Radio România Internațional

Tag: smoke-free law

March 16, 2016 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis will attend the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, the Presidential Administration in Bucharest has announced. The participants will discuss, among others, supplementary measures to approach the migration crisis. On Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will join the European leaders for a working session devoted to cooperation between Brussels and Ankara, the Presidential Administration says.

SMOKING BAN – A smoking ban comes into effect in Romania on Thursday. Smoking will be prohibited in all enclosed public spaces, including spaces with a roof and two walls. Smoking will still be permitted in maximum-security prisons and in enclosed environments in the transit areas of international airports. Smoking is banned in workplaces and all children playground areas, both outdoor and indoor. Electronic cigarettes will be allowed, with the exception of public transport. Penalties for breaking the smoking ban include fines and even the closing down of the venues in question. Smoking is one of the most expensive habits. Last year alone, the state cashed in 2.7 billion euros from taxes and duties on cigarette trade.

FINANCIAL– Romanias top ten exporters account hold a 17% share in total exports, accounting for almost 10 billion euros, according to a report by the National Institute for Statistics commissioned by the Ziarul Financial newspaper. Romanias biggest exports come from the car industry. The top 500 exporters cover 74% of Romanias exports, which amounted to almost 55 billion euros in 2015. Last year, only six out of the 500 companies retained their positions, while 68 companies entered the top 500.

AIR INCIDENT – A plane belonging to the Romanian state-owned airline, TAROM, en route from Budapest to Bucharest was forced to land, for technical problems. The plane, having on board, among others, the President of Harghita County Council, in central Romania, Borboly Csaba, was forced to land, just minutes after taking off. All passengers have been safely evacuated.

CORRUPTION – Romanias Prime Minister between 2008 and 2012, Emil Boc, the current mayor of Cluj in northwestern Romania was heard on Wednesday, as a witness, at the National Anti-Corruption Directorates headquarters in Bucharest in a file investigating the activity of the National Agency for Property Restitution, ANRP. Boc said he provided details to the anticorruption prosecutors on the procedures of designating the ministries representatives on the commissions of state agencies. Two Liberal MPs were investigated, among others, in the ANRP file, Ioan Oltean and Catalin Teodorescu, who are accused of having used their influence for a businessman to receive over-evaluated damages. The prejudice brought to the state was estimated at some 24 million Euros.

MUSIC-Radio Romania’s Charming Flute project featuring flautist Ion Bogdan Stefanescu and pianist Horia Mihail travels to the United States. The performances are scheduled for March 18, 6.30 PM, at the Romanian Embassy in Washington, DC and for March 20, 12 PM, at the Victor Borge Hall – Scandinavia House in New York (58 Park Ave.). The all-Romanian programme includes works by Anton Pann, George Enescu, Tudor Ciortea, Paul Constantinescu, Petre Elinescu, Ciprian Porumbescu, Vasile Jianu, Ioan Dobrinescu and Tiberiu Brediceanu.

(Translated by Diana Vijeu)

16 March 2016
January 29, 2016 UPDATE

The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed into law a bill that bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, two days after the Constitutional Court established that the bill in question complies with the constitution. First passed in December, the bill bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, enclosed work spaces, children playground areas, hospitals, schools and areas housing child protection and assistance services. Smoking is banned in enclosed public spaces, on public transport and in work spaces in 17 of the European Unions 28 member states.

The Romanian justice minister Raluca Pruna on Friday made public the draft of an emergency order to eliminate a legal provision on the possibility of early release for convicts who publish academic papers while in prison. Although the proposal received a negative opinion from the Superior Council of Magistracy, the minister will pursue her efforts to repeal the provision in question, arguing that it has been extensively abused.

Romanias consolidated budget recorded a deficit of 2.2 billion euros accounting for 1.4% of the GDP at the end of December, following a surplus of 11 million euros and 0.76% of the GDP in November, the finance ministry announced. The government spent no less than 2% of the GDP in one single month. 1.5 billion went into European-funded projects, given that the eligibility period for the European-funded projects corresponding to the 2007-2013 period was to expire at the end of 2015. Last month, co-funding for European projects exceeded 1.9 billion euros, which is six times the average amount.

