January 12, 2017 UPDATE

President Iohannis signed into law a bill on tax exemptions for pensioners

Newsroom, 12.01.2017, 00:05

TAX LEGISLATION – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Thursday signed into law a bill passed last week by the Chamber of Deputies, and comprising two amendments to the Fiscal Code. They concern scrapping the health insurance contribution for pensioners and an income tax exemption for all pensions below 450 euros. The bill was endorsed by 207 votes in favour and 29 against.

WEATHER – In Romania, a new code yellow alert is in place, valid from Friday morning until Saturday at noon in most of the country, and warning against snowfalls, blizzard and black ice. The National Meteorology Agency said the alert might be extended. Lows will go down to negative 12 degrees, and highs will reach 8 degrees C. Because of the extreme weather, more than 100 trains were cancelled on Thursday, and schools and kindergartens in Bucharest and 12 other counties remained closed.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – Romania’s Constitutional Court decided on Thursday that the law enabling the Government to issue orders was constitutional, rejecting a notification filed by the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party. The opposition parties had claimed that the law would allow the Grindeanu cabinet to amend organic laws through simple orders, which would run counter to the Constitution. The head of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea had stated that the opposition was merely attempting to block the Government’s activity.

CVM Romania meets all conditions for the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism to be terminated this year, said on Thursday the Romanian Justice Minister Florin Iordache after a meeting with the Deputy Secretary-General in charge of Institutional and Administrative Policies of the European Commission Paraskevi Michou. The mechanism was introduced in 2007 as a prerequisite for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s joining the EU and it focuses in particular on the reform of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organized crime. The Justice Minister has also said that Romania has taken major steps towards consolidating important institutions, which is a guarantee for the fact that the rule of law is extremely important in Romania.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)