MEPs are set to call on EU countries to admit Romania and Bulgaria as full members of the Schengen area without further delay, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/ reports. In a debate with the Commission on Tuesday afternoon, MEPs are expected to urge the Council to swiftly finalise the work on Romania and Bulgaria’s full accession to the Schengen free-travel area. Border checks between the two countries and other Schengen members were lifted în March 2024 for maritime and air traffic, but checks remain in place at land borders. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev have recently told the media that they expect a Council decision on Romania and Bulgaria’s full accession soon, to be effective in the first months of 2025. Background All EU member states except Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are part of the Schengen free-travel area, which also includes Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Parliament has repeatedly supported the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, most recently in resolutions on 18 October 2022 and 12 July 2023, and called on the Council to ensure that the two member states can join without delay.
On Thursday, January 23, the European Commission granted a protected geographical indication status to Romania’s Jidvei wine. The new status offers recognition for the distinctive qualities of the wine. The brand encompasses white, rosé, red, sparkling, semi-sparkling, and liqueur wines produced from grape varieties grown in the Alba region, in central-western Romania. The vineyards in […]
Romania's pavilion at the Osaka World Expo 2025, which will take place from April 13 to October 13, was built with a focus on sustainability, including contributions from Romanian workers. The pavilion also highlights Romania's national resources. The mascot for the expo is a pelican named Haru (meaning "spring" in Japanese), symbolizing the importance of […]
Examin, a Romanian startup specializing in AI-powered video analytics, has secured EUR 200,000 in pre-seed funding from a private investor. The funds will be directed toward a market-ready product, creating an AI-driven prototype for quality inspection in manufacturing processes (AI Quality Inspection), developing its first AI Video Analytics camera, expanding the team, and scaling marketing […]
The beginning of 2025 brought increased pollution in the Bucharest-Ilfov area, as traditional pollutants such as cars and heating systems met low wind speeds, high humidity, and thermal inversion. The latter three prevent pollutant particles from dispersing and instead keep them at ground level. As a result, the level of pollution has doubled in the […]
Update: DNA confirmed that Sinaia mayor Vlad Oprea had been detained for 24 hours beginning January 23 on charges of bribery in continuous form, conducting financial operations incompatible with his position, false in asset declarations, abuse of office, and influence peddling. The prosecutors also said that Oprea indirectly received a total bribe of EUR 238,000 […]
Prosecutors from Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) reportedly detained Vlad Oprea, the mayor of the popular mountain town of Sinaia, for 24 hours on Thursday, January 23. He faces corruption charges in a case investigated by the DNA, with further searches set to take place at the Sinaia City Hall later today, in the presence […]
