The European Commission on Friday announced having approved an up to EUR24 million Romanian scheme (RON 118.6 million) to support investments in sea and inland ports in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine.In a press statement released on Friday, the European Commission says that the scheme was approved under the State aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, adopted by the European Commission on March 9, 2023 to support measures in sectors which are key to accelerate the green transition and reduce fuel dependencies. The new framework amends and prolongs in part the Temporary Crisis Framework, adopted on March 23, 2022 to enable the EU member states to support the economy in the context of the current geopolitical crisis, already amended on July 20, 2022 and on October 28, 2022.Romania notified to the European Commission under the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework, an up to ?EUR 24 million (RON 118.6 million) scheme to support private port operators in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine.Under the scheme, the aid will consist of limited amounts of aid in the form of direct grants. The measure, partially funded through the cohesion funds, will support private port operators in order to enhance the functioning of the Ukraine-EU Solidarity Lanes.The aim of the measure is to overcome the shortcomings of the capacity of the ports' superstructure, among others for the procurement of equipment for short-distance transport of freight and the extension of storage capacities for temporary storage. It will also facilitate grains transport and transit via Romanian ports that need urgent support to handle the increased traffic flows of goods.The commission found that the Romanian scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework. In particular, the aid will not exceed EUR 2 million per beneficiary, and it will be granted no later than December 31, 2023.It concluded that the Romanian scheme is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the aid measure under EU State aid rules.
Participation in cultural education activities continues to be limited, with the main barriers being difficult access, insufficient knowledge, and cost, the recently released Cultural Consumption Barometer 2024 shows. The report showed that many Romanians still associate culture with entertainment rather than with personal development or furthering their knowledge. The need for relaxation dominates in cultural […]
Roughly 84% of Romanians say that the pace of the state’s digitalization is slow or very slow, according to an Edge Institute & AtlasIntel study presented at the Digital Governance Summit 2025, which took place on Tuesday, November 25, at the presidential palace in Bucharest. The survey aims to capture the way citizens relate to […]
Romania’s Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) issued a negative opinion on the new bill regarding magistrates’ pensions. The move is only the latest development concerning a heated issue that led to tensions between the executive and the judiciary branch. CSM’s opinion is consultative, and the government led by Ilie Bolojan can still take responsibility for […]
Romania took the presidency of the Central European Initiative (or CEI) on Wednesday, November 26, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). The organization is a regional intergovernmental forum established in 1989, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. It gathers 17 Member States in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe […]
Trade between Romania and Poland continues to grow, with annual bilateral exchanges in goods now valued at more than EUR 12 billion, according to figures presented by the Polish-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PRBCC). The data was released during a reception in Bucharest marking Poland’s Independence Day and Romania’s National Day. Polish investments […]
As Romania moves closer to implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, local employers are preparing for one of the most consequential shifts in workplace regulation in over a decade. The directive, set for transposition by June 2026, introduces strict new rules on salary disclosure, pay reporting, and equal-pay verification, aiming to close persistent gender gaps […]
