EBRD extremely concerned by developments at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant Bank has managed €2.5 billion in international funds to transform the site since 1995 The war must not be allowed to ruin recent achievements The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extremely concerned by recent developments at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) in Ukraine. The EBRD, which has been managing over €2.5 billion in international funds to transform Chernobyl since 1995, believes that recent events are putting in jeopardy the achievements of decades of successful international collaboration to secure the site. The Bank’s position on ChNPP is fully aligned with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is based on the following safety and security considerations: Uninterrupted power supply must be maintained for the Chernobyl facilities. Any loss of power is potentially a serious threat to their nuclear safety. Since monitoring and control systems on site do not work, operators will not be aware of possible risks. They must stay in operation. The Chernobyl facilities have been operated by the same depleted shift of employees for more than two weeks. Normal shift rotation as well as supplies to operating staff must be ensured. Any military action on site is extremely dangerous for the old spent fuel storage facility housing around 20000 RBMK fuel assemblies. Inspections by the Ukrainian regulator and the IAEA must be allowed. Beyond Chernobyl, there are 15 VVER-type units across Ukraine. They have a relatively weak containment and will not withstand a direct hit, which may result in irreversible consequences. Transforming Chernobyl was a long-term challenge. Through the EBRD-managed funds the international community, together with Ukraine, has managed to transform Chernobyl into an environmentally safe and secure site. It has created the foundations to develop and implement a national nuclear safety strategy for the coming decades. The ongoing war must not be allowed to ruin these achievements.
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 […]
