MEP Victor Negrescu, Vice President of the European Parliament and of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) stated that he questioned the European Commission regarding the devastating environmental effects in the Black Sea of the sinking of the two Russian oil tankers in the Kerch Strait, requesting the implementation of existing instruments at the disposal of Europe to protect the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria. ' For some, it is a minor topic, but the Black Sea is important for Romania. For almost one month, the Black Sea has faced the devastating effects of the most significant ecological disaster of the latest years, caused by the sinking of two Russian oil tankers in the Kerchi Strait. Hundreds of birds, tens of dolphins and thousands of marine creatures died, and the ecosystem was contaminated with substances that got into the wter, among which thousands of tons of M100, a synthetic very toxic product. In this context, I questioned the European Commission and requested the implementation of instruments for the limitation of the effects of this ecological disaster on the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria' said on Sunday the MEP Victor Negrescu, in a post on his Facebook page. Similarly, he showed that the invited the European institutions to support the member states in the Black Sea area for the recoving of the marine ecosystems, for the protection of biodiversity, avoidance of any risk for the population and clean up of any affected beaches. Russian authorities announced on Friday, January 10, the detection of a new fuel oil leak from one of the two oil tankers that sank in mid-December in the Kerch Strait, which caused extensive fuel oil contamination in the Black Sea on the coast of Russia and the Crimean peninsula, AFP reported. As for the new oil slick discovered at sea, it covers an area of about 2,800 square meters. Russian authorities claim that this slick has been fenced off with floating barriers and is to be eliminated with biological absorbents, and five ships have been dispatched to the site for the operation. The two oil tankers that caused the pollution, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft - 239, both built over 50 years ago, sank on December 15 during a severe storm in the Kerch Strait, which separates the Crimean peninsula from the Russian Krasnodar region. The first tanker broke into two and sank, while the second ran aground. The two ships were carrying a total of about 9.200 tons of fuel oil, of which about 2,400 tons leaked into the water and also contaminated the shore, first in the Kranodar region and then on the coast of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. The Russian authorities and volunteers have since been carrying out a vast shoreline clean-up operation, but the problem is far from solved, although more than 147,000 tons of sand from the beaches and contaminated soil have been evacuated so far. Wildlife is also affected, with numerous birds and dolphins dying as a result of the contamination of the coastline, AFP also reports.
Fewer than three out of four Romanians have a good opinion about the introduction of voluntary military service, a ratio slightly lower compared to a decade ago in 2015, the percentage being now lower among the AUR and PSD electorate, according to an ISCOP Research survey published on September 17 in the context of Russia […]
Romanian president Nicusor Dan informed the Parliament that he approved a request by the United States to bring additional forces to Mihail Kogalnicanu base at the Black Sea, in light of the rising tensions in the Middle East, according to
In a couple of meetings expected to generate a breakthrough on four key topics on September 17, Romania's ruling coalition deferred a final decision on the local administration staff cutting and the prolongation of the food price capping mechanism, according to Observatornews.ro....
Hungary's state company MVM responded to rumours, saying it has not abandoned plans to take over E.ON's Romanian subsidiary – but it only "temporarily withdrew from the FSR mechanism" because the approval of the investment by the Romanian authorities takes more than expected and the company needs to "balance its costs and resources," according to
The United States has approved a USD 130 million grant to finance the construction of a high-voltage power line linking Moldova to Romania, a project officials said would strengthen the country’s energy security and deepen ties with Washington. The 190 km Strășeni–Gutinaș line will connect Moldova to the European electricity grid. It will complement the […]
It’s a busy weekend in Bucharest, as the city gears up for its annual celebration, film and theater festivals bring the latest productions, and new exhibitions are opening.
