Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu

Romania wants its presidency of the Council of the European Union to be "citizen-centered," the country's Minister-delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu said at a conference on "The Road to Sibiu, from Sofia, via Vienna" on Thursday.

President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that he had to promulgate Law 304/2004 on judicial organisation after having exhausted all appeals procedures, and asked Parliament to take up controversial justice legislation in its autumn session.

The justice legislation has become the most publicly debated issue ever since the Social Democratic Party (PSD) got to power, and the quality of lawmaking is very bad, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila says the government is due on Thursday to discuss a multiannual culture investment programme, under which one billion euros will be allocated to showcase historical monuments, libraries, museums, cultural centres and concert halls.

Romania's Attorney General Augustin Lazar had a meeting with visiting State Minister for European Affairs of the German Federal Foreign Office Michael Roth, who voiced concern over recent amendments to Romania's criminal legislation.

Romania and Ireland support the project to strengthen the European design, focusing on a European Union that is closer to its citizens, Romania's Minister-delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu said at a meeting in Dublin on Wednesday with Helen McEntee, state minister for European affairs with Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

"Changes to the criminal codes have raised concerns about possible negative impacts; we hope that Romania will address these concerns and that Romania intends to solicit international expertise from GRECO and the Venice Commission," Austria's Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl tells AGERPRES in a recent interview, urging Romania to consolidate considerable progress in combatting corruption

Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Monday and Tuesday attended a European Union - Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) ministerial meeting where he showed that all countries need to be aware of the urgency of taking up courageous and coordinated policies to mitigate risks and effectively implement the provisions of the Paris Agreement.

Austria's Holzindustrie Schweighofer continues to source timber from Romania's national parks, despite five years of public pledges not to, according to a recent report drawn by the US Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

Romania attaches great importance to speeding up the economic integration and political association of the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine with the European Union, Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE) quotes Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu as saying at an EU meeting on Monday.