February 1, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 01.02.2024, 19:54
EU — The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, welcomed the European Unions decision to approve an additional financing package for his country worth 50 billion euros. The EU member states once again show their solidarity and unity in supporting the Ukrainian people to resist the war, Smyhal wrote on the social platform X. Previously, the European Council President, Charles Michel, announced on the same platform that all 27 EU member states approved this package. According to some European diplomats, the EU agreement includes annual discussions on this package and the revision of the plan in two years, if necessary. The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, pointed out once more that Ukraine must remain a priority for the EU, and that further economic and military support must be granted to this country.
LAW – The Romanian government has amended the cyber security law, in an emergency procedure, so that state institutions should be informed within 48 hours at most if the IT infrastructure of any entity in the country is affected and to quickly prevent risks. The changes were made after the cyber-attack on the websites of the National Directorate for Cyber Security and the Chamber of Deputies. The Minister of Research and Digitization, Bogdan Ivan, pointed out that, in the case of the Directorate, the attack was not successful, while at the Chamber of Deputies over 300 files with public documents were stolen, as well as data not intended for the public, such as copies of identity documents of parliamentarians, including a copy of the identity card of the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Consequently he will have to change his ID card.
PARLIAMENT-Romanian senators and deputies on Thursday began a new parliamentary session, the first of this year and the last but one of the legislature. Among the priorities of PSD and PNL, in the ruling coalition, are the projects needed to fulfill the milestones in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR, as well as those related to gambling and combating drug use. In turn, the opposition wants to stop possible tax increases and to prevent the violation of the Constitution.
FARMERS – Thousands of Romanian farmers from the vegetable sector are expected at the offices of the Payments and Intervention Agency for Agriculture (APIA), to request the support offered by the state in the context of the losses suffered due to the war in the neighboring Ukraine. Requests for the compensatory payment must be submitted by March 8, at the APIA county centers. The direct grant represents a compensatory payment and is the equivalent in lei of 100 euros per hectare. The maximum value of the direct grant cannot exceed the equivalent in lei of 280,000 euros.
TRIAL – The Bucharest Government tasked the Finance Ministry with hiring a law firm to represent Romania in the court case with the famous pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The case is pending before the Francophone Court of First Instance in Brussels and the first hearing is on February 20. The Romanian authorities were notified last December by the New York-based firm regarding the opening of a lawsuit for the recovery of sums of money, after failing to finalize the purchase of 28 million doses of Covid vaccine. Poland and Hungary have also been sued by Pfizer for similar reasons. The Romanian Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, has recently said that Romania will collaborate with the Polish side in the defense effort. (EE)
