On February 6, in Strasbourg, Moldova signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention. The document is to be ratified by Parliament. The Moldovan authorities committed themselves to lodge victims of domestic violence and to provide psychological assistance and legal advice to them based on the Convention. Moldova is the 44th state that signed the treaty.
On February 7, the passengers and personnel of the Chisinau International Airport were evacuated from the terminal after the Border Police received an email saying a bomb was planted in the airport’s building. The check-in was temporarily stopped and some of the flights were thus delayed. It turned out to be a hoax. A minor aged 12 from Ocnita town is suspected of being the author of the hoax. This was identified the next day.
Four ministries combined efforts to ensure the welfare of children in the Republic of Moldova. The Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Interior signed an agreement to this effect on February 7. The project will be piloted with support from USAID in the districts of Ungheni, Falesti, and Calarasi with the intention of extending it all over the country.
On February 7, the Government approved a bill to amend the Law on Pharmaceutical Activity. The distance of at least 250 meters of an existing pharmacy or 500 meters of a dispensary will no longer be a requirement when founding new drugstores and branches. The paragraph providing that a drugstore is founded for 3,000 to 4,000 people is to be excluded from the law. The Ministry of Health explained that the given restrictions limit competition on the drugs market.
On February 9, the Supervisory Board of SA “Moldovagaz” unanimously elected the president of the company’s Administration Board in a meeting on February 9. This is Minister of Information and Communication Technology Vasile Botnari. Liudmila Korobanova, Nicolai Vasiliev and Iacov Cazacu were elected as vice presidents. The Administration Board of “Moldovagaz” will also include Lidia Zamsa, Elena Tcaciuc, Vitalie Septefrati, Mihail Iuriev and Denis Emelianov.
Also on February 9, following a challenge filed by the lawyer of a woman plaintiff, the Constitutional Court decided that a woman who resigns during pregnancy and does not have a job when she gives birth cannot be deprived of maternity allowance. The Court explained there is an inequitable attitude to the wives who didn’t work at all and those who worked partially during the months prior to the maternity leave. Though the two categories of women have the same status on the day they give birth - of maintained persons - the legislation allows paying social welfare to only wives who haven’t worked during pregnancy. The Constitutional Court’s decision is definitive and cannot be appealed. It takes effect when it is adopted.
On February 10, the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices said more than 430 pharmaceutical preparations were registered by producers in January 2017. On average, the drug prices in national currency are by 3.47% lower than in 2016. A number of 48 new medicines appeared on the pharmaceutical market of Moldova. The prices indicated in the National Catalogue of Drug Producer Prices will be valid for a year of the day the Ministry of Health makes a relevant order.
Also on February 10, there was launched an assistance project for the National Food Safety Agency. Swedish, Lithuanian and Latvian experts will assist the Agency in the process of adjusting the national legislation to the EU food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy. This assistance and other planned activities form part of an EU-funded Twinning project to the value of €2m.
Selection by Alina Marin, IPN
