* The Commission’s Joint Research Centre published on 18 July its report entitled ‘Drought in Europe — July 2022’, which presents an assessment of the drought situation in Europe, building on the work of the European Drought Observatory. Analysis of the evolution and impact of prolonged drought in the EU shows that a worrying part of the territory is currently exposed to drought at levels of warning (46 % of the EU) and alert (11 % of the EU), associated with a shortage of soil moisture causing stress on plants. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth said: “Climate change increases the risk of severe drought and wildfires around the world. The Joint Research Centre puts science and technology at the service of monitoring climate change. Through this report, we better understand the situation in order to protect our forests, crops and waters.” Water and heat stress leads to a decrease in crop yield compared to previous negative forecasts for cereals and other crops. France, Romania, Spain, Portugal and Italy are likely to face this decline in crop yields. To a certain extent, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia are also affected. In Italy, the Pad basin has the highest level of drought severity. Severe drought was declared in five regions of Italy and insufficient water available led to several restrictions on use in municipalities. Similar measures to limit water use have also been taken in France.
Romania was formally designated the 43rd country to join the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) on Friday, January 10. According to the Romanian ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru, Romanian citizens will be able to travel to the US without the need for a visa starting March 31, 2025. "Romania becomes the first country in the […]
Cluj-Napoca, the city in Romania with some of the highest rents and a fast-growing IT industry, is closer to banning smoking in playgrounds and parks after mayor Emil Boc expressed his support for the measure. The mayor cited the prioritization of public health as the reason behind such a ban. He mentioned that he has […]
Romania's Sibiu County Emergency Clinical Hospital will receive a robotic system to prepare cytostatic drugs needed by cancer patients, along with other equipment, after the County Council obtained funds from the European Regional Development Fund. With an estimated value of EUR 1 million, the "Robotic Composition System for Sterile Preparations of Cytostatic Drugs" is among […]
Romania’s government adopted in its January 10 meeting a decision granting an extra day off to public sector employees at the beginning of May. Thus, Friday, May 2, will be an official day off for public sector workers, linking the legal holiday of May 1 (Labor Day) with the weekend (May 3-4). This...
The Ministry of Environment announced that 2024 was the hottest year in the history of Romania's meteorological records. Red alerts for heat waves began in June of 2024, with the longest consecutive periods of persistent and intense heat waves, six consecutive days, between July 13-18 and August 15-20. "The year 2024 is the hottest year...
Supporters of former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu gathered outside the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, which houses the Constitutional Court, on January 10, demanding a rerun of the second round of the presidential elections. The protest, dubbed "The Great Judicial Union," was initiated by Georgescu, who called on his supporters to challenge the election annulment, as […]
