Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen bid vetoed

euobserver.com
22.09.11 @ 17:44

BY VALENTINA POP

The Netherlands and Finland on Thursday (22 September) vetoed Romania and Bulgaria's bid to join the border-free Schengen area, a move the Polish EU presidency said represented a "sad conclusion about mutual trust among member states...more...
read more: eu observer.com
http://euobserver.com/22/113707

Fins Weigh In On Bulgaria-Romania Schengen

balkan insight
21 SEP 2011 / 09:18

Finland will follow the Netherlands' examples and veto Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession, Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi has revealed after meeting his Dutch and Finnish counterparts, according to Sofia News Agency.

Novinite (Sofia News Agency)

"However, we need consensus and we need a positive vote on behalf of all EU member states," Baconschi has declared after he met his colleagues at the UN General Assembly in New York....more...
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/finland-weighs-in-on-bulgaria-romania-schengen-entry

Romania's motorway blues

radio free europe
Romanian roads
Aug 16th 2011, 12:09 by V.P.

BUCHAREST
IF YOU want to discover Romania, don't drive, rent a helicopter. Such was the advice Traian Băsescu, the country's president, had for potential investors from the Gulf, back in March. "I've never discovered Romania the way I did from a helicopter," said Mr Băsescu, admitting that the country's transport infrastructure is badly underdeveloped.

It is certainly a sorry picture. Most of Romania's 300-odd kilometres of highway were built during the communist era, and are showing their age. The roads connecting Bucharest, the capital, with other cities are chronically clogged. Trains chug along at no more than 50-60km an hour, slower than when the railways were constructed. The Danube stuns the few cruise-ship tourists with its underexploited vastness....more...
read more: radio free europe
http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2011/08/romanian-roads

Your (Romanian) passport

the economist

Romania and the citizenship

Aug 1st 2011, 16:30 by E.L.

HISTORY means that many European countries ihave kinsfolk either outside their borders: Estonians and Latvians in the slivers of territory they lost to Russia during Soviet rule, Lithuanians in Poland and Belarus, Poles in Lithuania and Belarus, Ukrainians in Russia and vice versa, Hungarians in the Trianon territories...the list goes on and on....more...

read more: the economist

http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2011/08/romania-and-citizenship

E.U. Warns Bulgaria and Romania on Reforms

ny times
By STEPHEN CASTLE

Published: July 20, 2011
BRUSSELS — Bulgaria on Wednesday was warned of serious deficiencies in its judicial system, urged to get more convictions from its fight against organized crime and told that its battle against corruption had yet to lead to convincing results.
The warning, in a formal assessment from the European Commission, highlighted continuing worries about law and order in Bulgaria andRomania, four years after they joined the bloc....more...
read more: ny times
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/world/europe/21iht-union21.html?ref=europe

Fake Slurs Fuel Albania-Romania Tensions

balkan insight
13 JUL 2011 / 14:57

Fabricated anti-Albanian diatribe attributed to Romania's President creates tension between Bucharest and Tirana.

Marian Chiriac Bucharest

Romania has voiced discontent over Albania's decision to summon its ambassador to Tirana for questioning, following Albanian media reports that wrongly attributed offensive statements about Albanians to President Traian Basescu....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/romania-albania-dispute-following-media-faked-reports

Bulgarians, Romanians Kicked Out of Dutch Labor Market

balkan insight
01 JUL 2011 / 13:14

Bulgarians and Romanians, along with foreigners from outside the EU, will now only be granted work permits for the Netherlands in "exceptional cases".

Novinite (Sofia News Agency)
Dutch MPs passed the measure, which is the brainchild of Social Affairs Minister Henk Kamp, despite EU official's warnings that it may hinder freedom of movement - one of the EU's fundamental freedoms.
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bulgarians-romanians-kicked-out-of-dutch-labor-market

Romanian Plan to Wall Off Roma Stirs Protests

balkan insight
01 JUL 2011 / 10:48

Civic organisations are protesting against plans of authorities in Baia Mare to erect a wall around a Roma neighbourhood to keep down crime.

Marian Chiriac Bucharest
Local authorities in Baia Mare, in northwest Romania, have stirred protests by deciding to erect a concrete wall around a block where a large number of Roma/Gypsy people is living, in order to "stop so many crimes from happening" in the area....more...
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/protests-over-romania-s-mayor-plan-against-gypsy

Romanian MEP under investigation

se times
30/06/2011

Social Democrat Adrian Severin faces a corruption probe following a vote by the European Parliament.
By Paul Ciocoiu for Southeast European Times in Bucharest -- 30/06/11
The European Parliament (EP) voted last week to lift the immunity of Romanian Social-Democrat lawmaker Adrian Severin and refer him to a corruption inquiry in Romania for his involvement in what is known as the "money for lobby" scandal.

The vote came after a recommendation by EP rapporteur Francesco Enrico Speroni, whose report was approved by the Juridical Affairs Committee on June 23rd....more...
read more: se times
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2011/06/30/feature-02

Romanian Hungarians Snub Plan For Eight Regions

balkan insight
27 JUN 2011 / 08:09

Coalition in Romania may break up as ethnic Hungarians reject government's plan for regional re-organization.

