European Commissioner-designate for internal affairs and migration, Magnus Brunner, on Tuesday evening expressed his hope that Romania and Bulgaria will fully enter Schengen Area, as decision belongs to member states [of the Justice and Home Affairs Council - editor's note]."Of course that the member states are to decide who enter Schengen and who doesn't. There has been made extraordinary progress, if I may say so, in the cases of Romania and Bulgaria, and they are already in the Schengen Area, although just partially. However, as I've found out this morning, Austria is maintaining a very good dialogue with Romania and Bulgaria. Discussions continue and I am positive, or at least this is my approach, that this dialogue will bring a full integration of Romania and Bulgaria as soon as possible. Of course that there is much talk in my country on this topic too, but this is my opinion. And I am glad that discussions were increasingly frequent between the foreign affairs ministers and the presidents," the Austrian Commissioner said at his hearing in the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).He answered thus to a question addressed to him by a Bulgarian MEP related to the decisions taken in the recent month by several Schengen states to reintroduce border control."A better management of migration means a balanced and determined approach, which means that we decide who comes in Europe and under what circumstances, and not the so called guides," underscored Brunner. He mentioned that a priority would be to apply the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is scheduled to come into force in 2026, with the EU member states to play an important role in its adoption.According to the Commissioner, some of this Pact's elements are to be implemented even before 2026, while observing the balance between "responsibility and solidarity."The Austrian politician announced that, if he would be validated as Commissioner, in the first half of next year he will draft a new European Internal Security Strategy, with the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation Europol, which needs to be consolidated, to play an essential part in it.Another topic he tackled was that related to the external border, as Magnus Brunner underscored the need for strengthening the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, and informed the EU Executive that he is going to propose tripling the number of Frontex employees, up to 30,000.
The Bucharest National Opera will open the Romania–Italy Cultural Year 2026 with a gala concert in Rome on December 1, Romania’s National Day. The event, hosted at the prestigious Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, is organized by the Romanian Embassy in Italy in partnership with the Bucharest National Opera and supported by Romania’s Ministry of Foreign […]
German company Henkel, with over 500 employees in Romania, has opened a new headquarters in Bucharest, marking a fresh chapter in its three-decade presence in the local market. The space blends Henkel’s “Smart Work” concept with Romanian cultural design elements inspired by Constantin Brâncuși and traditional motifs, while a dedicated quiet zone pays tribute to […]
A couple of years ago, Romania’s Defense Ministry concluded a USD 400 million deal with Israeli company Elbit for the development of seven Watchkeeper X systems, which will be used to detect Russian operations near the border areas. The drones will be delivered in a few months, according to the manufacturer, as reported by Digi24. […]
Ruling on the draft law on the disbursement of privately-managed pensions, namely 2nd and 3rd Pillars, inked by the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF), promoted by the Romanian government and approved with amendments by the Parliament, the Constitutional Court (CCR) concluded that the capping the single payment granted before the start of the monthly payments to […]
The revised bill that bans the cumulation of the public pension of a special (non-contributive) nature with a wage paid in the budgetary sector, currently available for public debate, will be amended so as to restrict the exceptions provisioned in the original form, labor minister Florin Manole said, according to
The Romanian business community reiterated its firm call to decision-makers to eliminate the minimum turnover tax (IMCA), in view of the discussions on the construction of the state budget for 2026, according to a statement signed by more than 100 employers' federations, business associations, and chambers of commerce in Romania. The Romanian government will address […]
