The government adopted on last Wednesday two measures to support farm producers affected by drought, providing for financial compensation and the legal suspension of the repayment of current and outstanding loans until August 2025.The decision comes as more than 230,000 farm producers (individuals, companies or family businesses) were hit by drought between September 2023 and August 2024, and provides for drought relief grants in the amount of RON 1,000 for each affected hectare, government spokesman Mihai Constantin said. The aid is disbursable based on a damage assessment minute acknowledging that the affected area is at least 30%. The budget of this state aid scheme is RON two billion.Another measure adopted by the government to support farmers who had difficulties this year provides for the possibility of legally suspending the repayment of current and overdue loans due in 2024, until August 1, 2025. The facility applies provided that two requirements are met: the applicant for suspension must have a record ascertaining an extent of damage of at least 50%; the interest charged by the lender is higher than 2.5% plus ROBOR for loans in RON, and 2% plus EURIBOR for foreign currency loans, Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu explained.Another emergency ordinance adopted on Wednesday aims to expand the "Farmer's Loan" state aid scheme, so that advantageous state-guaranteed loans can also be accessed for the payment of outstanding debts to suppliers and input distributors."We are talking here about 100% state-backed loans with a fixed interest rate of 1.95, and the ROBOR and all other fees are borne by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Romania. (...) Let me tell you one more thing: Romania's self-sufficiency rate for domestic products is 100%. This year's wheat production exceeds by 1.9 million tons the 2023 crop. Practically, we have the necessary output for both animal husbandry and for export," the minister emphasized.
Under 150,000 non-EU workers are currently in Romania, helping the country deal with an acute labor shortage that has been ongoing for years. The government is also set to approve a quota of 100,000 foreign workers in 2025. According to data provided by the Labor Inspection, the number of active individual employment contracts held by […]
Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan recently stated that conservation and protection works at Hanul Solacolu are continuing with a focus on the first-floor level of the main building and the installation of the first beams that will support the temporary roof. The building dating back to 1859 is one of the capital’s iconic buildings, and was […]
More than 390,000 people visited the retrospective dedicated to the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi at the Centre Pompidou in 2024, the museum announced. The show, which closed its doors on July 1 of last year, had a daily average of nearly 5,000 entries, the institution said. Overall, the Centre Pompidou welcomed 3,204,369 visitors in 2024, […]
The Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan won his first Golden Globe for his role in the film A Different Man. In his acceptance speech, the artist thanked the people on his team and the film crew, as well as his parents, and concluded his speech by saying “România, te iubesc” (Romania, I love you). In the […]
Former Liberal (PNL) president Crin Antonescu declared his presidential candidacy "unilaterally suspended." Antonescu had accepted to run for president after the proposal of the ruling coalition formed by the Liberals (PNL), Social Democrats (PSD), the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), and the minorities' group in Parliament. Antonescu confirmed his commitment to running in […]
The decision of the Romanian Constitutional Court (CCR) to annul the presidential elections is considered by most respondents (28%) as the most important event of the year 2024 in Romania, according to an IRES telephone survey. CCR's decision to cancel the first round of the presidential elections is considered good by just over a third […]
