November 23, 2018

The European Council holds special meeting on Sunday to endorse the Brexit withdrawal agreement

Newsroom, 23.11.2018, 13:26

BREXIT– Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will attend on Sunday a special meeting of the European Council in Brussels. EU leaders are meeting to endorse the Brexit withdrawal agreement . The summit was called by President Donald Tusk on 15 November 2018, after his meeting with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who presented to him the draft text as agreed with the UK at the level of the negotiators. Leaders are also expected to approve a political declaration on future EU-UK relations that will accompany and be referred to in the withdrawal agreement. The Commission intends to agree with the UK a final draft for this declaration, building on the outline agreed by the negotiators on both sides.

BUDGET REVISION — The second budget adjustment for 2018 is being discussed in today’s government meeting, Romanian PM Viorica Dancila has announced. She has also said that the budget adjustment is a positive one, and is aimed at maintaining the budget deficit target of 2.97% of the GDP, ensuring the necessary funds for the implementation of the government policies and programmes and for the well-functioning of the public institutions. The finance ministry, the labour ministry and the healthcare ministry will receive the biggest amount of additional funds. The justice, internal affairs and development ministries will also receive more money, as will the health insurance fund, the state social securities fund and the unemployment fund. The ministries of transport, research and innovation, culture, education, communication and information society, European funds, waters and forests, the environment and agriculture will receive less money.

HEALTH REPORT – The European Commission’s Health at a Glance: Europe report has been made public this month. Developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in cooperation with the European Commission, this publication provides analysis of the state of health of EU citizens and the performance of EU health systems. In addition to chapters containing statistical indicators for 35 European countries, the 2018 report includes two cross-cutting chapters on EU political priorities: promoting mental health and reducing inefficient spending. According to the report, Romanians’ life expectancy rate is among the lowest in the EU, with cardiovascular diseases and cancer as the main cause, while infectious diseases, TB in particular, are major health risks. The report also says that Romania has the lowest expenditure among all EU’s health systems, while the amounts that patients spend are very high as compared with the average spending in the community area. The insufficient staff, especially in the underproviledged areas, the underdevelopment of infrastructure are also problems of the Romanian health system. The report also says that the authorities have taken a series of measures to improve the situation.

VISIT — Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu travelled to Seoul on Friday for a three-day official visit that marks 10 years since the signing of the strategic partnership between Romania and South Korea. On this occasion, the South Korean Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung-wha, has called on Romania to play a key role in supporting the peace process in the Korean peninsula, especially next year, when Bucharest takes over the EU Council presidency. In turn, Teodor Melescanu said that Romania hopes to find ways of supporting the continuation of the peace process in the area, at a time when South Korea’s efforts focus on the full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

RadiRo – The 4th edition of the International Radio Orchestras Festival — RadiRo, organized by Radio Romania, continues on Friday with another concert by the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Ben Gernon. Also on Friday, Marilyn Mazur & The Danish Radio Big Band are giving a concert under the baton of Miho Hazama. RadiRo is the only event devoted to European and world radio orchestras. All concerts are broadcast live by Radio Romania’s channels, recorded and subsequently rebroadcast by the public television. The concerts are also rebroadcast by the radiobroadcasters that are members of the European Broadcasting Union.

NATIONAL DAY – Around 4,000 military and experts from the defence ministry, the interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the National Prisons Administration, and over 200 pieces of equipment and 50 planes, as well as military from a number of allied and partner countries will take part in a military parade on the 1st of December in Bucharest on Romanias national day. The approximately 500 foreign troops taking part will come from Albania, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the Republic of Moldova, Slovakia, the US, Turkey and Ukraine. The Romanian military in foreign missions and theatres of operation will also be holding special military ceremonies and activities to celebrate the national day.

(Translated by Elena Enache)