May 11, 2017 UPDATE

Click here for an update on domestic and international news

Newsroom, 11.05.2017, 19:49

Mr. Juncker in Bucharest — This year we mark 10 years since Romania joined the EU, said the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, who delivered a speech in Romania’s Parliament on Thursday. He said that through Romania’s accession, the EU has made its presence felt at the Black Sea and has gained more power at international level. Jean-Claude Juncker added that Romania should be able to become a member of the Schengen area as soon as possible because it deserves that. As regards a multi-speed EU, Juncker underlined in his speech that the idea was stipulated in treaties and that there have never been second-hand countries in the EU or countries that have been left behind. The European official has promised to intervene to persuade the Romanian authorities to guarantee the irreversibility of the reforms made. The president of the European Commission on Thursday met with the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who said that, for Romania, the beneficial effects of EU membership are incontestable. He added that without the support of the European family the country’s progress would have been much slower. The EU presidency, which Romania will hold in 2019, will give it the chance to consolidate its vision on the future of Europe and its role within the organization. The Romanian president reminded of Bucharest’s two objectives: accession to the Euro zone and the Schengen area. Jean-Claude Juncker also met with the leftist PM Sorin Grindeanu. The talks also focused on the current challenges of the EU.

Estimates — The EC has revised downwards to 4.3% of the GDP its estimates for 2017 regarding Romania’s economic growth. Its winter estimate was 4.4% of the GDP. According to the spring economic estimates for 2018 made public on Thursday the EC maintains its estimates regarding the slowing down of Romania’s economic growth rate at 3.7%. The EC warns that the unitary pay bill poses a significant risk as regards fiscal targets, having a potential impact of up to 2% of the GDP on the government balance in 2018.

Vaccination — Romania has reported the 25th case of death from measles. The victim is a 2-year old child who was not vaccinated, the Healthcare Ministry announced. The measles epidemics broke out in Romania last year, being a consequence of lower vaccination rate against this virus, the health authorities say. Of the more than 5 thousand cases of measles confirmed, 96% were reported in non-vaccinated people. The Romanian authorities have taken measures to contain the epidemic, one of the measures being the ban on vaccine exports.

Tennis — The best Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, ranked 8th in the WTA classification, on Thursday qualified to the semifinals of the Madrid tournament, which has prizes up for grabs worth 5.4 million dollars. She defeated Coco Vandeweghe, from the US, 20th in the WTA ranking, in two sets. After this match, Halep will return on 4th position in the WTA ranking, also taking advantage of the elimination of Dominika Cibulkova. Also on Thursday, in the quarter finals, Sorana Cîrstea, (83rd WTA), a beneficiary of a wild-card, was defeated by Kristina Mladenovic (of France, 17th WTA). Another Romanian player, Irina Begu, was defeated by the Dutch Kiki Bertens (19th WTA), thus stopping at the eight finals stage.

Visas for Ukraine — On Thursday the EU gave the green light for lifting visas for the Ukrainian citizens who travel on short term, for a maximum of 90 days. The measure is to take effect soon, after formal validation by the European Council and the European Parliament. The Ukrainian citizens who hold a biometric passport will be able to travel to a EU state for business or tourism purposes or to visit a relative, without, however, having the right to work. The Romanian Foreign Ministry hailed the decision in a communiqué and reiterated Romania’s support for Ukraine’s European aspirations.

Repatriation — The body of the Romanian woman killed in the terrorist attack in London on March 22 was repatriated on Thursday, according to the Romanian embassy in the UK. Andreea Cristea, 31, will be buried on Saturday in Constanta, in the southeast. She died on April 7, being the 5th victim of the terrorist attack on the Westminster Bridge in London. (news translated by L. Simion)