Sorin Ducaru May Be Nominated As Head Of Foreign Intelligence Service
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis might nominate Sorin Ducaru as the new head of Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE). Ducaru was ambassador to the U.S. and is currently NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges.
The move might come as a counter-weight to the nomination of MEP and PNL member Eduard Hellvig to head the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI).
On Thursday, Iohannis refused to comment on the issue.
The nominations require Parliament’s approval. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Chevron Quits Shale-Gas Operations In Romania
Representatives of U.S. energy giant Chevron confirmed the company is quitting its interests in shale-gas concessions in Romania, following evaluations over the Romanian project.
Chevron representatives said the company quits shale-gas operations in Romania as it did not manage to find enough resources to justify the expenses, and the local project can’t compete with other investment opportunities in its global portfolio.
Chevron made a similar decision for Poland earlier in February, and for Bulgaria last year.
Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal announced Chevron decision Friday evening, while the local representatives of the company confirmed it in the weekend. (Romania Libera)
Romania Agricultural Output At EUR15.5B In 2014, Or 4% Of EU Output
Agricultural output in Romania totaled EUR15.48 billion last year, accounting for 3.95% of the total EU agricultural production, of EUR392.3 billion, according to Eurostat data.
In 2014, crops represented 52% of the total agricultural output of the EU, animal products accounted for 43%, while services and secondary activities represented 5%.
In Romania, crops contributed most to the national agricultural output, namely 73%, of which cereals accounted for 25% and vegetables, fruits and horticultural plants represented 29%.
Thus, Romania ranks first in EU by crops contribution to national agricultural output, followed by Greece (69%), Bulgaria (65%) and Croatia (62%), while animals were particularly significant in Ireland (70%), Denmark (63%) and Finland (60%). (Puterea)
Over 400 Romanian Farmers Own 5,500 Ha Of Energy Crops
In the last four years, energy business faced an upward trend, thus, 400 Romanian farmers already own energy crops and plantations totaling 5,500 hectares.
In 2011, when energy plants became eligible for EU-funded single area payment scheme (SAPS), Romanians became interested in starting a business with energy crops. Last year, 416 farmers in 38 counties asked for SAPS payments for 5,564 ha of energy crops, compared with 288 farmers and 4,036 ha a year before, according to the data from the Agency for Payments and Interventions in Agriculture (APIA).
According to EU legislation, energy plantations benefiting from financial support are locust tree, willow, poplar, and millet, among others. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Too Much Sleep Can Raise Depression Risk – Study
Long sleep duration increases risks of depression symptoms, according to a study conducted in 2014 on adult twins, Huffington Post reports.
The study participants who slept between seven and nine hours a night had a 27% heritability of depressive symptoms, while those who slept nine hours or more had 49% heritability.
At the same time, sleeping too much or too little worsens brain function in elderly women, according to another study conducted in 2012. Women who slept more than nine hours or fewer than five each night displayed changes in their brains similar with aging two years. (Romania Libera)