September 2, 2015 UPDATE
For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.
Newsroom, 02.09.2015, 12:15
FISCAL CODE – The new fiscal code goes to the floor of the lower chamber of the Romanian Parliament to be debated by the budget committee, and gets voted on Thursday. The Senate passed it on Tuesday by a wide margin in the present form. In its highlights, the new law reduces the VAT to 20% starting next year, and to 19% starting on January 1st 2017. At that same date, an additional excise on fuel and special buildings gets dropped as well. Next week, President Iohannis is scheduled to endorse the bill, which he previously rejected.
DIPLOMACY – On Wednesday, Romanian PM Victor Ponta told the annual meeting of diplomats that the Republic of Moldova was an absolute priority for Romania. He called on attendees to promote the interests of the neighbouring ex-Soviet republic as if they were their own countrys. Ponta went to Chisinau on August 27, when Moldova celebrated the 24th anniversary of its independence from the USSR. He was received by President Timofti, and also met his counterpart Valeriu Strelet, telling him that Romania fully supports his countrys aspiration to join the EU. Last year, the Republic of Moldova signed association and free trade agreements with the Union, which it hopes to join in 2020.
SANCTIONS – Ambassadors of the 28 EU Member States on Wednesday decided to extend by six months the sanctions on Ukrainian and Russian officials involved in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Targeting 150 people and 37 visa-deprived entities, the sanctions also provide for a freeze on their assets. Besides politicians and rebels with the pro-Russian camp, several members of the Moscow Government and close associates of president Vladimir Putin are also on the EUs ‘black list. Moscow has responded with its own ‘black list including European undesirable people, who are banned from entering Russian territory. A total of 89 people are on this list, including two former Prime Ministers, high-ranking defence officials and Western MPs. Kiev, NATO, the EU and the US accuse Russia of sending troops and weapons to the pro-Russian separatist rebels fighting Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine. Moscow has denied any involvement in the conflict which has already killed 6,800 people in the last 16 months.
INVESTIGATION – The former head of the Organised Crime and Terrorism Investigations Division (DIICOT) Alina Bica was arrested on Wednesday pending trial for bribe-taking. The former head of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) in the 2012-2013 period Serban Pop was also detained. Anti-corruption prosecutors say the two received 230,000 euros in bribe from a known businessman. Alina Bica has been already sent to court for corruption in another two open investigations. Businessman Horia Simu has also been placed under pre-trial arrest as part of a corruption investigation.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu qualified to the second round of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year, after defeating on Tuesday Russian player Alexandra Panova. Niculescu, 41st seeded, plays in the second round against Italian Flavia Pennetta, 26th seeded. Second favorite Simona Halep, the most celebrated Romanian female player of the last few years, defeated Marina Erakovic of New Zealand to qualify for the same stage of the competition. She is set to play against Katerina Bondarenko of Ukraine. There were three more Romanian female players in the singles, Andreea Mitu, Alexandra Dulgheru and Irina Begu, but they were all eliminated.
IMMIGRATION – This year, over 350,000 people risked life and limb to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe, of which almost 2,700 have died in the attempt, according to the International Migration Agency. Press agencies announced that tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing the conflict in their country have reached the Turkish coast of the Aegean to get to the EU. Humanitarian organizations estimate that in the last month alone, about 2,000 people a day left Turkey to reach Greek islands on improvised boats. The EU border agency Frontex said that last week alone, 23,000 migrants came to Greece. The EU is grappling with the highest wave of refugees wince WWII. Most are fleeing war zones in countries like Syria and Afghanistan.
