October 11, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 11.10.2024, 19:58
Inflation. The inflation rate in Romania dropped, in September, to 4.62%, after a value of 5.1% in August, according to data issued by the National Institute of Statistics. The prices of foodstuffs increased, on average, by 0.8%, and of services by approximately 0.4%. Spectacular price hikes were recorded in the case of citrus fruits and other exotic fruits, approximately 7.5%. Prices of vegetables and canned food also went up by over 5%. Significantly increased prices were also recorded for beans and other legumes. Potatoes, on the other hand, became cheaper by approximately 5.23%, and other products by less than 2%. In the case of services, postal fees increased by 17.8%, air transport by 17.2%, and non-foods such as detergents by 14.7%. The prices of water supply and sanitation services also recorded a 12.6% increase.
Commissioner. The Romanian Commissioner-designate Roxana Mînzatu will be heard on November 12 by the committees of the European Parliament. MEPs from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and from the Committee on Culture and Education will participate in the hearings. Another two committees, the one on women’s rights and gender equality and the Committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs will have a guest status, in the sense that they will have the right to ask the commissioner proposed by Romania a written question. Roxana Mînzatu was appointed Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness and could hold, in the next five years, the portfolio on employment, social affairs and education.
Corruption. The legal committee of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies has until Monday to draw up the report regarding the Ministry of Justice’s request for approval of the IT and home search in the case of the liberal deputy Nelu Tătaru. The committee must provide its decision regarding the lifting of the parliamentary immunity of the former minister of health, accused of taking bribes in a continuous form. So far, the deputies of the Social Democratic Party and the Save Romania Union have announced that they will vote in favor of the prosecutors’ request. Nelu Tătaru is a specialist doctor at the “Dimitrie Castroian” Municipal Hospital in Huşi, in the north-east of Romania, and is accused by the National Anticorruption Directorate of allegedly accepting bribes from patients in money and food more than 100 times.
Campaign. The Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs will launch on Monday the “Away from home, we want you safe” campaign to prevent human trafficking and labor exploitation of Romanians who go to work abroad. 20,000 leaflets with important information will be distributed by the international organization “Justice and Care Romania” and by the internal affairs structures at land border points and the main international airports in the country. The initiative benefits from the support of the British Embassy in Romania. In May, the Bucharest government launched the National Strategy for the fight against human trafficking (2024-2028), an area in which it was harshly criticized in European reports and in that of the State Department in Washington. At the same time, this week the Romanian Parliament tightened the penalties for those who are guilty, among other things, of human trafficking and introduced ways to support the victims.
Schengen. Austria continues to oppose Romania and Bulgaria’s land Schengen accession. The issue was discussed, on Thursday, in Luxembourg, at the meeting of the European Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs. Although the European Commission and the European Parliament say that both countries meet all the conditions for accession, Austrian Minister Gerhard Karner claims that there is still a lot to be done. The European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson expressed optimism that the Council of the EU will decide to remove border checks at the Bulgarian and Romanian Schengen borders before her term ends. She added that the accession of Romania and Bulgaria would be discussed again at the Council meeting in December.
E-commerce. Romania ranks third among the European Union member states in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of e-commerce. The value of online transactions in Romania reached a level of 3.32% of the Gross Domestic Product. The first two positions in the European ranking are occupied by Poland and the Czech Republic. According to the Romanian Association of Online Stores, in 2023, the value of electronic commerce of goods and services stand at 11 billion euros, and 50% of Romanians made at least one online order last year. For 2024, estimates indicate a 10 percent increase in online sales, up to a value of almost 12 billion euros. (MI)
