JUDICIAL OVERHAUL – Romanian PM Mihai Tudose is today having talks with
representatives of 43 civic organisations, which are actively involved in the
protests against the criminal laws in Romania, who asked the prime minister to
have a meeting on the justice laws and the amendments to the criminal codes.
The organisations have expressed readiness to contribute solutions, so that the
rule of law, democratic principles and fundamental rights be observed. The
Senate, as a decision-making body, has recently adopted the draft which amends
the Law on the organisation and functioning of the Higher Council of
Magistracy, the draft on judicial organisation and the one on the Status of Magistrates.
The amendments, backed by the ruling coalition made up of the Social-Democratic
Party-the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, are vehemently contested by the
right wing opposition, part of civil society and hundreds of magistrates, who
consider the reform process is not transparent. Among others, a legislative draft proposal submitted at the Chamber of
Deputies on December 18 by several Social-Democratic MPs provides for house
arrest for those who receive sentences of up to three years and sets a 200,000
Euro threshold for abuse of office. It also provides for shorter sentences
for bribe taking and giving as well as for influence peddling. On Friday, the
Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, sent a letter to
Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, urging him to call for an opinion from the
Venice Commission on the legislative reforms adopted by Parliament. Earlier,
the Bucharest embassies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the
Netherlands and Sweden had issued a common letter, calling on all sides
involved in the judicial overhaul to avoid any sanction which might lead to the
weakening of the independence of the judiciary and of the fight against
corruption. In response, the Foreign Ministry said that strengthening the rule
of law and intensifying the fight against corruption are two of the priorities
set by the Romanian Government
FINANCIAL– Romania has paid back over 1.263
billion Euros in 2017 of a stand-by loan agreement contracted in 2009 from the
EU and the World Bank. The sum of money represents cap-rates, interest rates
and commissions, data issued by the Finance Ministry show. The largest sum of
money was paid back to the EU, that is 1.254 billion Euros. September was the
payment peak, when over 1.179 billion Euros were reimbursed to both the EU and
the World Bank. Romania should still pay back 3.5 billion Euros to the WB and
the EU, until 2023.
POVERTY -Approximately two in five people who had a job last year
were living under the poverty line, the Romanian National Institute of
Statistics shows. Of the people who carried out economic-social activities and
got a salary, one in five men and one in seven women lived under the poverty
line in 2016. As regards the unemployed, one in two is poor.
SPLIT VAT – President Klaus Iohannis has
promulgated the law on the payment of split VAT. As of January 1, 2018,
companies which are undergoing an insolvency process and those which have
failed to pay the VAT in due time must open separate accounts for the payment
of the VAT. Firms, which have reported delays in paying the VAT will have the
right to renounce to the payment of the split VAT after a six month-period since
they paid back all their debts. Companies which willingly choose this system
should contribute money for at least a year and afterwards can renounce to the
option. They benefit from tax cuts during the year when they choose to pay the
split VAT. Also under this law, debt ceilings for firms have increased ten
times, and consequently, the ceiling for big contributors stands at some 15
thousand lei (3.2 thousand Euros) and for medium-sized contributors at 10,000
lei.
NUCLEAR PROGRAM- The North-Korean nuclear missile program runs counter to the
requirements set by the UN Security Council, Moscow and Washington say. At the
initiative of the US, the Russian foreign minister and the US Secretary of
State, Sergey Lavrov and Rex Tillerson, respectively, have had a phone
conversation on the issue and agreed that it is necessary to move from the
language of sanctions to the negotiation process as soon as possible.
According to Moscow, Lavrov has underlined that it is unacceptable to
exacerbate tensions around the Korean peninsula with Washington’s aggressive
rhetoric toward Pyongyang and increasing military preparations in the region.
The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution which imposes new
sanctions on Pyongyang, particularly restrictions on oil imports, which are
instrumental for its ballistic and nuclear programs, deemed by North Korea as
an act of war.