October 21, 2020 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 21.10.2020, 20:24

ELECTION Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis on Wednesday said that the Parliamentary election must take place in
time, on December 6th as scheduled. Iohannis said that it is very
important to have a solid Parliament majority and a government backed by it for
the implementation of all the reforms needed for the country’s development.
According to Iohannis, the present worrying epidemiological situation is not
going to end until March next year, and the election could be postponed until
that time, at least in theory. The president has also added that against the
present medical background, Romania must not be left without a fully-fledged
Legislature. The Romanian official has also recalled that the latest local
election were being held in conditions of increased medical safety and the
authorities managed to stage them properly taking all the right measures for a
minimal infection risk.

COVID 19 Romania on
Wednesday confirmed a new all-time high of 4,848 coronavirus infections, out of more than 37,000
tests conducted. Over 10,250 people are being treated in hospitals, of whom
766 in intensive care units. 69 new fatalities have also been
reported, bringing the death toll in Romania to almost 6,065. Last week’s
Public Health Institute report confirmed the upward tendency in terms of new
infections, but at a slower pace. One in 32 cases is a healthcare worker, while
over 95% of the people who died had comorbidities. Health Minister Nelu Tataru
has announced that the number of ICU beds and medical staff in the front line
will be supplemented. The capital Bucharest has been added to the red zone with
over 3 coronavirus cases per 1 thousand people in the last 14 days.

CAP EU
agriculture ministers on Wednesday reached an agreement in Luxembourg on
reforming the Common Agricultural Policy, intended to take better account of
environmental and climatic challenges. Talks focused particularly
on eco-schemes, a system of bonuses paid to farmers to support
participation in more demanding environmental programs. Romanian Agriculture
Minister Adrian Oros said Romania does not agree to a compulsory quota for
eco-schemes, especially for the member states whose direct payments are below
90% of the European average payment. While France and other member states would
like to make eco-schemes compulsory for all members states, many states in
Eastern Europe are fearing to lose European funds if an insufficient number of
farmers participate in environmental programs. The guidelines adopted by
the member states must now be the subject of negotiations with the European
Parliament, for entry into force from January 2023.

POLLUTION Bucharest comes second in Europe in terms of social costs caused by pollution,
according to a report made public on Wednesday, that examined the costs of
premature death, medical treatment, and lost working days in 432 European
cities. The report shows that air pollution costs Europe 166 billion Euros per
year. In Bucharest, the annual cost of air pollution is 6.3 billion Euros – the
second-highest after London with 11.4 billion Euros. Berlin with 5.2 billion Euros
and Warsaw with 4.2 billions are 3rd come 4th in the classification.
The report compares the three main air pollutants – particulate matter, ozone,
and nitrogen dioxide – and their social costs. Air pollution in urban areas is
generated mostly by transport, heating and industrial and farming
activities. Air pollution is responsible for 480,000 premature deaths per
year in Europe, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA), a figure
that could be underestimated.

(bill)