LAW A government ordinance on capping firewood
\nprices is to be amended next week, so that it may offer real protection to those
\nusing this material for heating, Environment Minister Tanczos Barna has told
\nRadio Romania. He explains the law, which has already been endorsed by the
\nSenate is going to be amended in the Chamber of Deputies so that firewood
\nbecome available on the market as soon as possible. According to Barna, several
\nalternatives are presently being considered, including that of granting vouchers
\nto the have-nots. A couple of days ago, Prime Minister Ciuca admitted the
\n80-euro capping per cubic meter of firewood, a measure implemented in
\nmid-October, failed to yield the desired result. The opposition USR has drawn
\nattention to the fact that the law has already caused irregularities on the firewood
\nmarket and urgent amendments are needed. At the same time the USR makes an
\nappeal to the main ruling parties to overcome disputes on capping energy prices
\nand focus on the risks concerning the winter supplies. <\/p>\n
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OPERATION The Europol on Friday announced the
\napprehension of 382 people in late-October during an ample sting operation
\ninvolving the participation of police forces from 28 countries against traffic
\nnetworks mainly operating in the Balkans and southeastern Europe. According to
\na Europol communiqu\u00e9, the EMPACT operation, which also involved Romania,
\nfocused on firearms, drugs and human trafficking. Most of the arrests have been
\noperated among migrant smugglers. 16 thousand police officers in the EU
\ncountries have participated in the operation; they have been backed by their
\ncolleagues in non-EU countries, which are part of the so-called crime network also
\nknown as ‘the Balkans Route’.<\/p>\n
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EPPO ‘Corruption is present everywhere and there
\nis no corruption-free EU country’, the head of the European Public Prosecutor’s
\nOffice, Romanian Laura Codruta Kovesi said in Zagreb, Croatia, on Friday. If
\nCroatia, Bulgaria or Romania have more cases than other EU members, that
\ndoesn’t mean they are more corrupt than others, the EU official has also said.
\nThe EU chief prosecutor says that all the cases exposed are equally important whether
\nthey involve ministers or common people. ‘All are equal before the law and
\ninvestigations should be conducted in the same way’, Kovesi went on to say.
\nAccording to her, the bureau she is heading is investigating over 12 hundred
\ncases. EPPO, to which 22 EU countries are participating, Romania included, is
\nan independent institution in charge of the investigation and prosecution of
\noffences against the EU budget, such as corruption and cross-border frauds of
\nover 10 million Euros in VAT. <\/p>\n
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MATCH The national
\nwomen’s handball side of Romania are today playing the Netherlands in their
\nfirst group C match of the European Championships. The competition is underway
\nin Slovenia, North Macedonia and Montenegro between November 4 and 20.
\nRomania’s group also comprises France and North Macedonia. Romania has
\nparticipated in all editions of the aforementioned competition save for 2006
\nand their best result was a bronze medal in 2010. At the latest edition, in
\n2020, Romania ranked 12th. <\/p>\n
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INFRASTRUCTURE Authorities in Romania
\non Friday announced that works for the new departure terminal at the Traian
\nVuia International Airport in Timisoara, western Romania had officially begun.
\nAt the same time, the 14 kilometer Timisoara East – Ronatz railway will be
\nstreamlined under the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience. According to
\nTransport Minister Sorin Grindeanu, the over 208 million euro contract will be
\ncarried out by a group of Italian companies in three years and a half and will
\ninclude the building of nine passages, three bridges, a station and a stop; the
\nold stops and stations are to be upgraded as well as the present railway
\ninfrastructure allowing for speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour, Grindeanu
\nsays. The project is a first step in the process of bringing the local railway
\ninfrastructure up to European transport standards and authorities have pledged
\nto carry on the development of the railway infrastructure of the
\nCaransebes-Timisoara-Arad section. <\/p>\n
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(bill)<\/p>\n
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