November 5, 2022

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Newsroom, 05.11.2022, 13:43

LAW A government ordinance on capping firewood
prices is to be amended next week, so that it may offer real protection to those
using this material for heating, Environment Minister Tanczos Barna has told
Radio Romania. He explains the law, which has already been endorsed by the
Senate is going to be amended in the Chamber of Deputies so that firewood
become available on the market as soon as possible. According to Barna, several
alternatives are presently being considered, including that of granting vouchers
to the have-nots. A couple of days ago, Prime Minister Ciuca admitted the
80-euro capping per cubic meter of firewood, a measure implemented in
mid-October, failed to yield the desired result. The opposition USR has drawn
attention to the fact that the law has already caused irregularities on the firewood
market and urgent amendments are needed. At the same time the USR makes an
appeal to the main ruling parties to overcome disputes on capping energy prices
and focus on the risks concerning the winter supplies.

OPERATION The Europol on Friday announced the
apprehension of 382 people in late-October during an ample sting operation
involving the participation of police forces from 28 countries against traffic
networks mainly operating in the Balkans and southeastern Europe. According to
a Europol communiqué, the EMPACT operation, which also involved Romania,
focused on firearms, drugs and human trafficking. Most of the arrests have been
operated among migrant smugglers. 16 thousand police officers in the EU
countries have participated in the operation; they have been backed by their
colleagues in non-EU countries, which are part of the so-called crime network also
known as ‘the Balkans Route’.

EPPO ‘Corruption is present everywhere and there
is no corruption-free EU country’, the head of the European Public Prosecutor’s
Office, Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi said in Zagreb, Croatia, on Friday. If
Croatia, Bulgaria or Romania have more cases than other EU members, that
doesn’t mean they are more corrupt than others, the EU official has also said.
The EU chief prosecutor says that all the cases exposed are equally important whether
they involve ministers or common people. ‘All are equal before the law and
investigations should be conducted in the same way’, Kovesi went on to say.
According to her, the bureau she is heading is investigating over 12 hundred
cases. EPPO, to which 22 EU countries are participating, Romania included, is
an independent institution in charge of the investigation and prosecution of
offences against the EU budget, such as corruption and cross-border frauds of
over 10 million Euros in VAT.

MATCH The national
women’s handball side of Romania are today playing the Netherlands in their
first group C match of the European Championships. The competition is underway
in Slovenia, North Macedonia and Montenegro between November 4 and 20.
Romania’s group also comprises France and North Macedonia. Romania has
participated in all editions of the aforementioned competition save for 2006
and their best result was a bronze medal in 2010. At the latest edition, in
2020, Romania ranked 12th.

INFRASTRUCTURE Authorities in Romania
on Friday announced that works for the new departure terminal at the Traian
Vuia International Airport in Timisoara, western Romania had officially begun.
At the same time, the 14 kilometer Timisoara East – Ronatz railway will be
streamlined under the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience. According to
Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu, the over 208 million euro contract will be
carried out by a group of Italian companies in three years and a half and will
include the building of nine passages, three bridges, a station and a stop; the
old stops and stations are to be upgraded as well as the present railway
infrastructure allowing for speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour, Grindeanu
says. The project is a first step in the process of bringing the local railway
infrastructure up to European transport standards and authorities have pledged
to carry on the development of the railway infrastructure of the
Caransebes-Timisoara-Arad section.

(bill)