The representatives of protesters in the Republic of Moldova on Friday said they would continue protests in an attempt to put pressure on the government. They said protesters demands must be fully met for their country to be able to overcome the crisis. One of the leaders, the Socialist Igor Dodon, described as a victory the announcement made on Friday by parliament speaker Adrian Candu on the possibility of holding a referendum on the election of the president through direct vote. Speaking about protesters demand for early elections, Candu says the law does not allow for the dissolution of Parliament and explained that there is no other legal option to hold early elections. Following last weeks installation of Pavel Filips government, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets following a call by pro-European civil society organisations, as well as two pro-Russian parties denouncing the corruption of the Moldovan political class.

It is in Romania’s best interest to acceed to the eurozone when it is prepared, the former European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said on Friday. In an interview with the Romanian news agency AGERPRES, he said that the country’s accession to the eurozone depended largely on the progress this country was making. According to Barroso, if the single currency had not existed, Europe would have been in an even more difficult situation. Barroso was awarded the Doctor Honoris Cause title by the West University of Timisoara.

The Romanian-American mixed doubles pair Horia Tecau and Coco Vandeweghe will face the Russian-Brazilian pair Elena Vesnina and Bruno Soares in the Australian Open finals. In the semi-finals, Tecau and Vandeweghe defeated the Filipino-Slovenian pair Treat Huey and Andreja Klepac in two sets, while Vesnina and Soares defeated Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig, who were seeded first in the tournament. Horia Tecau won the Australian Open mixed doubles title in 2012, together with the American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

29 January 2016
29 January, 2016

Romania’s consolidated budget recorded a deficit of 2.2 billion euros
accounting for 1.4% of the GDP at the end of December, following a surplus of 11
million euros and 0.76% of the GDP in November, the finance ministry has
announced. The government spent no less than 2% of the GDP in one single month.
1.5 billion went into European-funded projects, given that the eligibility
period for the European-funded projects corresponding to the 2007-2013 period
was to expire at the end of 2015. Last month, co-funding for European projects
exceeded 1.9 billion euros, which is six times the average amount.

The Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed into law a bill that bans smoking in
enclosed public spaces, two days after the Constitutional Court established
that the bill in question complies with the constitution. First passed in
December, the bill bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, enclosed work
spaces, children playground areas, hospitals, schools and areas housing child
protection and assistance services. Smoking is banned in enclosed public
spaces, on public transport and in work spaces in 17 of the European Union’s 28
member states.

The Romanian justice minister Raluca Pruna will today
make public the draft of an emergency order to eliminate a legal provision on
the possibility of early release for convicts who publish academic papers while
in prison. Although the proposal received a negative opinion from the Superior
Council of Magistracy, the minister will pursue her efforts to repeal the
provision in question, arguing that it has been extensively abused.

The Hungarian foreign affairs and foreign
trade minister Peter Szijjarto today travels to
Bucharest following an invitation by his Romanian counterpart Lazar Comanescu.
According to the foreign ministry, the two officials will have talks on the
bilateral relationship and ways to diversify cooperation, in particular in the
economic, transport and energy infrastructure areas. Talks will also tackle
European, regional and international issues. The Hungarian minister will also
be received by prime minister Dacian Ciolos.

The representatives of protesters in the Republic of
Moldova today said they would continue protests in an attempt to put pressure
on the government. They said protesters’ demands must be fully met for their
country to be able to overcome the crisis. One of the leaders, the Socialist
Igor Dodon, described as a victory the announcement made today by parliament
speaker Adrian Candu on the possibility of holding a referendum on the election
of the president through direct vote. Speaking about protesters’ demand for
early elections, Candu says the law does not allow for the dissolution of
Parliament and explained that there is no other legal option to hold early
elections. Following last week’s installation of Pavel Filip’s government, tens
of thousands of people have taken to the streets following a call by
pro-European civil society organisations, as well as two pro-Russian parties
denouncing the corruption of the Moldovan political class.

The Romanian-American mixed doubles pair Horia Tecau and
Coco Vandeweghe will face the Russian-Brazilian pair Elena Vesnina and Bruno
Soares in the Australian Open finals. In the semifinals, Tecau and Vandeweghe
defeated the Filipino-Slovenian pair Treat Huey and Andreja Klepac in two sets,
while Vesnina and Soares defeated Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig, who were seeded
first in the tournament. Horia Tecau won the Australian Open mixed doubles
title in 2012, together with the American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

29 January 2016