January 19, 2022 UPDATE

ENERGY The Executive in Bucharest on Wednesday made it compulsory to recalculate erroneously issued energy bills by non-compliance with mechanisms of capping and subsidies. Suppliers have been given 15 days to operate the necessary changes penalty-free, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu has announced adding that in order to prevent any possible abuses, for the duration of the emergency ordinance, it is illegal to go off the grid. The government has approved a memorandum under which Romania will carry on its technical and financial assistance to the Romanian-speaking ex-soviet Republic of Moldova in order to support the latter's efforts to join the European Union. This support has recently materialized into a non-reimbursable financial aid of 100 million euros.

PROGRAM Authorities in Romania on Wednesday launched the National Program for Combating Cancer in an event attended by president Klaus Iohannis who said the document has realistic and measurable objectives. According to the Romanian official, the program lays emphasis on supporting and granting additional funding to medical investigations. In February 2021, the European Commission launched the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, allotting €4 billion to finance cancer prevention, research and treatment programs across the community bloc. Meanwhile, the Romanian Parliament set up a special task force charged with transposing the Commission's plan into national law. Right now, part of the cancer treatments, lab tests and prevention programs are funded under a nationwide program.

COVID-19 Authorities in Romania on Wednesday reported 16,610 new Covid-19 infections in addition to 58 related fatalities, of which 2 were prior to the reference period. Half of Romania's counties are in the so-called 'red tier' with a high infection rate. Since the start of the pandemic, over 1.9 million Romanians have got infected with the virus and some 60,000 died. Against the backdrop of an anti-vaccination campaign fuelled by part of the media, a number of politicians and other public figures, Romania has the second-lowest national vaccination rates at EU level after Bulgaria.

PLAGIARISM The "Carol I" National University in Bucharest has launched a process examining the observance of quality and academic standards in the case of Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă's PhD thesis, defended in 2003. The decision follows revelations and plagiarism allegations from the media. The Prime Minister has denied the allegations, claiming he observed all legal and academic requirements. Ciucă is the third head of government facing plagiarism allegations after Social-Democrats Victor Ponta and Mihai Tudose. Last month Research Minister Florin Roman resigned after facing similar accusations regarding his MA thesis.