September 26, 2013 UPDATE

For a roundup of domestic and international news, click here.

Ştefan Stoica, 26.09.2013, 12:30

The draft law on the gold mining project in Rosia Montana is important, and provided the environment is protected, Romania should be in favour of this project and capitalize on its natural resources, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Thursday. Ponta went on to say that if Parliament turned down the bill, it should pose no problem to the country’s economy. But if Bucharest’s message is that politicians are against foreign investors, that would translate as a catastrophe for Romania, the Prime Minister said. In another development, the special Parliament committee for Rosia Montana is conducting investigations in Bucharest. The project, allowing a Canadian company to begin cyanide-based exploitation of gold and silver deposits in Rosia Montana, has sparked mass-protests in Romania. Conservationists are warning against the negative effects the exploitation will have on the environment, whereas supporters see the project as a solution to the region’s economic and social problems.

The European Commission’s decision to lift all bans on wine imports from the Republic of Moldova has been a political sign of support in the difficult period the country is facing, European Commissioner for Agriculture Romanian Dacian Ciolos told a press conference on agriculture organized by Mediafax news agency in Bucharest on Thursday. Ciolos underlined the decision recently adopted by the European Commission came to strengthen the winemaking sector in the Republic of Moldova, also representing an opportunity for Romania. We recall that Russia has banned all wine imports from Moldova.

France considers Romania and Bulgaria have not met the necessary prerequisites for their Schengen accession, slated for January 1st, 2014, French Government spokesperson Najat Vallaud-Belkacem announced on Thursday. The French official said France was not the only country assuming this point of view. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls had previously said the numerous crimes attributed to the Roma population, which the French authorities cannot keep under control, would result in rejecting Romania’s Schengen bid. Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Thursday said there was no link between Romania’s Schengen accession and the Roma issue.

In New York the world’s superpowers have made significant headway towards endorsing a UN resolution whereby dismantling Syria’s chemical arsenal. The UN weapons inspectors have again arrived in Syria to complete their investigation of the chemical weapon attack on the outskirts of Damascus, which Western countries have blamed on Government troops. Clashes continue between Government troops, backed by the Lebanon-based Shiite militant group Hezbollah and the rebel army, a conflict that so far has claimed over 110,000 lives in the past two years and a half.

On Thursday the European Commission notified Romania with respect to various fields reporting partial or full breaches of community legislation. According to EU procedures, Bucharest authorities have two months to take action in order to solve the problems in question, after which period the European Commission may refer the matter to the European Court of Justice. In the field of environment, the Commission called on Romania to enact the new EU Directive on industrial carbon gas emissions. Another notification refers to the end value of production costs, while another two refer to the system of taxation. The Commission wants Romania to modify the taxation system in the case of non-resident employees who cannot benefit from personal deductibles and to come up with a more efficient procedure for VAT refunds for companies and entrepreneurs. In the justice system, Romania needs to enact the EU Directive on the equality between women and men in business leadership and entrepreneurship.

Former MP and founding president of the Conservative Party Dan Voiculescu has been convicted to 5 years’ imprisonment for money laundering in a corruption court case investigating the privatisation of the Institute for Food Research. Final sentences have been passed to another 8 people in the same case. Among these is former director of the Institute Gheorghe Mencinocopschi and former Telecommunications Minister Sorin Pantis, each being handed out 6-year convictions. The case translates as a prejudice worth 60 million euros. The court trial lasted for approximately five years, and the ruling is not final.

Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean on Thursday said that during his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry on the sideline of the UN General Assembly meeting they discussed aspects of bilateral relations, such as the Strategic Partnership, Romania’s participation in the Visa Waiver program and the appointment of new ambassadors in the two countries. Corlatean said that he had obtained the official approval of Washington to nominate Iulian Buga as Romania’s new ambassador to the United States. The Romanian official also said Bucharest was waiting for a new US ambassador to be appointed to Bucharest, after Mark Gitenstein completed his mandate in December 2012. Moreover, Titus Corlatean spoke of a “growing interest” of American corporations to invest in Romania. He said that a delegation of US business people would come to Bucharest in November.

As of Thursday, 70 Romanian and foreign-based business are attending the Expomil arms and military equipment trade fair in Bucharest. The trade fair has three sections: pavilions, civil defence and military drills. Among the exhibits on show there is the first Romanian weapon able to fire two types of bullets. Organizers say the primary aim is to promote Romania’s defence industry.

At the International Book Fair in Goteborg, Sweden, Romanian writer Ioana Parvulescu on Thursday was awarded the European Prize for Literature for her novel “Life begins on Friday”, released in 2009. The prize, rewarding the best writers across Europe for their literary debut, was awarded by EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou. Another 11 foreign authors were awarded the same prize at the current edition of the book fair. For the second time in 2013 Romania is guest of honour at a prestigious book fair, after the book fair in Paris this spring. Mircea Cartarescu, one of the best-known Romanian authors, opened on Thursday the Goteborg book fair. Cartarescu believes attending one of the best-known book fairs in Europe is an honour for any Romanian writer.

The “George Enescu” International Music Festival continues on Friday with a performance of the “Violocellissimo” group at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. The group will be performing works by Enescu, Offenbach and Dvorak under the baton of Marin Cazacu. At the Palace Concert Hall, Andrew Litton will be conducting Royal Philharmonic Orchestra alongside pianist Alexandra Dariescu in a concert featuring works by Brahms, Grieg and Tchaikovsky. In the Midnight Concerts series at the Romanian Athenaeum, Academia Bizantina conducted by Ottavio Dantone and featuring violinist Viktoria Mullova will be performing works by Bach.