July 26, 2022 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 26.07.2022, 19:48
Drought. The Bucharest government has requested the European Commissions approval to grant an advance direct payment of 70 to 85% for environmental and climate measures from the National Rural Development Programme 2014-2022, to help farmers affected by the drought. Also, the government wants to grant fruit growers and winegrowers, as well as pig and poultry farmers aid worth 51.6 million euros, of which 25.5 million euros from European funds and the rest from the national budget. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the drought has so far affected almost 107 thousand hectares of agricultural land in 20 counties across Romania.
Covid-19. Covid infections are on the rise in Romania, with more than 12,350 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours, the highest number in the last five months. 32 new fatalities were also reported. Health minister Alexandru Rafila said he was expecting as much as 70,000 new cases next week, an average of 10,000 a day. He also said that fewer people infected with Covid need hospital treatment compared with previous infection waves, which points to less severe infections this time around. Almost 3,500 Covid patients are currently in hospital, including 215 in intensive care.
Gas. EU countries on Tuesday agreed on a plan to cut gas use to reduce dependence on Moscow, said the Czech presidency of the EU Council. The agreement comes after several EU countries opposed a blanket reduction in gas use of 15% compared with the average of the previous five years, as requested by the European Commission, from August this year to the end of March next year. Although this target is maintained, the new accord stipulates that member states will do their best to reach this targeted cut, which for the time being is voluntary. Europe is already faced with a cut in Russian gas supplies, and Gazprom announced a new reduction of supply through the North Stream 1 pipeline. Russia has been accused of weaponising energy and the European Commission warned that a total halt of gas supplies is possible.
Stocks. Private users, small and medium sized companies, social services and critical industrial sectors from Romania will not be affected by possible additional measures to reduce natural gas use, said the Romanian government. “The countrys gas reserves are at 55%, which is more than the obligatory 46% scheduled for 1st August 2022. Maintaining this accelerated pace we can achieve stocks of 80% before 1st November”, the government said on a social media post on Tuesday. The availability of domestic sources of gas supply and the countrys usage profile, together with the governments package to protect its citizens and the economy ensure the provision of the needed gas next winter, the government also said.
Visit. Romania is Jordans main wheat supplier, said Romanias foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu during a joint press conference in Bucharest with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. The latter thanked Romania for making it possible for the wheat exports to reach Jordan, while Aurescu said Jordan is a pillar of stability in the region and a real partner for peace and stability in the Middle East. Speaking about the peace process in the Middle East, Mr Safadi said that Romania shares the same view as Jordan with respect to the two-state solution, Israeli and Palestinian. The two ministers signed a protocol to amend the intergovernmental programme of cooperation in the field of culture, education, tourism and the media for the 2019-2024 period.
Nuclear energy. The Romanian Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, is in the United States, for talks on the development of the civil nuclear programme and strengthening the strategic partnership in the field of energy. In a post on Facebook, he writes that he had a very good dialogue in Washington with representatives of the American and Canadian companies that are part of the project that provides for the construction of units 3 and 4 of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant (in southeast Romania). Moreover, he said he was confident that Romania would finalise the funding of the reactors by the end of the year, with the help of EximBank, saying that during talks with the banks president, the latter reiterated his wish to support strategic investments to develop Romanias civilian nuclear programme and ensure funding.
Refugees. Romania made public a plan to integrate Ukrainian refugees in the long and medium run. The authorities said refugees will not benefit from any special privileges, but will receive support so as to become independent as soon as possible. Romania is the first country in the European Union to come up with medium and long term strategy with respect to the integration of Ukrainian refugees, said the authorities in Bucharest. According to latest figures, Romania is currently home to some 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. (CM)
