March 30, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Mihaela Ignătescu, 30.03.2024, 19:26
Schengen. Romanian international seaports and airports join the Schengen Area on Sunday, March 31. At sea, the controls have not been eliminated, but have been simplified. At airports, people who choose to fly to or from Schengen member states, after undergoing the security control, will go directly to the boarding gate, without stopping at the Border Police counters to have their travel documents checked. However, police checks are possible to establish the legal status of some passengers, in order to prevent cross-border crimes and illegal migration. To symbolically mark the moment of Romania’s entry into Schengen by air and sea, new departure terminals were inaugurated, on Friday at the airports of Iasi (east) and Timisoara (west). Attending the event in Timişoara, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu expressed his confidence that, by the end of the year, Romania would have also joined Schengen area on land, the most important component of the area of free movement of people and goods. Austria is the only country in the EU that still opposes this approach. Currently, 27 European states are full members of the Schengen Agreement, and Romania and Bulgaria become, as of March 31, members with partial rights.
Easter. In Romania, approximately 1,300,000 Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday. In a pastoral letter, the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest, Aurel Percă, states that, unfortunately, the song of Easter joy proclaimed by the Church contrasts with the cries that come from so many painful situations, increasingly frequent in the world, such as wars , injustice, inequality and poverty. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, also posted a message reading that in the spirit of solidarity and compassion, we should direct our thoughts and prayers to those who are suffering. This year, Easter for Roman Catholics and Protestants is five weeks before that for Orthodox, Greek Catholics and Neo-Protestants, who will celebrate it on May 5. In 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2017, the Resurrection was celebrated on the same day by all Christians, regardless of denomination. Next time that all Christians will celebrate Easter on the same day is 2025.
Fuels. In 2023, Romania was the main supplier of oil products for the Republic of Moldova – shows the data centralized by the National Agency for Energy Regulation in Chisinau. Last year, the Republic of Moldova imported almost 1,000,000 tons of diesel, gasoline and liquefied gas, up by 6.6 percent compared to 2022, marking a full recovery of the oil products market after the consecutive crises of 2020-2022 generated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the war in Ukraine – say experts in the energy field quoted by Radio Chisinau. The most imported oil product was diesel, with a weight of almost 75%.
Moldova. An employee of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Moscow was declared persona non grata on the territory of the Russian Federation and is to return home. Moscow’s decision comes as a response to a similar measure taken last week by the Chisinau authorities. The Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Russia, Lilian Darii, was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was handed a note of protest and was informed of the decision taken. The Moldovan authorities have announced that they will continue to take all the necessary measures to prevent Russia’s attempts to interfere in the state’s internal affairs.
Sunflower. Last year, Romania ranked second in the EU, after France, in the production of sunflower seeds, losing the first position it held in 2022 – according to the National Institute of Statistics. Production was lower last year, compared to 2022, by 3.7%. In terms of areas cultivated with sunflower, the country remains in first place.
Central Bank. The reference index for consumer loans in Romania has dropped to 5.9% per year, from 5.97%, the level published three months ago, according to data provided by the National Bank of Romania. It is the first important drop in this index in the last 12 months, which will lead, starting April, to lower rates for mortgage loans contracted on the basis of this index for almost 500,000 Romanians. A second decrease will occur in July, down to 5.84%. Also, the Central Bank has announced, the three-month ROBOR index, according to which the cost of consumer loans in national currency with variable interest is calculated, had slightly increased on Friday from 6.05% to 6.06% per year.
