October 15, 2024
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 15.10.2024, 13:55
ENERGY – Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja is today attending the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting in Luxembourg. The agenda for talks includes the contribution of the energy sector to the competitiveness of the European Union, divergence of wholesale electricity prices, winter preparedness, a report on the state of the Energy Union and follow-up on REPowerEU. Earlier this month, Minister Burduja said the European Commission forwarded the Energy Council a proposal by Romania, Bulgaria and Greece on a functional energy market, “an energy union as the founding fathers would have wanted”. “If we take this commitment and abide by EU regulations, including steps towards decarbonization and green transition, then of course we ask to enjoy the same rights, access to energy at competitive prices compared to what other countries are paying”, Minister Burduja explained.
CLIMATE SUMMIT – Climate change is an unprecedented challenge whose effects exceed national borders, the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said in the opening of the Climate Change three-day summit hosted by Bucharest. Governments should cooperate both at national and international level to come up with an effective approach to climate change, the president said, adding that Romania faced heat waves, prolonged draught and extended floods within the space of just a few months. In this context, Romania needs to improve its policies and financial support for the research, production and application of green technologies. “We must join forces and pool our expertise to build a safer, greener future, with opportunities for all!”, the president also said.
MIGRATION – The European Commission will propose a new item of legislation designed to encourage the deportation of illegal migrants, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has announced in a letter sent to EU27, published just days ahead of the EU summit of Thursday and Friday, which will also tackle migration. “We must build a level of harmonization and trust which will ensure that migrants, subject to a decision to return to one country, cannot use the gaps in the system to avoid this return elsewhere”, Ursula von der Leyen explained. The new legislation seeks to develop “strategic” relations with the countries of origin and transfer, much like what has already been done with Libya or Tunisia. The EU has signed agreements with these countries intended, among other things, to slow down the departure of migrants to the EU from their territory, or even repatriate them to their countries of origin. Several European countries have called for a review of the so-called “return directive” of 2008, which harmonizes the rules regarding deportation at the borders.
NATO EXERCISE – NATO is carrying out its annual nuclear exercise amidst growing threats from Russian president Vladimir Putin, who says he might use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. According to NATO sources, the exercise is not a response to Moscow’s threats, considering that this exercise has been held every year for the last decade. For the next two weeks, 2,000 servicemen and 60 aircraft from 13 countries will take part in the exercise hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.
MOLDOVA – The European Union has introduced new sanctions against five individuals and one company, accused of seeking to destabilize the Republic of Moldova ahead of Sunday’s presidential election and the referendum on EU accession. The decision was taken by the EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg and is meant to support Moldova cope with Russia’s interference with its European accession efforts, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, has told Radio Romania. The list of sanctions includes four high-ranking officials from Găgăuzia, an autonomous region in southwestern Moldova.
DISCOVEREU – October 15 is the deadline for young people above 18 years of age to enroll in the current phase of the DiscoverEU program. DiscoverEU allows young people to explore Europe by rail travel. 1,400 travel passes were allotted to Romania out of a total of 35 thousand made available at community level. The winners of the selection will be able to travel across Europe for a total of 30 days, over March 1, 2025 – May 2026, either individually or in groups of up to five people. They will also be awarded a card with discounts for up to 40,000 public transport services, cultural institutions, accommodation, food, sports activities and other services. Full details are available at youth.europa.eu. (VP)
