October 22, 2018 UPDATE

Klaus Iohannis to take part in a debate on the future of the EU, in Strasbourg

Newsroom, 22.10.2018, 19:11

MEETING Romania will organize in February 2019 in Bucharest an informal Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, Romanian Interior Minister Carmen Dan has said. The announcement was made after the meeting that she had in Bucharest with the European Commissioner for the Security Union, Julian King. In his turn, the European official has said that Romania will take over the EU Council presidency in the first six months of 2019, at a time of great challenges for the community bloc, such as terrorism, cyber attacks and organized crime. The two officials also talked about Romania’s joining the Schengen area and the EU’s external borders.

STRASBOURG President of Romania Klaus Iohannis will take part on Tuesday in Strasbourg in a debate organised by the European Parliament with respect to the future of the European Union. The head of state will present Romania’s views on the topic. It is for the first time that the President of Romania will address the European Parliament, and his participation in the event takes place in the context of a series of debates on the future of the European bloc, in which the leaders of the EU member states are invited to take part. In the plenary session that begins on Tuesday, the MEPs will also discuss the 2019 budget of the Union, ways to reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, and the taxes to be charged for the use of certain infrastructure segments by heavy duty vehicles.

LAW The Parliament of Romania is re-examining the Offshore Bill, after the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats reached an agreement last week. In early August, President Klaus Johannis did not sign the bill into law and sent it back to Parliament for a review. What is at stake is, first and foremost, the profit that Romania will make from natural gas extraction in the Black Sea. The Deputies in the specialised committees are to decide on the final text of the bill to be subject to the vote in a plenary sitting.

JUSTICE LAWS The European Commission called on the Romanian Government on Monday to take into consideration the recommendations made by the Venice Commission, the advisory body of the Council of Europe, regarding the amendments the ruling coalition in Romania has brought to the criminal codes and the justice laws. The Commission recommends Bucharest authorities to take steps so as to radically reevaluate these modifications, by means of complex and efficient consultations, with a view to obtaining a robust and coherent legislative proposal that should enjoy the wide support of Romanian society. In light of the latest opinion issued by the Venice Commission, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis invited political parties to hold consultations on the justice laws. Hundreds of people protested on Sunday in Bucharest and several other cities against the government policies in the field of justice and the main opposition parties on Monday filed a censure motion against Justice Minister Tudorel Toader.

INVICTUS Romanian troops won the first medal in the 2018 Invictus Palarympics in Sydney, Australia, in the indoor rowing event. In the 4-minute endurance event Dumitru Paraschiva won the 3rd place, and his colleague Ciprian Iriciuc, the 4th place out of 21 competitors. At the Paralympic Games held in October 20-27, Romania is represented by 15 soldiers wounded in theatres of war. Romanian athletes, who take part in the competition for the second time, compete in the archery, cycling, Paralympic athletics, rowing, swimming, and volleyball events.

DECORATION Romanian President Klaus Iohannis signed on Monday the post-mortem decoration decree of Romanian football player Ilie Balaci, who died on Sunday aged 62. According to the Presidential administration, the “Faithful Service” National Order in Rank of Knight was offered in sign of appreciation and admiration for his remarkable career, for the talent with which he promoted, for many decades, the value of the football and the fair play spirit among the young generations of athletes.

(Translated by Elena Enache)