May 24, 2022 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 24.05.2022, 20:00
Schengen — The European Commission on Tuesday reiterated its recommendation that three member states, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, should be admitted to the Schengen area after they have complied with the accession criteria, shows the State of Schengen Report 2022, published on the website of the EC. The same is true for Cyprus once that country successfully completes the Schengen evaluation process. It is the first time that the European Commission has presented such a report, following the Schengen Area Strategy adopted last year. The report sets out a list of priority actions for the period 2022-2023 to be addressed at both national and European levels.
Refugees – The number of Ukrainian nationals entering Romania on Monday was 2.4% smaller than on the previous day, reaching 7,709, the Romanian border police announced. Since the start of the crisis, more than one million refugees crossed the border into Romania. Meanwhile, new checkpoints will be opened on Romania’s border with Ukraine, leaving the Siret checkpoint, in the north-east, where trucks are currently waiting up to 14 hours to leave the country, will give priority to humanitarian assistance shipments. In a first stage, a checkpoint will be opened at Vicovu de Sus (north) for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, and another one at Racovăţ (north-east) for vehicles of up to 7 tonnes. Later on, a new checkpoint will also be operational in Ulma (north-east).
Chisinau — The former President of Moldova between 2016-2020 Igor Dodon was detained for 72 hours on Tuesday after prosecutors ordered searches of his residences. In the criminal case opened against him, the former leader of the Socialist Party is suspected of passive corruption, acceptance of his political party being financed by a criminal organization, treason and illicit enrichment. The interim chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office, Elena Cazacov, said that law enforcement officers searched 10 buildings and 3 cars, where they found significant amounts of money, contracts and receipts, as well as several luxury goods that were confiscated for checks. The Moldovan authorities on Friday reopened the criminal case of corruption against the pro-Russian politician.
Reserves — Romania has no problems with the stocks of products from the state reserve, says the president of the National Administration of State Reserves and Special Issues, Georgian Pop. He said, however, that strategic reserves would be increased in the context of the war in Ukraine and of a possible food crisis. In exceptional cases, the Romanian state keeps food, fuel, antibiotics and other products in its warehouses or private ones. Recently goods have been taken out from the national reserve to help the Ukrainian refugees. The stocks are substantial but from the lessons we have learned from the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we have greatly diversified the products in stock, the Romanian official said.
Ports — The Romanian authorities have not yet found solutions for the ships waiting in the Black Sea, even for two weeks, to enter the Sulina canal (southeast) and thus reach the Danube ports to load or unload products. Since the beginning of the month, dozens of ships have been in this situation, and the crews of some of them have been left without supplies. The Lower Danube River Administration in Galati, an institution that ensures navigability on the Sulina Canal, says the situation is caused by the inability of the Danube ports, especially of the Ukrainian ones, to rapidly operate the ships docking there. In this context, the navigation of ships heading for destinations other than the Ukrainian ports is also made difficult.(LS)
