On next week's legislative agenda are several initiatives awaiting a final vote

The Senate Budget Committee is scheduled to report on the draft law lowering the VAT rate to 9% for personal hygiene products - soap, deodorant or toothpaste.

MEPs in the Legal Affairs Committee are expected to report on a bill to increase penalties for pimping, exploitation of begging and loan-sharking.

The Chamber of Deputies is also expected to vote on a legislative initiative under which political parties will only receive the full state subsidy if 30% of the candidates for local and parliamentary elections are women.

Next week, seven candidates for the post of ambassador will be heard by the joint specialized committees of the parliament; among those proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are Carmen-Ileana Mihalcescu - for the Hellenic Republic - and Nicolae Comanescu - for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Translated by: Radu Matei