CVM – The success of having the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) lifted must be doubled this year by Romania’s well-deserved accession to the Schengen area, President Klaus Iohannis said Tuesday at the annual meeting with the heads of diplomatic mission in Romania. Iohannis said Bucharest is fully prepared for it and gave assurances that efforts will be made at all levels to ensure a favourable decision in this respect. “Romania is an important part of the solution to the current security challenges at European level and has brought and continues to bring an important contribution to the consolidation of the EU security”, Iohannis also said.
NATO - NATO is today moving to Romania some of its AWACS radar jets, currently stationed in Germany, to monitor more closely the war started by Russia in Ukraine. The planes are scheduled to land at the Otopeni air base, near Bucharest, where three jets will be stationed, alongside 180 NATO troops and pilots. The jest will carry out surveillance flights exclusively on the territory of the Alliance, will strengthen the presence of allied forces in the Black Sea region and will also monitor Russian military activity. The mission will unfold for several weeks. AWACS aircraft can fly at altitudes of 12,000 meters and detect enemy aircraft, ships or ground vehicles from 400 kilometers away. They can transmit information to all NATO combat aircraft, which means they can theoretically be used as flying command posts.
CULTURE – 2023 will be a year of important Romanian cultural events, Culture Minister Lucian Romascanu announced on the Radio Romania Culture channel. The opening of the cultural programme Timisoara, European Cultural Capital was set for February 17, with over 50 events scheduled to take place in the western Romanian city. Romascanu also said that a number of concerts of the George Enescu International Festival will be held in Timisoara. Among the major cultural events of the year are the 30th edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival and the National Theatre Festival in Bucharest.
EMPLOYMENT - Romania has 6.7 million registered employment contracts, the highest level in the last 10 years and by 16% more than last year. Its employment numbers are also the highest in the last decade, with 5.8 million employees, said Labor Minister Marius Budăi. The processing industry and trade employ the most people, over 1 million, followed by constructions, transport and storage, each with around 500,000 employees.
ENERGY - Romanians used almost 10% less energy in the first 11 months of 2022, according to data made public by the National Institute for Statistics. Industrial consumption also dropped by 6%, although not because of a reduction in economic output, which may indicate better energy efficiency. Romania still had to import a lot of energy, oil and other primary sources, especially with hydropower production diminishing by 20% because of drought. The output of thermal and nuclear power stations also dropped, while the amount of wind and solar energy increased. (EE)