EC chief Jean-Claude Juncker expected in Bucharest
The head of the European Commission in Brussels Jean-Claude Juncker and his EC commissioners are expected in the Romanian capital Bucharest for a visit marking the official opening of Romania’s EU presidency on January 10. The official opening at a ceremony in the Victoria Palace will be followed by a concert at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. „Happy New Year! I wish Romania all the best with your first EU presidency. I am confident you will deliver and look forward to working with you,” European Council President Donald Tusk wrote on Twitter. His message was in stark contrast to comments from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker last week. Juncker said Romania „has not yet fully understood what it means to preside over EU countries.” However, Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă said on Tuesday she was determined „to demonstrate that Romania was a reliable partner in consolidating the European project and ensuring its cohesion.”
Future of Romania’s Hunedoara Energy Complex under scrutiny in 2019
State-owned power producer Complexul Energetic Hunedoara (CE Hunedoara) was expected to get a state aid worth RON 184.3 million (€ 39.5 million) last year to close the Lonea and Lupeni coal mines, which were uncompetitive. However, the two coal mines will be still operational in 2019, trade unions say while pointing out that heavy state aid is needed. Trade unionists also mentioned environmental problems at a mine in Mintia.
On April 21, 2015, the European Commission approved temporary rescue aid of €37.7 million (RON 167 million) to the Romanian energy producer Complexul Energetic Hunedoara (CE Hunedoara), which has been in financial difficulty since 2013. In this contetx, Romania committed to submit a restructuring plan aimed at ensuring the future viability of CE Hunedoara, if the company were unable to pay back the rescue aid in six months’ time. The state aid was expected to come from the state budget, via the Energy Ministry, which controlled the power producer, the Commission said in a statement. The Lonea mine was to be closed by end-2020 while the Lupeni unit would be closed by end-2021. The two mines are among the oldest coal mines in the Valea Jiului mining area.
Romania’s ICCJ to elect its judges
Romania’s High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) is expected to draw the five judges for its 2019 proceedings in a public session on Thursday. However, the new judges are not supposed to review the old corruption files involving current or former high ranking officials such as Liviu Dragnea, chief of the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD), former PM Victor Ponta, Senate Speaker Călin Popescu Tăriceanu or Toni Greblă, former judge of the country’s Constitutional Court. The ongoing crackdown on medium- and high-level corruption continued to elicit attempts by lawmakers to decriminalize certain acts and curtail the reach of anticorruption bodies, especially that of the National Integrity Agency (ANI). The independence of the judicial system remains the most pressing concern in Romania, according to analysts.
Alexandru Danga
