil against Bar Tzuf Botzer. Romania has won all its previous three Davis Cup matches against Israel.
