Thursday, January 5th

Romania’s poor performance in EU funds absorption

Romania is the only Member State with EU funds absorption below 60 percent, and the country has just one more year to use most of the financing the country received between 2007 and 2013„, the head of  EC Representation in Romania, Angela Filote, said on Wednesday while in the Romanian town of Ploieşti. As main causes Ms. Filote cited the red tape required to gain access to European funds and the permanent rule changes. „Last figures show a 56 percent absorption while EU average hits 76 percent. I am sure that many things will come under way in the remaining months. But most important is preventing similar problems to appear during the next financing period between 2014 -2020. Therefore, problems should be solved before the next fiscal year when new funds were expected„, Ms. Filote said.

Former adviser of minister Elena Udrea before DNA

A former adviser of Elena Undrea, a former minister and presidential canditate, has appeared before Romania’s Anticorruption National Directorate (DNA) for hearings related to his alleged involvement in the so-called „Bute Gala” file on Thursday. Ştefan Lungu is under investigation for influence peddling while being currently under house arrest. A Bucarest Court is also considering a DNA request for the preventinve detention of Rudel Obreja, former head of the Romania’s Boxing Federation, allegedly accused of money laundring and tax evasion in the same „Bute Gala” file. DNA also called on parliament’s lower house to allow the prosecution of Elena Udrea, a former Tourism and Development Minister, currently under parliamentary immunity.

Romanian Peasant Museum at its 25th anniversary

Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest opened on February 5th, 1990 as a promoter of a long museological tradition established in 1906 when a Museum of Antiquities was founded following the proposal made by Romanian  scholar Titu Maiorescu. In 1990, Andrei Pleşu, a Culture Minister at the time, appointed Horia Bernea, a renouned artist, as head of a museum which he was about to administrate for ten years along with a team of artists and scientists. The museum received its international recognition in 1996 when it was awarded the European Museum of the Year Prize. On its anniversary day the museum is open between 10 AM and 6 PM while entrance is free.

Alexandru Danga – RADOR