Sweden’s support for Romania to join the Schengen area confirmed in a phone call Aurescu- Billström
The Swedish minister for foreign affairs, Tobias Billström, whose country holds the semestrial presidency of the European Union Council, reconfirmed yesterday, during a phone call with his Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu, the support offered by Sweden for Romania joining the Schengen area. According to a declaration of the Romanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the official stressed that the Swedish presidency is determined to be actively involved and to make all the necessary efforts to achieve this objective, by identifying concrete solutions, based on a constructive dialogue with all involved sides.
Draft law for stricter laws for traders, to protect consumers
Authorities aim to take a better look at consumers’ rights and want harsher sanctions of those who break them. A draft law in this direction has been adopted in December by the Senate, at the initiative of a number of parliamentarians in the governing coalition. They say that at the moment fines are too small and don’t discourage economic operators to use illegal practices, that have a bad effect on the consumers’ security.
The initiators of the draft propose stricter rules for traders, to protect consumers when buying products, so that their lives, health and financial resources are not affected. Compared to the present legislation, that stipulates that economic operators can cover part of the prejudice based on a complicated procedure, the new rules would make them answer in maximum 15 days to any reclamation and offer compensations, including for collateral damage, of the products do not correspond to legal norms or contract clauses. The document also includes harsher sanctions for misconduct in the consumers’ protection area.
The draft has been adopted by the Senate in 2022 and, in February, it will be discussed by the Deputy Chamber, as a decision-making body.
Romania has the third lowest fuel price in the European Union
Romania has some of the best fuel prices in the European Union, even after the government suspended the 50 bani subside. The country finds itself on the third place, after Bulgaria and Slovenia, after the price for one liter of gas fell under the level before the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Hungary has only started to feel the wave of price rising, after the Government in Budapest has eliminated the price cap for fuel on January 1st. More and more of our neighbors cross the border to buy fuel in Romania.
The average price for standard gas in Romania is of 6.32 lei but, for example, the lowest price in Bucharest is around 6.24 lei. The average price for diesel is of 7.51 lei per liter, but the lowest price stands at around 7.45 lei. This is the price that, at least for gas, we used to have before the beginning of the war in Ukraine, that led to sanctions for the export of Russian oil and, as a consequence, to an international turmoil regarding fuel prices. This tendency of price lowering has been constant after the middle of November, in spite the embargo imposed to the Russians in December, for entries in the European Union.
Alexandra Ioniță
