The draft legislation for changes to the Fiscal Code was approved on Wednesday after a junior political group of the governing coalition reviewed its threat to vote against the law.

It was voted with 92 votes in favor and 82 against as the Hungarian Democrats - UDMR dropped their decision to dismiss the vote today because the governing alliance did not suppor another law, on the status of national minorities.

The Fiscal Code in its new form is due to enter force in early 2007.

The Conservative Party-PC and UDMR, the two junior members of the governing coalition in Bucharest, planned to boycott the draft law changing the Fiscal Code early during debates today.

The two groups were unhappy with the rejection of several amendments they hava pushed for the Code and the fact that the governing Alliance has not supported a law on the status of national minorities.

The changes had to be approved in Parliament at least six months before Romania joins the EU, which authorities in Bucharest hope to happen on January 1, 2007.

The draft legislation has been approved by the Senate and the specialized commissions of both chambers of the Romanian Government, but needs to be voted by the House.

UDMR had demanded the law for the status of ethnic minorities be introduced on today’s agenda, but deputies rejected their call, sparking threats of a boycott on the Fiscal Code vote. And the PC said it would no longer support the draft law because their amendments were rejected by the budget-finance commission of the House of Deputies.