Press Review - January 30, 2018

01.30.2018 By Oana Gavrila

Constitutional Court Debates Magistrates Statute, High Council Organization

Romania's Constitutional Court on Tuesday is set to debate amendments to the Statute of Magistrates and the organization of the High Council of Magistrates, part of a controversial move to change justice laws.

The High Court of Justice reasoned changes to the statute of magistrates breach 14 constitutional provisions and referred the bill to the top court.

The opposition Liberal Party also contested the constitutionality of the bills.

Romania’s Parliament Grants Confidence Vote To New Government

Romania’s Parliament on Monday granted a vote of confidence to the third social-democrat led coalition government in a year.

The new Cabinet led by Viorica Dancila won by a vote of 282 to 136, while one lawmaker refrained from voting.

Dancila, who will be Romania’s first woman prime minister, said in Parliament before the vote that she aims at reducing bureaucracy and simplifying the country’s tax system and that her goal is to have Romania ranking among the strongest economies of the European Union by 2020.

She also announced the new Cabinet’s first sitting, due to take place on Wednesday.

PM Designate Announces Withdrawal Of New Tax Form, Simplified Tax System During Her Term

Romania’s prime minister designate Viorica Dancila announced on Monday ahead of Parliament’s confidence vote for the new Cabinet that her government will withdraw the new Tax Form 600 and that it won’t introduce new taxes during her term.

All individuals who earned more than the equivalent of 12 minimum wages (RON22,800) apart from their monthly salary were obliged to fill tax form 600 on social security contributions by end-January. The tax authority decree enforcing the new form was issued on December 29, 2017.

Finance minister Eugen Teodorovici said the Cabinet meets Wednesday to pass an emergency decree to postpone the deadline for the form's submission and likely repeal the taxation measure altogether.

Future Environmental Tax Won't Be a Tax on First Registration

Environment minister Gratiela Gavrilescu said at a hearing in Parliament the country's future environmental tax on cars will not be a tax on first registration.

She suggested the new tax has not yet been drafted and the March deadline could be postponed.

“It will not be a tax to punish everyone who buys a second-hand car, it will be a pollution tax only,” said Gavrilescu.