October 24, 2016
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Newsroom, 24.10.2016, 12:00
ARMY DAY – The manifestations devoted to the Romanian Army Day will start on Monday in the northwestern Romanian county of Satu Mare, with two marches commemorating the Romanian soldiers who fought for the country’s reunification. On the occasion, the president Klaus Iohannis and the defense minister Mihnea Motoc are participating in a round table discussion entitled “The Army – a fundamental institution and a source of national confidence”. Ceremonies will continue on Tuesday in Carei, in front of the Monument to the Romanian Soldier, where 72 years ago the last stage in the process of Romania’s territory liberation took place. The Romanian Army Day will be marked both in the country and abroad. Manifestations will be held in all towns and cities hosting military units, in the countries where military attaches are accredited as well as in the military bases in various theaters of operations across the globe where Romanian military are stationed.
ROMANIAN GOV MASTER PLAN – The Romanian PM Dacian Cioloş announced on Monday that the government almost finalized the master plan including the priority administrative and technical actions to be taken in the run up to Romania’s taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2019. Attending, in Bucharest, the conference “Start 2019: Romania at the presidency of the Council of the EU” PM Cioloş added that they started assessing the human resources in the public administration in order to identify well trained people that will make up the elite body of the Romanian administration to deal with European issues. He underlined that during Romania’s presidency several thousand working group meetings will have to be managed as well as various specialized experts’ committees within the Council of the EU. The prime minister also announced that a number of debates on this topic would be launched in the coming period.
RADIO AND TV LICENSE FEE – The draft law on the cancellation of several charges including the radio and TV license fee will today reach the Chamber of Deputies, the decision making body on this matter. The Social Democrats’ legislative initiative has passed the Senate and will be analyzed by the Budget Committee, and on Tuesday the draft law will receive the deputies’ final vote. The draft law has triggered off numerous reactions by the political class, civil society and representatives of several public media institutions, which consider that the elimination of the radio and TV license fee would significantly affect the autonomy and independence of the public Radio and Television Corporations. uncil of the EU. The prime minister also announced that a number of debates on this topic would be launched in the coming period.
CETA – Monday expires the deadline given by the EU and Canada to Belgium, to decide whether or not it supports the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). If Belgium says NO, the agreement signing ceremony will be cancelled, France Press reports. The treaty, which has been negotiated for more than 7 years, has been blocked by the Parliament of Wallonia, which asks for certain provisions meant to protect human rights and the environment as well as the European farmers, and for maintaining a ban on beef injected with hormones, that might be imported from Canada after the treaty is signed. Belgium’s federal government needs the approval of all regional entities in order to sign the agreement. The free trade agreement with Canada has been for a long time blocked by Romania and Bulgaria that conditioned the signing of the document on the visa waiver for their citizens. Recently the two countries have reached an agreement with Canada on the gradual lifting of visas as of 2017.
TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (4 WTA) is the leader of the Red Group of the Singapore Tournament after the first round, as she qualified to the semifinals following her victory on Sunday when she defeated the American Madison Keys 6-2, 6-4. Simona is followed in the group classification by world leader Angelique Kerber (Germany) who defeated the Slovak Dominika Cibulkova (8 WTA). Tuesday’s match will be pitting Halep and Kerber, with the Romanian player having a 4-3 lead in direct matches. Also in Singapore, in the White Group, the Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska will take on today the Russian Svetlana Kuzneţova, while the Czech Karolina Pliskova will play against the Spanish Garbine Muguruza. Halep is participating for the 3rd time in the Champions Tournament after in 2014 she played against Serena Williams in the final. In 2015 Halep did not manage to pass the group stage. (translation by L. Simion)