Marian Chiriac Bucharest
“The administrative reorganization [of Romania] has to be done carefully and not accordingly to the plans proposed by the President and Prime Minister." So said Kelemen Hunor, president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians from Romania, UDMR, on Saturday. “If there is no need for us to stay in the ruling coalition we should leave it, that is no problem,” he added....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/hungarians-oppose-romania-s-administrative-organization-plan

Re-organisation plan divides Romanians

se times
25/06/2011

Bloggers scrutinize a government initiative that would reshape the administrative map.
By Paul Ciocoiu for Southeast European Times in Bucharest – 25/06/2011
A government territorial re-organisation initiative aiming to turn Romania's 41 counties into eight administrative regions has trigged a heated debate.

Proponents argue the move will reduce excessive bureaucracy and facilitate greater absorption of EU funds, as well as dismantling long-established "clientele networks" in the counties....more....
read more: se times
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/blogreview/2011/06/25/blog-03

Romania To Axe Railways to Save Money

balkan insight
24 JUN 2011 / 09:11

Tenth of the network is to be closed or leased out in order to close budget holes.

Marian Chiriac Bucharest
A sharp fall in the number of people traveling by train and lack of money to improve the lines are among the main reasons behind Romania’s decision to lease out or close over 10 per cent of its railway network....more...
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/romania-to-close-10-per-cent-of-its-railways

Europe to Rule on Suspect Romanian MEP

balkan insight
23 JUN 2011 / 10:32

A decision to remove the parliamentary immunity of Adrian Severin, the Romanian MEP suspected of corruption, will help Bucharest’s drive to fight against graft at home, analysts say.

Marian Chiriac Bucharest
The European Parliament was expected to vote on Thursday to lift Adrian Severin’s immunity following media claims that he offered to propose legislation in exchange for cash. The decision is anxiously waited by Romanian anti-corruption activists....more...

read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/european-parliament-to-decide-over-romanian-mep-immunity

Romania's Parliament Shines Light For Refugees

balkan insight
21 JUN 2011 / 09:37

As Romania's parliament symbolically acknowledges the plight of refugees, activists note its policies towards newcomers leave much to be desired.

Marian Chiriac Bucharest
The second largest building in the world, home to Romania's Parliament, was lit up in blue during the night of June 20 to raise awareness about the poor situation of around 10 million refugees across the world. Blue is the colour commonly associated with the United Nations....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bucharest-still-needs-to-improve-standards-for-migrants

Romania Puts up Gas Price For Industry

balkan insight
20 JUN 2011 / 09:31

Bucharest has taken first steps towards deregulating the gas market, as agreed with the International Monetary Fund, by freeing up prices for industrial consumers.


Marian Chiriac Bucharest

Bucharest is to announce a nine-month freeze on gas prices for household consumers, while the price for industry will go up by 30 per cent, the government said last week....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/romania-to-freeze-gas-prices-for-household-consumers

Number of Romanian Tourists in Bulgaria Rises Slightly

balkan insight
14 JUN 2011 / 15:31

Bulgaria is among the top tourist destinations for Romanian travelers, though the economic crisis means more people will stay home this summer.

Novinite (Sofia News Agency)
A survey conducted in the beginning of June shows that due to the crisis many Romanians will favor local tourist attractions, the Romanian news agency Agerpres writes, cited by BTA.....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/romanian-tourists-headed-to-bulgaria-rises-slightly

Romania still fumes at Szekler office opening in Brussels

se times

14/06/2011

Bucharest asks the EU not to accredit or recognise the new mission.

By Paul Ciocoiu for Southeast European Times in Bucharest -- 14/06/11

Reactions in Romania do not seem to be subsiding after the June 1st opening of a Szekler Land representatives' office in Brussels. The move was taken at the initiative of three Romanian EU parliamentarians of ethnic Hungarian origin....more..

read more: se times 
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2011/06/14/feature-04

Romanian Immigrants 'Not Interested' In Returning Home

balkan insight
13 JUN 2011 / 08:57

Less than half of the Romanians working abroad plan to return to their native country, a recent study shows.

Marian Chiriac Bucharest
Only 40 per cent of Romanian immigrants are interested in moving back home in the near future, despite the increasing difficulties they face in finding stable employment abroad, a recent study shows.
The report, developed by Soros Foundation Romania and released on Friday, also shows that the estimated savings set aside by Romanians working abroad amounted to some 12 billion euro between September 2009 and 2010, out of which only 3 billion was sent back home....more....
read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/romanian-migrants-not-interested-to-get-back-home

Romania fans display “Free Mladic” banner, Bosnia fans riot

101 great goals.net
Sunday, June 5th, 2011

The capture of Ratko Mladic was one of the biggest stories in world news last week.

Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb military leader, stands accused of being a war criminal for his part during the Yugoslavia civil war. It is alleged that he ordered the massacre of thousands of Muslims in the war which took hold in the early 1990s. Mladic is now on trial in the war crimes tribunal at The Hague....more....
read more: 101 great goals.net
http://www.101greatgoals.com/romania-fans-display-free-mladic-banner-bosnia-fans-riot/95496/

Romania Risks Sanctions Over Fans' Mladic Taunt

balkan insight
10 JUN 2011 / 08:32



Bucharest may face sanctions after Romanian football fans taunted Bosnia-Herzegovina's national team with posters in support of Ratko Mladic.
Marian Chiriac, Bucharest
Romania may face sanctions from Europe's soccer governing body UEFA after Romanian fans displayed a banner supporting alleged Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic. UEFA has opened a disciplinary case and its disciplinary panel will hear the case on June 16.....more....



read more: balkan insight
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/romania-risks-sanctions-for-fans-mladic-taunt