Government Amends Legislation On Sale Of Products And Their Warranty
The Romanian government has amended and completed the legislation regarding the sale of products and their warranty, targeting a better consumer protection and the clarification of certain aspects for economic operators.
„These legislative clarifications come in the context of consumers’ complaints submitted at the Consumer Protection Authority,” the government said in a statement.
The new ordinance targets, among others, the introduction of a period of maximum 15 calendar days during which a seller is obliged to repair or replace a product under commercial warranty if the respective product fails to meet the conformity conditions mentioned in the declaration regarding its guarantee or in corresponding ads. (Adevarul)
IRES Poll: Only 18% Of Romanians Smoke Every Day
Three quarters (75%) of respondents of an IRES poll, conducted between January 21 and 25, say they do not smoke at all and 79% think highly of the bill which bans smoking in public places in Romania.
According to the poll, 18% of respondents said they smoke every day and 7% said they smoke rarely. The percentage of people who smoke daily is higher among respondents aged 18 to 35, compared to the other age categories.
Also, 93% of respondents heard about the bill which bans smoking in public places. 79% think highly about banning smoking in all public places, including bars and coffee shops. The poll also shows that 51% of Romanians never allow smoking in their homes, while 25% said they allow smoking in certain rooms or a single room. Also, a quarter (26%) of polled smokers spend up to RON30 per week on cigarettes, 19% spend RON31 to RON50, and 30% spend RON51 to RON100 per week. (Puterea)
Three Returning UK Travelers Diagnosed With Zika Virus
Three travellers who returned to the UK from South and Central America have been diagnosed with the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness that has been linked to brain deformities in babies.
Public Health England said in a statement on its website the three people had presented with the virus after travelling to Colombia, Suriname and Guyana, all countries which are experiencing Zika outbreaks.
The statement said Zika “does not occur naturally in the UK” and said it can be transmitted only from the bite of a mosquito or, in rare cases “through sexual transmission or by transmission from mother to foetus via the placenta”. It does “not spread directly from person to person”, the statement said.
The three cases are believed to be the first to be confirmed inside the country. Romania has reported no Zika virus case so far.
While the symptoms of Zika itself tend to be mild – they include joint pain and a rash – scientists believe it is linked to microcephaly, or abnormally small brains, in newborns. As a result, authorities in Brazil, Colombia and El Salvador have advised women against becoming pregnant during the outbreak. (Adevarul)
European Commission’s CVM Report Blasts Romanian Parliament
The European Commission’s Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report criticizes the Romanian Parliament’s attitude towards the justice system.
Beyond Romania’s progress regarding its reforms, the CVM report criticizes the Romanian Parliament’s attitude towards the justice system considering that it hindered a third of anticorruption prosecutors’ requests to lift the immunity of certain lawmakers, „based on no objective criteria” and without a „clear justification” of its refusal to approve the stat of criminal prosecution against some lawmakers.
The report also blasts the Parliament for its attacks against the independence of the justice system throughout 2015 through the statements of certain politicians. (Evenimentul Zilei)
PSD Refuses To Form Electoral Alliance With UNPR At Local Elections
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) said it will not form an electoral alliance with the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) at this year’s local elections.
Also, social democrats will not attempt to replace Calin Popescu Tariceanu as Senate Chairman because they would not collect enough votes to replace him with a social democrat.
Over the last months, PSD and UNPR have negotiated their participation at local elections on joint lists.
UNPR head Gabriel Oprea recently said the party he runs is ready to face a refusal from PSD as regards having candidates on joint lists at local elections. Oprea also said that regardless of whether they will candidate on separate or joint lists, UNPR wants to gain at least 10% of people’s votes. (Adevarul)