What the newspapers say: April 27, 2009

Local authorities will have even more attributions starting May this year with the implementation of the decentralization process, one newspaper reads on Monday. However, even if in authority, Bucharest city hall seems to ignore 1,900 buildings in Bucharest ranked unsafe in case of an earthquake. Elsewhere in the news, nine Romanian private universities offer illegal master degrees.

Evenimentul Zilei reads that local authorities will receive more attributions with the new decentralization process scheduled to start in May this year. Thus, local authorities will gain attributions in education, health, public safety, culture, social assistance, transports and agriculture, a governmental report reads, quoted by Mediafax.

The new process will have important consequences on the main administrative laws. For example, the paper reads that the transports decentralization presumes that local authorities will have to manage subways, ports and local roads. Thus, the paper reads that now, local authorities in Bucharest can actually improve the subway system without blaming the Transports ministry as before.

Moreover, local authorities in South East Romania will have to manage seaside beaches – a source of money and scandals in the last years. Moreover, city halls will appoint hospital and school directors.

Romania’s decentralization process was undertaken in accordance with EU norms and regulations in administration. The process involves the transfer of authority from central authorities to the local ones and also presumes the transfer of financial resources.

even if in authority, Bucharest city hall seems to ignore 1,900 buildings in Bucharest ranked unsafe in case of an earthquake. Cotidianul reads about some 1,900 buildings in Bucharest on the verge of collapse during an earthquake. The paper reads that some 1,900 buildings should be consolidated in about 10 years, according to an official report published online by Bucharest city hall authorities.

The list was added to the other 800 buildings ranked as unsafe in case of an earthquake. According to the document, the 1,900 buildings in Bucharest were classed during 1993-1996 but did not receive a high risk mark because at the time the legislation did not rule it.

Even though local authorities are well aware of these buildings, they do no access the governmental funds offered by the government to improve these buildings. Former Development minister, Boberly Laszlo declared that last year Bucharest city hall did not organize any public tender to access existent funds.

Elsewhere in the news, nine private universities in Romania organize illegal masters, Cotidianul reads. Six universities in Bucharest and three in Iasi, North Romania refused to get the necessary credentials to accredit their graduate programs.

Bucharest Universities Spiru Haret, Dimitrie Cantemir, Hyperion, Bioterra are some of the targeted universities. In Iasi, the universities are Petre Andrei, Apollonia and Mihail Kogalniceanu. The paper reads that a graduate student has to pay 590 euro for two years of study in a graduate program.