What the newspapers say: June 8, 2011

One newspaper reveals an investigation about the use of legal drugs in Romania, with shocking discoveries. Elsewhere in the news, the European Parliament will vote on the Coelho report, regarding Romania and Bulgaria’s adhesion to Schengen today. Even though Germany admitted it’s not the cucumbers to be blamed for the E.coli epidemic, Romanian cucumber producers are close to bankruptcy.

Gandul releases an investigation about the use of legal drugs in Romania, ethnobotanical drugs with shocking stories: one stories involves a 10 year old boy who is proud to admit using drugs. When asked how he feels, he says it’s like eating a lot of chocolate.

The investigation targeted a neighborhood in Bucharest, well known for heroin users who have now switched on the use of plant drugs, which are legal. However, the newspaper reveals that injections with drugs have increased to 30 times/day as the effects of the plant drugs are shorter.

To get drugged is a sign of manhood in the hood, the newspaper reads. The newspaper reads there are 500,000 users of legal drugs in Romania. The investigation follows a series of death among youngsters who died of over use of plant drugs.

Only recently Romania’s PM Emil Boc announced that it will send a draft law forbidding the use of any spice substance. The law would copy the Polish law that sees that the sale or distribution of any such substance is punished by jail.

Evenimentul Zilei informs its readers that the European Parliament votes the Coelho report today, on Romania and Bulgaria’s adhesion to Schengen that was debated yesterday when most MEPs endorsed the report and the conclusion that the two countries are ready to join.

The result of the vote will represent the consultative approval of EP for the extension of Schengen. The final decision will be taken by European Interior Ministers in the Justice and Interior Affairs Council but there is nothing scheduled so far. EP raporteur declared yesterday that Schengen is an important pillar of the EU which needs to be consolidated by allowing Romania and Bulgaria to join.

He said the two countries need to be congratulated for the efforts made so far and its peoples need to enjoy the rights.

Romania libera reads that sales in Romania have dropped by 80% due to the chaos created by the E.coli epidemic which severely affected one of the biggest cucumber producer in Romania.

In the same time, another big producer continues to export daily 100 tons of vegetables in the EU. Victor Nitu, general director of Leoser SA holds 90 acres of land nearby Bucharest and says he lost all export contracts to Czech Republic, Germany and Bulgaria. Moreover, he complains Romanian internal demand dropped from 100 tons/day to 10 ton/day.

He confessed he threw away 2000 tons of cucumbers due to population misinformation, with a damage of 1 million euro. Nitu produces cucumbers farbio, which are the long ones, packed in plastic. On the other hand, demand for other cucumber species did not drop. Romanian producer Purcea said his exports have not been affected and the 95% of its production goes to Germany, France, Italy, Poland or Austria.