MEPs Vlad Gheorghe, Dacian Ciolos (Romania) and Georgios Kyrtsos (Greece) and Bulgarian MP Daniel Lorer have sent a joint letter to Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Dimitris Kairidis recommending him to propose, during the informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers taking place on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, lifting the Schengen land border control between Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, Agerpres correspondent reports.The signatories bring to the attention of Minister Dimitris Kairidis a number of arguments why they see this appeal to be timely and why they call for controls to be lifted as soon as possible."Firstly, since 2011, the European Commission has systematically reiterated that Bulgaria and Romania are ready for full Schengen membership. Secondly, the European Parliament has issued numerous resolutions and reports calling for full Schengen membership, which have been supported by an absolute majority of the House," say the signatories of the letter.Another argument they put forward is that representatives of the Greek tourism and HORECA sectors are asking for the lifting of land border controls to facilitate the arrival of Romanian and Bulgarian tourists in Greece. This would become a very important factor of economic development, especially in the northern parts of Greece, provided that the land border becomes fully open before the summer season.Fourthly, land border controls between the three countries that are officially in the Schengen area are currently still causing huge losses to transport companies and tourists in terms of travel costs, lost financial gains and time. This is a factor that cannot be underestimated in the context of the economic crisis and unprecedented inflation.''Fifthly, lifting the border would immediately improve the environmental parameters of the areas concerned, thus contributing to the EU objective of reducing CO2 emissions, air pollution and related diseases,'' the letter shows.They also believe that the swift and decisive implementation of the proposal will enhance mutual trust among the three member states and increase the efficiency of their cooperation within the EU. ''This proposal responds to the needs of the citizens and it is our responsibility to overcome the difficulties and offer the citizens of our countries maximum benefits based on good neighbourly relations,'' they add.The main topics of the informal meeting of EU interior ministers are migration, the fight against drug trafficking, disinformation and the situation of Ukrainian citizens who arrived in the European Union because of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
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 […]
