February 13, 2020

World Radio Day is celebrated today.

Daniela Budu, 13.02.2020, 13:55

WRD – Today we celebrate World Radio Day. Proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day, February 13 became World Radio Day (WRD). This year’s theme is “Radio and Diversity” and is divided into three main sub-themes: advocating for pluralism in radio, including a mix of public, private and community broadcasters, encouraging representation in the newsroom, with teams comprised of diverse society groups and promoting a diversity of editorial content and programme types reflecting the variety of the audiences. Radio Romania International is marking the event alongside other partner radio broadcasters. Journalists from the foreign language teams of Radio Romania International, Radio Canada International, Radio Prague International, Radio Poland and Swissinfo have held pre-recorded debates on diversity. The debates, held in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Italian are being aired as part of the radio programmes of the above mentioned broadcasters. Also on World Radio Day, a meeting of RRI journalists with volunteers working on the Radio Shalom Romania programmes has been scheduled. Radio Shalom Romania is the online station of the Jewish community in Bucharest which Radio Romania International has supported with know-how and training.

FORECAST – Romania posted an economic growth of 3.9% in 2019 as compared to 4.4% in 2018, according to the winter economic forecast made public on Thursday by the European Commission, which says that economic slowdown trend will continue in 2020. The EC has revised downwards its November estimations regarding Romania’s economy to 3.8% for this year and 3.5% in 2021. According to the report, only Malta will report a bigger economic growth than Romania in 2020 and 2021, of the EU27.

SECURITY CONFERENCE – Romania’s interim PM Ludovic Orban is attending as of today until Sunday the International Security Conference in Munich, currently at its 56th edition. PM Orban will have meetings with counterparts from several countries and top representatives of the business environment and will deliver a speech at the “European Dinner” event. The International Security Conference is an opportunity for the European politicians to strengthen ties with counterparts from the US, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.

FLU — The death toll from seasonal flu in Romania is 34 people, health authorities have announced on Thursday. The latest three victims are two men and a woman with additional medical conditions who had not been vaccinated against the flu. A flu epidemic was officially declared in Romania last Thursday. Classes in schools have been suspended in some cases. Experts say the rising trend will be maintained in the next few weeks, given the low vaccination rate among the population.

Infringement. The European Commission on Wednesday sent a letter to Romania urging it to properly implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which prevents timber companies from placing on the EU market products obtained from illegal logging. This letter is in effect tantamount to a formal opening of the infringement procedure. “The national authorities have been unable to effectively check the operators and apply appropriate sanctions. Inconsistencies in the national legislation do not allow Romanian authorities to check large amounts of illegally harvested timber”, the letter also reads. The European Commission gives Bucharest one month to take the necessary measures. Romanias acting environment minister Costel Alexe said Brussels waited three years for Romania to take measures and criticized the previous governments. He is having an official meeting with the European environment commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius on Friday, presenting him with the solutions envisaged. Also on Wednesday, the European Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Romania for not implementing the European Anti-Money Laundering Directive and for not adopting a national air pollution control programme. Other EU states also received similar notices, all being given two months to address the situation.

(Translated by Elena Enache)