What the newspapers say: January 7, 2008

While weather cools down in Romania, Romania’s problems in Brussels are still hot as one newspaper reads on Monday. Another paper reads about the first car registration tax and its entanglements. Elsewhere in the news, famous Romanian film director Cristian Mungiu talks about his worldwide success with his film 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days.

After one year in the European Union, Romania’s problems seem to multiply: now in the spotlight, Romania Libera reads, are about seven issues: judiciary reform, first car registration tax, advertising regulations and the agriculture.

The paper adds that if last year the conflict between EU norms and Romania’s legislation concentrated on the first car registration tax, new issues will definitely spring out in the brand new year.

2008 also marks the deadline Romanian authorities received for the reform in the justice system. A Commission report in June last year clearly specifies that if reform is not met, Brussels officials will activate a safeguard clause on Romania.

Romania Libera reads also about peasants in North Romania who still sell home made milk and cheese illegally without any consideration to hygiene. However, they will eventually need to comply to European regulations in this regard.

Another hot spot in the relation between Brussels and Romania is the first car registration tax imposed by Romanian authorities, despite EU recommendations.

Gandul reads that the first car registration tax ignores two basic treaties of the EU, namely the EU Treaty and the Treaty signed by both Romania and Bulgaria when joining the EU.

The paper puts forward the main motivation of a court in Western Romania who ruled in favor of a man suing the state against the first car registration tax. The case, now famous, was a trigger for other citizens who plan to do the same in order to receive the money back.

Romania needs to comply with European standards regarding the first car registration tax by February.

More in the news, Cotidianul reads about Cristian Mungiu, the now famous Romanian film director, the first to receive all relevant European awards for his last movie, 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days.

In the interview, Cristian Mungiu reveals the harassment and fatigue he came to accept as a mandatory part of his movie’s success. In a couple of months, he managed to visit all the world for the launching of the movie or for attending various film festivals.