The Court had already found that Romania had failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law in a judgment delivered in 2018 EU law 1 aims to prevent or reduce as far as possible the negative effects of the landfill of waste on the environment. In 2018 2 , the Court held that Romania had failed to fulfil the obligation to put a stop to the landfill of waste and to close down 68 landfills whose operation was not authorised. In 2022, taking the view that Romania had still not complied with the 2018 judgment, the European Commission brought a further action for failure to fulfil obligations. In its judgment, the Court of Justice notes that Romania has still not closed 31 sites not authorised to be in operation. It orders Romania to pay a lump sum of €1.5 million and a penalty payment of €600 per landfill and per day of delay. In fixing the amount of the penalty payment, the Court takes into account the seriousness of the infringement, its duration and Romania’s ability to pay. The incomplete implementation of the 2018 judgment entails a significant risk of pollution and serious consequences for human health, in particular through the release of harmful chemicals into soil, air and water. In addition, the failure to fulfil obligations has persisted for more than four years, which is a considerable duration. Due to the risk to the environment and human health posed by that failure to fulfil obligations, and in order to prevent the recurrence of similar infringements, the Court also orders Romania to pay a lump sum appropriate to the circumstances and proportionate to the infringement committed. (Source:https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2023-12/cp230192en.pdf)
Two Romanians were arrested during Sunday night, May 11, after robbing empty houses in the evacuated mountain village of Brienz located in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The village had been evacuated since November due to rock falls. The locality was, however, monitored by the authorities to prevent break-ins. The would-be thieves apparently tried to […]
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or EBRD, has revised its estimates regarding the evolution of the Romanian economy in 2025 downward to 1.6%. The bank expects Romania’s GDP to grow 0.2% less than the 1.8% estimate made in February, and to increase by 2.4% in 2026. Romania's GDP growth slowed to 0.8% in […]
During a meeting on Monday, May 12, the Cluj-Napoca Local Council approved a draft resolution that imposes smoking restrictions in several public spaces in the city, including public transport stations, parks, and sports facilities. The resolution was adopted with 22 votes in favor and 3 abstentions, and will come into effect 90 days from the […]
An internal survey by Romanian Business Leaders, which does not have national representativeness but was answered by 417 entrepreneurs, shows that 62% of entrepreneurs expect to have to make layoffs, while a third expect the number of employees to remain the same. The expected layoffs are directly connected to the possibility of Romania choosing a […]
Romanian Istvan Kovacs will be the main referee for the UEFA Champions League final between Paris St-Germain and Inter Milan, which will be played on May 31 in Munich. The match will be Kovacs’ third European final in the last 4 years. The 40-year-old referee has previously officiated the UEFA Europa Conference League final in […]
Over 70 museums across Romania will open their doors after hours for the 21st edition of Night of Museums, one of the country's most anticipated cultural events. Held on the night of May 17, the event offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore exhibitions, installations, and creative activities in an unconventional, late-night setting. From major […]
