MEP Victor Negrescu, Vice President of the European Parliament and of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) stated that he questioned the European Commission regarding the devastating environmental effects in the Black Sea of the sinking of the two Russian oil tankers in the Kerch Strait, requesting the implementation of existing instruments at the disposal of Europe to protect the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria. ' For some, it is a minor topic, but the Black Sea is important for Romania. For almost one month, the Black Sea has faced the devastating effects of the most significant ecological disaster of the latest years, caused by the sinking of two Russian oil tankers in the Kerchi Strait. Hundreds of birds, tens of dolphins and thousands of marine creatures died, and the ecosystem was contaminated with substances that got into the wter, among which thousands of tons of M100, a synthetic very toxic product. In this context, I questioned the European Commission and requested the implementation of instruments for the limitation of the effects of this ecological disaster on the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria' said on Sunday the MEP Victor Negrescu, in a post on his Facebook page. Similarly, he showed that the invited the European institutions to support the member states in the Black Sea area for the recoving of the marine ecosystems, for the protection of biodiversity, avoidance of any risk for the population and clean up of any affected beaches. Russian authorities announced on Friday, January 10, the detection of a new fuel oil leak from one of the two oil tankers that sank in mid-December in the Kerch Strait, which caused extensive fuel oil contamination in the Black Sea on the coast of Russia and the Crimean peninsula, AFP reported. As for the new oil slick discovered at sea, it covers an area of about 2,800 square meters. Russian authorities claim that this slick has been fenced off with floating barriers and is to be eliminated with biological absorbents, and five ships have been dispatched to the site for the operation. The two oil tankers that caused the pollution, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft - 239, both built over 50 years ago, sank on December 15 during a severe storm in the Kerch Strait, which separates the Crimean peninsula from the Russian Krasnodar region. The first tanker broke into two and sank, while the second ran aground. The two ships were carrying a total of about 9.200 tons of fuel oil, of which about 2,400 tons leaked into the water and also contaminated the shore, first in the Kranodar region and then on the coast of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. The Russian authorities and volunteers have since been carrying out a vast shoreline clean-up operation, but the problem is far from solved, although more than 147,000 tons of sand from the beaches and contaminated soil have been evacuated so far. Wildlife is also affected, with numerous birds and dolphins dying as a result of the contamination of the coastline, AFP also reports.
Romanian deep-tech startup .lumen, the developer of what it says are the world’s first AI-powered glasses for the blind, has secured a new investment from EIT Urban Mobility, the European innovation community focused on advancing sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions. The value of the new funding round was not disclosed. The investment aligns with […]
The health spending per capita in Romania was the lowest in the EU, with spending less than half the EU average in 2023, the recently released report, State of Health in the EU - Romania Country Health Profile 2025, shows. At the same time, life expectancy in Romania is 5.1 years below the EU average, […]
Romania’s annual inflation rate stood at roughly 9.8% in November 2025, similar to October, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices increased by 7.6% last month, while services rose roughly 11% and non-food goods climbed 10.7%. The consumer price index rose by 0.42% in November compared with October, while […]
Three French soldiers deployed in Romania as part of NATO’s Multinational Battle Group at Cincu intervened to save a truck driver following a serious traffic accident on the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. The incident occurred earlier this week as the soldiers were traveling toward Ploiești and witnessed the truck crash...
Eight contemporary art galleries will present the works of the artists they represent at the third edition of the Smallest Art Fair in Town, an event dedicated to works on paper. This edition showcases works “investigating the state of wandering, disorientation, and rediscovery in the face of uncertainty.” Under the title In Dark Woods, A […]
Parents everywhere are asking an important question: What skills will truly prepare a child for a world defined by rapid change, global uncertainty, and the rise of artificial intelligence? For decades, schools focused entirely on academics. Today, research from neuroscience, performance psychology, and leading universities shows a different reality: The students who thrive long-term are […]
