November 5, 2024 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 05.11.2024, 20:05

Visit – The European commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, is paying an official visit to Romania on Wednesday, the EC announced in a statement. The commissioner will participate in the conference themed “Multi-sectoral Pact for an Integrated Agricultural Policy of Romania – objective 2035”. At the same time, the official is a special guest in the EU-Romania Interactive Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture. According to the press release, the commissioner will talk about the perspectives of European farmers in the context of environmental and geo-political challenges and of the EU enlargement. At the same time, he will have an intervention in the plenary session, with the theme “Vision and action for the sustainable transformation of agriculture”. Janusz Wojciechowski was quoted as saying that ‘First of all, it will be an opportunity to thank Romanian farmers for their vital contribution to food security, both in Europe and outside it. In recent years, farmers in Romania have shown remarkable resilience, passing well through a pandemic, through economic recessions and through the energy crisis, besides climate-related challenges,” said commissioner Wojciechowski.

Commissioner – Roxana Mînzatu, proposed for the position of European Commissioner from Romania, received a favorable opinion, on Tuesday, in the specialized commissions of the Romanian Parliament. At the hearings, she stated that the “People, Competences and Training” portfolio, which she will handle, accounts for almost 20% of the EU’s multiannual budget. She mentioned that, as executive vice-president of the European Commission, she will also coordinate the area of ​​preparation for emergency situations. Roxana Mînzatu will be one of the six vice-presidents of the future European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen.  Mînzatu aims to make the teaching career more attractive, in a Europe where at least 24 states are facing a crisis of teachers and, at the same time, she wants to improve the Erasmus+ program, considered far too expensive by many Romanian students. On November 12, Roxana Mînzatu will be heard in the specialized commissions of the European Parliament.

IMF – The International Monetary Fund representatives started, on Tuesday, technical talks with the Romanian authorities to analyze the economic and financial developments of Romania in the last period. The delegation will have meetings in particular at the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry. The officials will discuss the evolution of inflation and the economy, the balance of payments, public debt and budget deficit, monetary and fiscal policy. Although Romania currently does not have an agreement with the Fund, the financial institution annually evaluates the country’s economy and makes recommendations. The IMF mission in Romania will end on Friday.

Spain – The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) announced on Tuesday that, according to the information sent by the Spanish authorities, so far, two Romanian citizens have died and seven are reported missing, following the meteorological phenomena that affected Spain. The MAE also informs that the representatives of the Romanian Embassy in Madrid and the Romanian Consulate in Castellon de la Plana remain in permanent contact with the competent Spanish authorities regarding the Romanians affected by the recent meteorological phenomena. At the same time, Romanian citizens can request assistance from the Romanian consulates in the main Spanish cities – the MAE also announced. In Spain, the Madrid government has declared a state of natural disaster in the affected areas and has pledged to cover all the urgent expenses of the affected municipalities. A first emergency plan worth 10.6 billion Euros was adopted, with direct aid and fiscal facilities for citizens and 30,000 companies.

Meeting – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu had a meeting in Bucharest on Tuesday with a delegation of Japanese investors from the fields of energy, research and technology, industry, infrastructure and banking. The head of the executive appreciated the level of bilateral relations, developed on the basis of the Strategic Partnership. He emphasized Romania’s role as a factor of stability in Europe and in the region, as well as the geostrategic, economic and political advantages that qualify it as a destination for investors. The Japanese delegation expressed its interest in strengthening financial support for Romania in projects in the fields of transport infrastructure, energy, digitization and high technology. Previously, during a bilateral Energy Forum that took place in Bucharest, the Romanian Energy Ministry and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Tarnița-Lăpuștești investment (in central Romania). It is a project of strategic importance for balancing the energy system in Romania, necessary in the context of increasing the share of energy from renewable sources. (LS)