February 21, 2019

EU trade ministers meeting in Bucharest, Gas Directive under discussion

Newsroom, 21.02.2019, 13:54

Trade ministers meeting – The EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström and the Romanian minister for the business environment, trade and entrepreneurship Ştefan-Radu Oprea are participating in Bucharest in the informal meeting of the trade ministers from the EU states, in the context in which Romania is holding the presidency of the Council of the EU. Talks are focusing on the negotiation and implementation of the EU’s free trade agreements with third markets. On Wednesday the community states validated at the Committee of the Permanent Representatives (COREPER) meeting, the political agreement Romania reached with the European Parliament over the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. On Friday, the trade ministers of the EU states will gather in Bucharest to discuss the process of modernization of the World Trade Organization and the trade relations between the EU and the US.

Gas directive — The Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the EU member states approved the provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament by the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU, and the next step for the passing of the Natural Gas Directive is the vote in the European Parliament, the Energy Ministry in Brussels has announced today. The revision of the Natural Gas Directive is critical for the consolidation of the EU energy security. The Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU has had an important role in these negotiations, which provide guarantees that the regulations of the Energy Union will also apply in the case of gas pipelines to and from third countries, says the Energy Ministry representatives. The change of the Natural Gas Directive will make the EU legal framework equally applicable all cross the EU space, will increase transparency and will ensure legal certainty for both investors in the gas infrastructure and for network users.

Brexit – British MPs might be called to vote for a revised Brexit deal next week, because negotiations with the EU have been constructive – said Thursday the British Finance Minister Philip Hammond. On Wednesday, the British PM Theresa May met in Brussels with the president of the EC Jean-Claude Juncker for talks on the Brexit deal. The two officials reconfirmed the commitment to avoiding a tough border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and to observing the integrity of the EU and UK internal markets. Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker decided to give a mandate to the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart Stephan Barkley to consider the steps to be taken by the two sides. The UK is to leave the EU on March 29, but the British Parliament last month rejected the Brexit agreement that Theresa May had negotiated with the EU, which raises the risk of Brexit without an agreement.

Vatican — A summit on sexual abuse on minors perpetrated by members of the Catholic clergy is taking place as of today at the Vatican, gathering more than 200 personalities of the Catholic Church. In the opening of the summit, Pope Francis has called for concrete and efficient measures to be taken to solve the situation. The unprecedented event has been organized to counteract a new series of scandals emerged in the US, Chile and other parts of the world, which exacerbated the crisis generated by clergy members who have abused minors. One of the avowed purposes of this meeting is to raise awareness on such a crisis also happening in countries in Africa and Asia, where such an issue is rarely revealed.

Tennis – World no. 2 player, Romanian Simona Halep, will take on Swiss Belinda Bencic (45 WTA) in the quarter finals of the WTA tournament hosted by Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Halep qualified to the quarter finals after defeating Ukrainian Lesia Ţurenko (23 WTA). This is Halep’s 10th victory in 2019. If she wins the Dubai tournament she will come closer to world no. 1 player Japanese Naomi Osaka, who was defeated in the second round by French Kristina Mladenovic (67 WTA). Halep won the Dubai tournament in 2015.

Decrees — The two emergency decrees proposed by the justice minister and passed by the Romanian government on Tuesday were published in the Official Gazette. The decrees are aimed at modifying the justice laws, including the procedure for appointing the European prosecutor representing Romania. They also include a series of other amendments related to the appointment of high-ranking prosecutors and to the attributions of the head of the investigation section. The decrees have been criticized both in Romania and Europe. The EC officials announced they would ask the Romanian government for clarifications over the matter. (translation by L. Simion)