Supreme Court To Rule On Integrity Agency Appeal Against Iohannis On September 30
The Supreme Court will rule on September 30 whether or not to sustain the Integrity Agency’s appeal to the case in which it found Klaus Iohannis incompatible with public office.
In April 2013, the Integrity Agency announced it had found Sibiu mayor Iohannis was incompatible with public office as he was also the city’s representative on the board of the local water and sewage works.
Iohannis won a lawsuit against the agency’s verdict in September 2013 and the agency appealed the ruling, addressing the Supreme Court.
Iohannis is one of the contenders in Romania’s presidential election set for November. (Adevarul)
European Commission Asks Romania To Act On Air Pollution
Romania is failing to protect citizens from fine dust (PM10) pollution, the European Commission said Thursday, adding it has opened an infringement procedure against the country.
“These tiny particles originate in emissions from industry, traffic and domestic heating, and can cause asthma, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer and premature death. Under EU law, Member States have to limit citizens’ exposure to these particles. Citizens in Bucharest, Brasov and Iasi have been almost continuously exposed to unhealthy levels of PM 10 since 2007, according to the latest reports for 2012,” the EC said.
The Commission believes that Romania has not taken measures that should have been in place since 2007 to protect citizens’ health, and is asking Romania to take forward-looking, speedy and effective action to keep the period of non-compliance as short as possible.
Thursday’s action, technically an additional reasoned opinion, follows an additional letter of formal notice sent in February 2013. If Romania fails to act, the Commission may take the matter to the EU Court of Justice. (Puterea)
Individual Taxpayers Will Be Able To Pay Taxes By Card
Individual taxpayers will be able to pay their taxes by debit or credit card, free of commission, as the state treasury will be authorized as payment acceptor and will provide the service for all state institutions.
The implementation of the card payment system will not entail any extra costs for taxpayers or the public institutions collecting budget revenues and discount commissions will be covered by the state budget. (Puterea)
All First Home Applications To Be Approved In 2014 Under RON710M Budget
Prospective home-buyers under the First Home government-backed mortgage lending program have a budget of RON710 million available, as the government has reassigned guarantee funding from homes built by the housing agency ANL to all types of homes.
Following the reassignment of a RON500 million guarantee budget initially destined for the purchase of ANL homes, the program has a budget of RON710 million available for the rest of the year.
Based on current demand, the national guarantee fund for SMEs, which guarantees mortgage loans under this program, estimates the program will have sufficient funds for all applications to be approved by the end of the year. (Curierul National)
Adrian Sobaru To Be Placed Under House Arrest After Forcing Barrier Into Government Yard
A Bucharest district court ruled Thursday to place Adrian Sobaru under house arrest for disturbing the peace after he drove into the government yard unauthorized, breaking the entrance barrier.
Sobaru’s lawyer said his client told investigators he planned to set himself on fire outside the government headquarters. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Court Extends Dinel Staicu’s Prison Sentence For Bribing A Judge
The Supreme Court raised Dinel Staicu’s prison sentence to five years for bribing a judge.
Staicu was initially sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a court in Constanta but the Supreme Court raised the sentence to five years in a definitive ruling issued Thursday. (Jurnalul National)