July 28, 2022 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 28.07.2022, 20:00

UKRAINE The Romanian foreign ministry firmly criticised the move of
the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, who posted
on social media a map assigning current Ukrainian territories to Romania and
other neighbouring countries. The foreign ministry regards such attitudes as
part of the Russian Federation’s propaganda and disinformation campaign, which
has intensified since the start of the illegal and illegitimate war against
Ukraine. Such ‘proposals’ and ‘analyses’ concerning the random resetting of
national borders and promoting violations of international laws are just failed
attempts to justify Russia’s breaches of the international order based on
rules. The institution reiterates Romania’s full support for the independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally
recognised borders, and once again condemns Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked
military aggression against that country. Romania is and will remain a partner
of Ukraine and reconfirms its full support and deep compassion for the
Ukrainian people, the victim of a brutal aggression, the institution’s news release
also reads.

FUNDS The prime minister Nicolae Ciucă has said Romania’s absorption
rate of European funds as part of the 2014-2020 financial exercise stands at
64.5%, a level similar to that of Germany and only slightly lower than France,
but ahead of older member states like Belgium (59%) and Italy, Spain and The
Netherlands (each with a little over 56%). According to Ciucă, Romania absorbed
22 billion Euros out of the 35 billion it is allocated in the 2014-2020 period.

DROUGHT Drought has so far affected 150,000 hectares of farmland in
20 different counties across Romania, said the agriculture ministry, based on
daily reports on the state of the crops. The irrigation systems are struggling
to cope, owing to the drop in the level of the water used to feed the
irrigation stations. The biggest such station, in Brăila county, in the
south-east, was shut down because of the low Danube water flow. The station was
providing water for 250,000 hectares of land in the region. The water flow of
the river Prut, in the east, is also dropping, having already reached a record
low level. Agriculture minister Petre Daea said the animal breeding sector is
also affected by drought.

WHISTLE-BLOWERS The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Thursday sent
back to Parliament for reconsideration the Law on the protection of whistle-blowers,
stating that some of the legislative solutions must be revised. Previously, a coalition
of 20 NGOs, civil associations and trade unions, as well as whistle-blowers,
had sent an open letter to the president, urging him not to sign the bill into law.
Civil society organisations argue that in the form passed in Parliament, the
act reduces the protection mechanisms for whistle-blowers, and Romania risks
infringement procedures for the selective transposition of the relevant EU
Directive. Save Romania Union, in opposition, also called on Iohannis to send
the law back for urgent reconsideration, stating that the current text
dissuades corruption reporting and poses a major risk of Romania being left
without the funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. In
mid-July the Constitutional Court had dismissed USR party’s complaint
concerning the law, as unconstitutional.

DRILL Over 20 aircraft from 7 NATO member states Thursday took part
in a joint drill as part of the enhanced Vigilance Activities – eVA headed by
NATO AIRCOM based in Germany. According to the defence ministry, the goal of
the exercise is to prove NATO’s capacity to plan, coordinate and execute a
complex air space security mission in the event of any type of attack or threat
on Allied territory. In response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, NATO significantly
enhanced its defence and deterrence capability, including by means of
strengthening its presence on its eastern flank. (AMP)