Press Review - September 29, 2017

09.29.2017 By Oana Gavrila

Ruling Party Leaders Meet to Discuss Justice Law Adoption Calendar

Leaders of the ruling Social democratic party meet Friday to debate the party's legislative priorities and set an adoption calendar for the justice law package.

Party president Liviu Dragnea said other legislative matters to be discussed are the prevention law, public-private partnerships and a law on pensions.

Romania's High Council of Magistrates Thursday voted against the legislative package proposing changes to the country's justice system but the vote is non-binding.

Changes proposed by justice minister Tudorel Toader have been criticized by the EU and western embassies as threatening to crush efforts to fight corruption.

Justice Minister Says Magistrates' Vote Was Predictable

Romania's justice minister Tudorel Toader said the negative vote of an independent body representing magistrates on proposed changes to the justice system was predictable.

Toader said magistrates rejected his proposed amendments to the judiciary because they wish to keep and preserve their current privileges.

The changes would limit the president’s role in naming key prosecutors and might subordinate the country's judicial inspection body to the justice minister.

Partners Sign BRUA Gas Pipeline Agreement

Partner countries aiming to develop a gas pipeline on the route Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Austria signed a memorandum Thursday in Bucharest and works should start in spring 2018.

The pipeline, BRUA, will be able to carry 1.75 billion cubic meters of gas from Bulgaria and Romania to Austria by 2019 and 4.4 billion once the second stage is completed in 2022.

The project hit a setback in July when Hungary said it was not commercially viable to expand the pipeline into Austria, but European Commission officials and energy ministers from southeastern Europe agreed at a meeting on Thursday to get the project back on track.

"It was agreed in a memorandum signed today that there will be reverse flow interconnections in all four states, including Hungary and Austria," Romanian energy minister Toma Petcu said.

Romania will receive around EUR180 million from the EU to finance the first stage of its portion of the pipeline.

Parliament Investigates Energy Watchdog Over Price Hikes

Romania's Parliament will set up an inquiry committee to look into the energy watchdog's activity over upcoming energy price hikes for household consumers.

The committee will verify whether the watchdog's activity observed the energy law and how it established administered energy prices for household consumers.