Romania
Interviews
Romania utilizing all available resources to boost its energy independence
Romania is using all energy resources available, including natural gas as the country advances rapidly with Neptun Deep gas project and new wind and...
Transport
The Schengen Zone expands conditionally, for air and sea travelers
Europe’s passport-free Schengen Zone took an important step forward on March 31 with the partial inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria. Travelers arriving in the...
Energy
Romania sees Black Sea renewable hub, gas production growth
Ambitious projects and cross-border cooperation between the countries in the region are key in order for the Black Sea to become a renewables energy...
Energy
Georgia, Romania mull Black Sea undersea power cable to supply CEE Europe
Georgia, which is a transit country for oil and gas routes, is spearheading efforts to launch a very ambitious project that would create a corridor for green energy from the Caspian to the Balkans and CEE.
Bulgaria
Schengen Zone tremblors center on Bulgaria and Romania
The Netherlands announced on December 2 that it will accept Romania and Croatia's joining the EU’s special passport-free Schengen Zone but intended to block...
Bulgaria
US discusses energy security, diversification in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria
The United States discussed joint efforts on European energy security and advanced the clean energy transition in Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria during the visit...
Rest of World
Romanians offer heartfelt support to Ukrainian refugees at the border
The war following the Russian invasion in Ukraine changed many lives. At the Romanian borders, we can see people that are heartbroken and have...
Bulgaria
EU takes action to protect European biodiversity
The European Commission said on February 9 it is taking legal steps against 15 Member States in order to step up the prevention and...
Belgium
EU approves restructuring aid for Romania’s Complexul Energetic Oltenia
Romania's plans to grant power company Complexul Energetic Oltenia restructuring aid for up to €2.66 billion (RON 13.15 billion) is in line with EU...
Archive
EBRD facilitates renewable energy investment in Central and Eastern Europe
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the transition of Photon Energy NV (Photon Energy), a renewable energy developer and independent...
Archive
EU mulls technical assistance to Moldova amid Russian gas shortage crisis
The European Union is looking for ways to help Moldova following a supply shortage of natural gas and the absence of a new energy...
Albania
Enlargement: EU’s turgid Brdo Declaration seen as a “fail”
The two EU candidate countries hoping for a major jump-start to their long-delayed EU accession procedures suffered a major setback on October 6 at...
Archive
Tapping Black Sea’s renewable energy seen bringing bonanza
BUCHAREST - The Black Sea region has a huge energy potential, both in terms of the onshore developments of the 6 countries but also...
Analysis
Romania ignores soft power capabilities
The concept of soft power was articulated in the 1990s by the American scientist Joseph Nye. In his work, he talks about the ability...
Afghanistan
On 9/11, it’s time for a reckoning and reflection of decades of failed US national security policy
A reckoning with America’s failed national security policy is long overdue.Our calamitous misadventures in the Middle East and the global financial collapse of 2008...
Archive
Ukraine’s president is using the ‘Kremlin excuse’ to ban media that doesn’t always agree with him
On the eve of his meeting with US President Joe Biden on September 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pulled the plug on the opposition...
Archive
CATF calls for EU wide solution to methane problem in Romania
Clean Air Task Force (CATF), an international climate advocacy NGO, and 2Celcius, a Romanian NGO, filmed significant and previously undocumented methane emissions from oil...
Archive
Romania’s renewable energy market on the rise
Romania is about to scale up the deployment of renewable projects to achieve its 30.7 % target for 2030, about 6 GW of new...
Afghanistan
Making sense of the Italy-UAE rift
Earlier this month the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered the withdrawal of all Italian aircraft and personnel from its Al Minhad Air Force Base...
Archive
British court throws out extradition request for Romania’s Popoviciu
More than three decades after the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu's dictatorship Romania's corrupt judicial system was supposed to have been fully reformed and brought...
Afghanistan
Turkey: A state sponsor of terrorism?
Turkey functions like a state-sponsor of terrorism (SST), fueling Islamist extremism domestically and deploying jihadist mercenaries to Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Listing Turkey as...
Albania
Ukraine’s chances to join NATO are slim to none, despite Zelensky’s claims
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict was once again back in the headlines in April when people across the world followed massive troop build-ups in and around...
Albania
COVID-19 vaccine supplies trickle into Southeast Europe
In line with global trends, deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine supplies to Southeast Europe increased in April, but the record to-date shows it was anything...
Analysis
The soft power of big business in a former Soviet republic
The increasing isolation of Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko’s regime on the international stage raises important questions about the future of the country’s economy. As...
Albania
Southeast Europe begins to tackle COVID-19 immunization delays
In terms of Covid-19 vaccinations, the gap between Europe’s haves and have nots finally appears to be narrowing, after many months where much of...
Albania
Dialogue for mutual recognition will succeed when the EU joins the US in its Kosovo approach
After the snap parliamentary elections of February 14, Kosovo has a new government facing the EU's facilitated dialogue with Serbia for normalization of relations...
