October 14, 2015 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 14.10.2015, 12:15
The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will attend the European Council meeting of October 15-16, taking place in Brussels, focusing on migration and the EU’s external borders. The president will meet with European Parliament president Martin Schulz and with Romanian MEPs. Klaus Iohannis said that, as regards migration, Romania wants to be part of the solution, but its approaches are based on solidarity and responsibility. Referring to the situation on the EU borders, Iohannis said Romania takes very seriously the mission to protect its borders and is acting as a Schengen member states. As regards the conflict in Syria, Klaus Iohannis said Russia’s military intervention has made matters worse, arguing for a dialogue between all stakeholders. Considering that Romania’s Embassy in Damascus is still operational, our country might still help bring peace to the area. Referring to the Syrian conflict, the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Europe, the president had talks Wednesday in Bucharest with the president of the National Assembly of the Republic of Lebanon, Nabih Berri.
The Romanian government approved Wednesday the Law on fiscal amnesty, which provides for the exemption of natural persons and legal entities from the payment of certain interests and penalties. Thus, the taxpayers that on September 30th reported debts to the state budget will be exempt from the payment of penalties for delays if they pay off their debts by March 31st 2016. Also those who, by June 30th, pay 45.8% of the related interests will benefit from the cancellation of 54.2% of the interest amount. The executive is also debating the state employees’ salary bill.
An important natural gas deposit of more than 30 billion cubic meters was discovered in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea. If drilling confirms the estimated value, the deposit could ensure the domestic consumption of natural gas for 3 years, given that, annually Romania consumes about 12 billion cubic meters. The natural gas pocket was discovered in the area of the continental shelf which Romania won against Ukraine in 2009 at the Hague.
The National Integrity Agency has reported the existence of conflicts of interest at administrative level in the case of 32 former or current MPs. According to the Agency, 14 current deputies, 17 former deputies and a senator hired members of their families in their administrative offices, the total value of the contracts that breached the legal provisions on conflicts of interest reaching some 240,000 euros. Of these, three former deputies and a senator have been referred to the High Court of Cassation and Justice. The remaining 28 MPs fall within the general statute of limitations for conflicts of interest of criminal nature, the Agency informs, adding that it will take proper action with a view to seeing that the documents issued, adopted or drafted while breaching legal provisions on conflicts of interest would be nullified.
