Drugmakers Salute Iohannis’ Decision Not To Pass Bill Banning Pharma Ads On Radio And TV
The Association of Generic Medicine Producers in Romania (APMGR) saluted President Klaus Iohannis’ decision to send back to Parliament a bill banning advertisements for medicines and pharmacies on radio and TV.
The association explained that banning advertisements for medicines would be anti-European and an anti-constitutional supra-regulation.
Pharmacists were not at all surprised by President’s decision.
As soon as he had got back from his vacation to Florida, Iohannis sent back to Parliament for re-examination a bill banning advertisements for medicines and pharmacies on radio and TV. The President argued the bill is more restrictive than the EU Directives, going against these directives and is also discriminating because the ban is only for radio and television, not for other media.
Mid-December 2015, the Romania’s Senate passed a bill that bans explicit drug ads on TV and radio. (Adevarul)
Students Are Off School Between February 6 And 14
The second school semester will start on Monday, February 15, and will end on Friday, April 22, for all students from the first to the twelfth grade.
The spring vacation will start on Saturday, April 23, and will end on Tuesday, May 3. Classes will be resumed on Wednesday, May 4, and will continue until Friday, June 24.
The summer vacation will start on Saturday, June 25, and will end on Sunday, September 11. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Roads Authority Cancels Auction For First Section Of Comarnic – Brasov Highway
Romania’s roads authority CNADNR cancelled the auction for the first section of the Comarnic – Brasov highway in December 2015.
The authority failed to issue a press release and made the announcement on its website on December 11.
The roads authority grounded its decision to cancel the auction on the fact that „only unacceptable and/or incompliant bids were filed.” Actually, UMB was the only company that submitted a bid.
The estimated value of the contract for this section stood at RON166.85 million, VAT not included. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Antitrust Watchdog Fines Hidroelectrica And 10 Partner Companies For Unfair Competition
The Competition Council fined Hidroelectrica and 10 partner firms, mainly energy traders, a total RON165.8 million (EUR37 million), for concluding anti-competitive agreements on the energy production and sale market through long-term preferential contracts assigned to the “wise guys” in the sector.
Fines targeted the following companies: state-run hydropower producer Hidroelectrica (RON20.43 million), Alpiq Romindustrie (RON21.72 million), Alpiq Romenergie (RON87,821), Alro (RON21.23 million), Electrocarbon (RON864,203), Electromagnetica (RON9.02 million), Elsid (RON2.55 million), Energy Financing Team, Switzerland (RON71.37 million), Energy Holding (RON12.35 million), Luxten Lighten Company (RON5.45 million) and Menarom – PEC, successor of Euro-PEC (RON724,950).
The preferential contracts, which were concluded based on no objective selection process and on lack of transparent electricity sale procedures, stipulated the sale of a quantity of electricity higher than Hidroelectrica could produce (95 -175% of the quantity of electricity produced). The prices set in the long-term contracts were constantly lower than the average prices on the trading platforms (the Centralized Market for Electricity Bilateral Contracts) and on the Day-Ahead Market. (Puterea)
Adrian Thiess To Run For Bucharest Mayor
Adrian Thiess, former presidential adviser, businessman and strategist of several electoral campaigns, said he will run for Bucharest general mayor.
“I think it is time I took a step ahead, stepped out of my own shadow and fought for my own victory,” said Thiess.
Thiess coordinated the electoral campaign of former Bucharest mayor Sorin Oprescu, at the latter’s first term, as well as many other electoral campaigns. (Adevarul)