5 October, 2016

Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos had talks with the EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Bucharest.

Newsroom, 05.10.2016, 12:00

Brexit. The European
Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier today had talks in
Bucharest with prime minister Dacian Ciolos and foreign minister Lazar
Comanescu. Barnier’s trip to Romania comes only four days after taking over the
position of Brexit negotiator. Barnier, who served previously as a foreign
minister for France and as a European Commissioner, said he would travel to
every European capital with the exception of London. His aim is to discuss the
position of each member state vis-à-vis Britain’s exit from the European Union.
Actual exit talks are due to begin next year, after London officially files the
request for leaving the Union. The most sensitive subjects are access to the EU
single market and access to the British labour market.

Privatisation. The
government in Bucharest says it plans to sell the packages of shares in
state-owned companies and privatise companies in a difficult financial
situation. A memorandum published on the government’s official website contains
the measures considered in the case of several state companies. The economy
ministry has proposed the launch of a call for the sale of around 15% of the
shares held by the government in the Oltenia Energy Complex and Hidroelectrica,
while holding on to a majority package. Over 25% of the state’s shares in
Rompetrol will also be put up for sale. The transport ministry plans to
increase the registered capital of the National Airport Company and the Port
Administration by 20-25% by issuing new shares and to make a new attempt to
privatise the freight division of the Romanian Railways Company.

Defence. The defence
minister Mihnea Motoc makes an official trip to Berlin today at the invitation
of his German counterpart Ursula von der Leyen. Talks will focus on bilateral
cooperation in the area of defence and topical issues on the Euro-Atlantic and
European agenda. According to a press release by the Romanian defence ministry,
emphasis will be placed on the implementation of the decisions taken at the
NATO Summit in Warsaw and of the European Union’s Global Strategy on Foreign
and Security Policy. The bilateral support within the European and allied
framework will also be analysed.

Nobel. France’s Jean-Pierre
Sauvage, UK’s Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Holland’s Bernard L. Feringa today
received the Nobel prize in chemistry for the design and synthesis of machines
on a molecular scale. The machines conceived by the three scientists will most
probably be used for the development of new elements such as new materials and
energy storage systems and sensors, the Nobel jury has explained. Last year,
the Nobel prize in chemistry went to a Swedish and two American scientists for
their studies on DNA repair.

Frontex. The Romanian interior
minister Ioan-Dragos Tudorache is attending a conference on the launch of the
new Frontex Agency, the European border and coast guard agency, held in
Bulgaria on Wednesday and Thursday. The meeting is attended by the EU
Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos, Slovenia’s
prime minister, the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Slovakia, Turkey and Greece
and the Frontex executive director Fabrice Leggeri. The new European agency will
comprise Frontex and the national authorities of the member states responsible
for border management, including coast guard if this entails border controls.
EU members will contribute to common efforts to make the Union’s external
borders more secure with border police and other staff. Romania’s contribution
consists in 75 border police officers who will take part in rapid response
teams on the EU external borders.

Football. Romania’s football side continue
training for their away matches against Armenia on the 8th of
October and Kazakhstan on the 11th of October, as part of their
qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup to be hosted by Russia. Last month,
Romania drew 1-all against Montenegro at home in Cristoph Daum’s first match as
manager of the Romanian side. He is Romania’s first ever foreign manager. Also
in Group E, Denmark defeated Armenia 1-nil at home, while Poland drew 2-all
against Kazakhstan away. This autumn, Romania will also face Poland at home on
the 11th of November. (Translated by: C. Mateescu)