EU States, Including Romania, Misspent EUR7B Of EU Budget
Some European Union states, including Romania, have misspent a total of nearly EUR7 billion of last year’s EU budget, the European Court of Auditors said in its latest report on the management of the EU budget.
EU spending in 2013, which totaled EUR148.5 billion, translate into approximately EUR290 per citizen, the Court of Auditors said in its report.
The sectors most prone to erroneous spending in 2013 were regional policy, transport and energy (with an error rate of 6.9%), rural development, environment, fisheries and health care (with an error rate of 6.7%), and programs in the agriculture sector (with an error rate of 3.6%). (Puterea)
Rodents Ate Over 6% Of Romania’s Wheat Crop, Causing Damages Of EUR40M
Over 6% of Romania’s wheat crop this year was destroyed by rodents, which translates into damages estimated at EUR40 million, said Viorel Matei, head of the National Federation of Farmers in Romania.
He said authorities are to blame for the situation because they banned pest control measures, saying the products farmers used were not EU-approved.
Matei said rodent numbers have grown exponentially in the past year as an effect of the ban on pest control. He added rodents destroyed over 400,000 tons of wheat out of a 6.8 million ton crop, causing damages of around EUR$0 million at an average price of EUR100 per ton.
(Romania Libera)
Nicusor Constantinescu Detained In Turkey
Turkish authorities have detained Nicusor Constantinescu, the suspended president of the Constanta county council, wanted in Romania under a preventive arrest warrant for corruption.
Constantinescu told Turkish authorities he will return to Romanian willingly Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, his lawyer said.
(Evenimentul Zilei)
Dorin Cocos, Gheorghe Stefan, Gabriel Sandu, Nicolae Dumitru Remain Under Arrest In Microsoft Case
Dorin Cocos, Gheorghe Stefan, Gabriel Sandu and Nicolae Dumitru, investigated for corruption in the Microsoft case, remain under preventive arrest, the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, overruling their appeals.
Former minister Gabriel Sandu, businessmen Dorin Cocos and Nicolae Dumitru, and Piatra Neamt mayor Gheorghe Stefan were arrested on October 29 in a scandal involving Microsoft licenses.
Cocos, Dumitru and Stefan face charges of influence peddling and money laundering, while Sandu, minister of Communications and Information Society in December 2008 – September 2010, is accused of bribe taking and money laundering. (Adevarul)