Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ____________________________________________________________________________________________ No. 4/ 5th Year 1st – 15th of March 2012 Politics 1. Romanian signs Treaty on stability, coordination and governance in EMU 2. President Basescu delivers speech on domestic policy issues 3. PM Mihai – Razvan Ungureanu has met with European Council President, Herman Van Rompuy 4. First meeting of Romania and Rep. of Moldova Governments, concluded with signing of several bilateral agreements 5. Romania to adopt 'a little more active and strong' stance in the European Council 6. First round of Romanian-Polish strategic dialogue 7. Romania supports EU stance on Kyoto Protocol second commitment period Economics 1. Gas discovery gives Romania prospect of full energy independence 2. Gov't interested in drawing investments for exploiting Romania's energy resources 3. Ambassador’s meeting with Transelectrica 4. Fondul Proprietatea aims to sell EUR 0.5 bln worth of shares packages in Romanian energy companies 5. Romania GDP posts 6th-largest growth in EU in Q4 of 2011 6. Cernavoda NPP in nuclear plants top worldwide 7. Romania, included as a first in Top 10 worldwide in terms of wind energy country attractiveness 8. Investments in national economy grew by 9.2pct in 2011, up to 64.5 billion 9. Romanian banking system can finance major projects 10. Romgaz turnover up 11 pct, market share steady at 45 pct last year 11. Hidroelectrica and Nuclearelectrica initial public offerings to be finalised in October 2012 12. Romania, an interesting partner for foreign companies in the sector of environment protection 13. Oradea City wins Romania's 2012 Green Capital title 14. German holidaymakers prefer Romanian Riviera, tourist circuits, spa treatments 15. TAROM announces changes in flights operation, from March 25 to October 27, 2012 16. Pound trades at 5.24 lei Culture 1. March 1, Day of Martisor 2. The Ambassador of Romania visits the University of Manchester 3. Romania’s presence at the International Francophonie Day celebration in Trafalgar Square 4. Francophonie Night on March 20 at Romania's National Art Museum 5. Romania to participate in 2012 Cultural Olympiad in London 6. Online radio, launched for Romanians in Romania and Romanian communities everywhere 7. Communism, Humour and Urban Myths: A Screening of Tales from the Golden Age 8. Romanian Virtuosos in the Pianists of the World Series 9. “The ABBA of Classical Music” @ the Mill Hill Music Club 10. A Romanian Silent Classic at the Barbican 11. Ancestral Roots and Modern Vibes in One Jazzy Trumpet: Sebastian Burneci 12. The Glory and the Limits of the Body: Bio-art Exhibition by Christian Paraschiv 13. Bucharest Calling! Ioana Paun presents new work in London 14. The Body Adorned: Folk Romanian Costume, Inspired by Queen Maria’s Style, Exhibited in London 15. LEARN ROMANIAN IN ROMANIA Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ____________________________________________________________________________________________ • Politics Romanian signs Treaty on stability, coordination and governance in EMU Bucharest, 2 March/ Agerpres/Romania's President Traian Basescu, together with leaders of other 24 European Union member states, gathered at the spring European Council meeting signed morning in Brussels the Treaty on stability, coordination and governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. In the press conference held at the end of the European Council meeting, the Romanian Head of State said that being a part of the Treaty on stability, coordination and governance within the Economic and Monetary Union was a success for Romania, adding that in his opinion the Treaty should be ratified as soon as possible. "We see Romania's being a part of this Treaty as a success, taking into account that we have been among the ones who have reacted in the toughest manner when it initially came forward only aiming at the non-euro member states and our target was that of being a part of this treaty for the simple reason that it is easy to observe its exigencies and the accession to the euro area will be much easier, we shall certainly be much more prepared. The ones at home, the politicians, are free to do what they will with this treaty, but I believe it should be ratified as soon as possible," President Traian Basescu said. The President said that the 25 signing states would willingly share the national tax and budget control with the European Commission. "It is obvious that, willingly, the 25 signing states share the national budget and tax control with the European Commission, which plays the gendarme role for the observance of the treaty's elements," President Traian Basescu said. The Head of State said that, by signing this Treaty, Romania joined the common effort of increasing the competitiveness in the euro area, pointing out that the euro currency belonged to the entire EU. As far as the Treaty is concerned, I would say it sets a new extremely important step concerning the integration of economic policies. This process will be accomplished in two ways, on the one hand following the increase in the level of policy harmonization in the EU and, on the other hand, maybe even more important, through a reinforced control of the European institutions Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ____________________________________________________________________________________________ concerning the coordination of national policies, especially the tax-budget policies," President Basescu also said. The Tax Governance Pact signed by 25 EU member states, Romania included, sets a 0.5 percent of the GDP cap for the structural deficit budget and a public debt under 60 percent of the GDP, in order to avoid the risks concerning the long-term public debt sustainability. The maximum cyclic budget deficit, the structural one included, stipulated in the Pact will keep within a maximum 3 percent of the GDP. According to the document, if any deviations from these caps should occur, a correction mechanism will automatically be triggered, which must be introduced in the national legislation of each signing country as a "golden rule" on limiting the structural deficit. If a member state does not transpose these two provisions in the national legislation, the European Union's Court of Justice can be notified. The non-compliance with this court's decision can lead to a financial sanction accounting for maximum 0.1 percent of the GDP of the country in question. The Fiscal Council is an independent authority, created based on the Fiscal Responsibility Law, and has the purpose of supporting the Government and Parliament in working out and implementing the fiscal policy and of promoting the public finance's transparency and sustainability. President Basescu delivers speech on domestic policy issues Bucharest, 7 March/ Agerpres/ President Traian Basescu addressed a joint sitting of Parliament delivering a message on domestic policy issues. President Basescu thanked the ruling politicians for having speeded up the state's reform process and he also reiterated the importance of the health reform, switching to one- chamber Parliament and the administrative- territorial reorganization. The Romanian President said that he regrets the fact that the opposition is not present at the message he sends to the plenum of the Parliament, pointing out that undermining the most important institution of the state, the Legislature, is not the best of solutions. Arundel House, 4 Palace Green London W8 4QD UK Phone: 0044 (0)20 7937 9666 Fax: 0044 (0)20 7937 8069 e-mail: [email protected] web site: www.london.mae.ro Embassy of Romania in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ____________________________________________________________________________________________ As regards the reason for which he decided to deliver the speech, President Basescu said that a meeting of the President with Parliament "was required", given that events of major interest have lately occurred, including the replacement of the Government, the adoption and signing in Brussels of the Fiscal Treaty and a communication crisis between the ruling coalition and the Opposition. He thanked the ruling coalition for having adopted the austerity measures, so necessary amid the economic crisis period, for having adopted the Education Law, the Law on Social Assistance, for the judicial reform. The head of state underscored the need of the health reform, but also of the administrative-territorial reorganization and of switching to a single-chamber Parliament and reducing the number of MPs to 300. President Traian Basescu also spoked about the possibility of raising the public wages to the 2010 levels, starting from June 1. "At the beginning of 2011 parts of the sums deducted from the public servants' salaries were given back. I think it is my and your duty to find solutions for us to make the public servants' salaries complete again some time about June 1, even if in January we had a surplus of the revenues that were planned for the budget, in February we had two times less than the surplus in January and probably in March too we shall have less revenues to the state budget. But it is circumstantially due to the weather conditions in February," President Basescu told the plenum of Parliament. The president reviewed this years' priorities, the most important targeting the creation of new jobs. In the context, President Basescu appealed both to parliamentarians and the members of the Government to open up mining again.