Archive
Gorbachev at 90: The man who awkwardly pushed humanity forward
As a Soviet teenager growing in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv in the mid-1980s, I was a happy camper. I was going to a...
Archive
‘Laura, for EU funds crimes, please don’t call Bulgaria’
The EU's Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kovesi, rejected almost all of the Bulgarian candidates that were nominated by Bulgaria's Chief Prosecutor, Ivan Geshev, to serve...
Archive
EU Commission seeks global coalition to protect biodiversity
On the occasion of the World Wildlife Day, the European Commission reiterated its invitation on March 3 to all world institutions to raise their...
Archive
Romanian aid for district heating system rehabilitation in Bucharest gets EU nod
Romanian plans to support the upgrade of the district heating system of the municipality of Bucharest comply with EU State Aid rules, EU Executive...
Canada
Erasmus and Brexit
No policy decision better encapsulates the entire Brexit process better than the UK's decision to withdraw from the Erasmus Programme. For those in Brussels,...
Archive
Europe turns the tables on Russian gas
As we move into 2021, Southeast Europe’s concern about security and diversity of energy supply and over-reliance on Russia gas is now history, a...
Analysis
Europe's masked corona ball
Response from the Cabinet of Commissioner Lenarčič:
At the end of January, as the outbreak intensified in Wuhan coronavirus epicentre, President von der Leyen triggered...
Archive
Romanian lawmakers approve Orban's new government
Romanian lawmakers on Saturday approved prime minister Ludovic Orban’s new government.
The same government was ousted last month after losing a no-confidence vote. President Klaus...
Archive
Romanian PM-designate Citu stands down
Romanian prime minister-designate Florin Citu dropped his bid for office on Thursday, minutes before a scheduled vote of confidence in parliament.
PM Ludovic Orban’ government...
Archive
EU accepts Transgaz’s commitments to facilitate natural gas exports from Romania
Transgaz has committed to make available to the market significant firm capacities for natural gas exports from Romania to neighbouring Member States, in particular...
Archive
Romania's president appoints finance minister to head government
Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has nominated finance minister Florin Citu to serve as PM in the new government. He now has 10 days to...
Archive
SolarPower Europe, RGI, WindEurope, smartEn discuss climate neutrality goals
Leading associations of the energy transition – smartEn, SolarPower Europe, the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI), and WindEurope issued a declaration in Brussels on 18...
Archive
Cyprus, Portugal among states rebuked by EU over delays in money-laundering reforms
Legal warnings have been sent to Cyprus, Portugal, the Netherlands, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain over delays in turning anti-money laundering rules into national laws, the...
Archive
Commission calls on Romania, Greece and Malta to adopt national air pollution control programmes
Romania, Greece and Malta need to adopt their first national air pollution control programmes to limit their annual emissions, according to a warning issued by the...
Archive
Orban renominated as Romanian prime minister
Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis nominated outgoing prime minister Ludovic Orban to form a new government on Thursday, a day after Orban’s cabinet was dismissed...
Archive
Romanian government dismissed in no-confidence vote
Romanian’s center-right minority government has been dismissed after losing a no-confidence vote brought by the leftist opposition.
The no-confidence motion was put forward today by...
Archive
Private sponsorships of Council presidencies ruin EU’s reputation, ombudsman warns
The European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly announced it had launched an investigation into the private company sponsorship of the rotating presidencies of the Council of...
Archive
EU energy policy to boost security of supply in the Balkans
ATHENS – The European Union and member states need to work together to increase energy security, which is a goal that will be continued...
Archive
Greece launches expanded LNG terminal to deliver gas to the Balkans
REVITHOUSSA, Greece - Greece inaugurated on November 22 the upgraded liquefied natural gas terminal (LNG) in Revithoussa, operated by gas grid operator DESFA, in...
Archive
Hamburg highlights wind energy role in fighting climate change
HAMBURG – Cross-boarder electricity interconnections are vital for Europe to achieve its climate and energy goals and integrate more renewables into energy markets but...
Archive
Cyprus’ Minister highlights East Med role in EU energy security
LAGONISSI, Greece – Cyprus plans to forge ahead with the country’s energy plans to explore for hydrocarbons in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and...
Archive
Šefčovič, Pyatt say Greece can help boost EU energy security
PIRAEUS, Greece – Greece’s position as an energy hub that can help the European Union increase its energy security and diversification of supplies, reducing...
Archive
Romania’s Cluj capitalises on Smart City energy
The largest city of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca, is trying to attract investors with the help of EU funds to become smarter, Emil Boc, the city’s...
Archive
EU Fast-Tracks Tesla, Eastring Gas Lines
The European Commission on November 18 included the Tesla and Eastring gas pipelines in its updated Project of Common Interests (PCIs) list, which will...
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