Since early 2020, EU Member States have been taking restrictive measures to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This didn’t stop in 2021, when different waves of COVID-19 outbreaks required the Member States to react, resulting in a considerable decrease in petroleum products consumption in the EU. Consumption of motor gasoline, kerosene-type jet fuel and gas and diesel oil used for transport of people, heating and products were severely affected, and none of the fuels has completely returned to pre-COVID levels. While in 2020, EU Member States showed a combined decrease in motor gasoline consumption of 11% (from 74 million tonnes to 66 million tonnes) compared to 2019 levels, this value stands at a 5% decrease in 2021 (from 74 million tonnes to 70.4 million tonnes in 2021). The biggest declines in consumption were registered in Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain (more than a 20% decrease in each). As every Member State's air transport was profoundly affected, consumption of kerosene-type jet fuel fell drastically in 2020 compared to 2019 (-56%) and did not recover considerably in 2021 (still -46%). In 2020 and 2021, the smallest reductions in consumption were registered in Luxembourg and Belgium, while Croatia, Romania and Cyprus saw the largest decreases. Among the Member States, the largest increases were in Slovenia (21.7%), Slovakia (16.5%) and Portugal (15.9%). In Romania, retail sales increased by 5.6% year-on-year, above the EU average. EU consumption of gas and diesel oil down 7% In terms of gas and diesel oil, in 2020, EU wide consumption fell by 7%, especially in Luxembourg, Italy, Spain and Slovenia. Only in Finland, Cyprus and Romania was consumption greater than in 2019. In 2021, EU consumption increased but was still below 2019 levels (-6%). In some cases, like Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands and Greece, consumption in 2021 compared to 2019 levels fell to even lower levels than in 2020, while in 10 Member States the use of gas and diesel oil increased above 2019 levels (Romania, Estonia, Croatia, Poland, Cyprus, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia, Sweden and Latvia).
On Monday, January 13, officials at the Cantacuzino Hospital in Bucharest alerted police that a man stole three amputated legs from the storage area. While two were later found, the third is still missing. The incident took place three days prior, on January 10, and was captured by surveillance cameras. Images published by Euronews Romania […]
The General Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday, January 15, that criminal prosecution has been initiated again against former president Ion Iliescu and ex-prime minister Petre Roman in the case targeting the violent crackdown of the protests in Bucharest's University Square on June 13-15, 1990, also known as the Mineriada (miners' riot). The two are facing […]
Approximately 62% of employees in Romania intend to change their workplace in the next six months largely due to financial reasons, according to a survey conducted by the online recruitment platform Bestjobs. Approximately 48% of respondents intend to change their workplace because they want a better salary, 13% due to a lack of professional development […]
Roborock, a global leader in intelligent cleaning solutions, announces the launch of its latest innovation, the Roborock Qrevo Curv, a state-of-the-art robot vacuum and mop designed to redefine home cleaning. This revolutionary product combines cutting-edge technology with an innovative cleaning system to offer an unparalleled cleaning experience for consumers. "Roborock Qrevo Curv represents a new […]
Bucharest mayor Nicușor Dan announced that his administration will draw inspiration from the Icelandic model to combat and prevent drug use among young people. The mayor also stated that building a medical facility dedicated to those struggling with addiction is being considered, using spaces belonging to Colentina or Obregia hospitals. “As Bucharest residents decided through a […]
A young deer trapped in the icy waters of a pond near Fălticeni, Suceava county, was recently saved by a team of firefighters. According to the Emergency Situations Inspectorate, which shared a short video of the rescue mission, the fawn had attempted to cross the frozen pond, but the thin ice cracked beneath its weight, […]
