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Agriculture minister backs legislative initiative compelling supermarkets to sell 51% Romanian products
Achim Irimescu, the minister of agriculture, present on Tuesday at the meeting of the Agriculture Commission in the Chamber of Deputies, declared that he backed the legislative initiative compelling supermarkets to sell Romanian products in a proportion of 51% and suggested he agreed that supermarkets be closed on weekends.
Irimescu said fresh milk and dairy products must be labelled according to the bill about additional labelling measures.
On the other hand, Irimescu said that hypermarkets would oppose legal changes proposed by MPs which have in view closing down hypermarkets on Sundays and legal holidays.
“I don’t think hypermarkets will agree. In Europe stores close down at 6.30 p.m.on weekdays, while on weekends they are closed. In Romania people go to supermarkets in weekends at late hours. Let’s talk. I think they have a good life in Romania and let’s appeal to them,” the minister said.
Several bills were debated in the Agriculture Commission, about amending law 321/2009 on the sale of foodstuff and their debate by deputies in the specialised commission.
Romania decommitted 940 million euros in European funds
Romania has decommitted European funds amounting to 940 million euros, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Achim Irimescu told the Senate in Tuesday's 'Minister's Hour'.
Reductions and corrections worth 344 million euros add up to a total of 1.24 billion euros not spent for closing the country's gap to the European Union. Total penalties applied to Romania were 628 million euros, the minister added.
Romania reached a 88.36 percent fund utilisation rate under the National Programme for Rural Development in 2007-2013, as the lack of co-financing and the bureaucracy prevented the full use of allocations to investments in rural areas.
Last year, projects worth 800 million euros were cancelled because the beneficiaries failed to provide a 50pct contribution, Irimescu pointed out.