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Romanian Public Servants To Picket Govt Thursday, Stage Full-Blown Strike On May 5

About 500 Romanian public servants will picket the Government’s headquarters on Thursday and will stage a full-blown strike indefinitely starting May 5, over smaller salaries triggered by the new unitary wage law and planned layoffs in the sector.

Romanian Authorities To Pull Down Illegal Constructions On Black Sea Coast – Decree

The Romanian Government approved an emergency ordinance in its meeting Wednesday, whereby illegal constructions on the Romanian seaside will be pulled down.

Romanian Politician Nati Meir Placed Under Preventive Arrest In Corruption File

Romanian Politician Nati Meir has been placed under preventive arrest for one month in a corruption file that also involves his son, Or Meir, arrested late last week.

Romanian Animal Rights Activists Say Euthanizing Bucharest’s Stray Dogs Is Expensive, Inhumane

Romanian animal rights organization Vier Pfoten said Wednesday it would be cheaper and more effective in the long run to spay and neuter stray dogs in Romania’s capital Bucharest rather than euthanize them, as a draft law sent to Parliament by the capital’s prefect would have it.

Romanian Opposition Social Democrats Submit Simple Motion On Military Pension In Senate

Romanian opposition social democrats and conservatives on Wednesday submitted in the Senate a simple motion regarding military pensions.

Romanian Agriculture Unionists To Protest In Bucharest On May 11

Romanian agriculture union federation Agrostar said 5,000 unionists will protest in capital Bucharest on May 11, mainly over the provisions of Ordinance 44/2008 which compels farmers to register with the Trade Registry in order to be allowed to sell their products in marketplaces.

Romanian Environment Fund To Pay For Electric Car Research Projects

Research programs in Romania for the development and manufacturing of electric cars will be conducted by an inter-ministry workgroup and will be funded from the country’s Environment Fund, which also finances the country’s clunkers program, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said Wednesday.

Romanian Govt Sets Up Car Pollution Tax Workgroup

Romania’s Government decided Wednesday to put together an inter-ministry workgroup to analyze possible changes to the country's car pollution tax, spokeswoman Ioana Muntean said.

OTP Bank Romania: Dropping Early Repayment Fee Won’t Affect Credit Costs

The Romanian Government’s planned move to eliminate early loan repayment charges is not likely to prompt higher loan costs, but would increase competitiveness instead, an official at OTB Bank Romania said Wednesday.

Romania’s Heating System Leaks EUR500M – Econ Min

Romania is involuntarily contributing to global warming because of losses in its heating system, which near EUR500 million each year, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said Wednesday.

Real,- Opens Its Largest Romanian Store, In EUR22.8M Invest

Retailer real,- Hipermarket Romania will open in the eastern part of Bucharest its largest local hypermarket, following an investment of EUR22.8 million, company officials told a press conference Wednesday.

Romanian Union Leaders Not Required To Declare Wealth – Draft Integrity Agency Law

The draft law on Romania’s National Integrity Agency, proposed by the Government, no longer compels trade union leaders to declare their wealth, a requirement which is distinctly stipulated in the current law.

Romania’s Economy Might Fall 0.5%-1% In 2010 – Analyst

Romania’s economy could see a contraction this year too since a series of macroeconomic measures have yet to be applied, said Wednesday Radu Craciun, investment manager with private pension fund Eureko Pensii Private.

Romania Ups Clunkers Program Budget To Issue 50,000 Extra Scrapping Vouchers

Romania’s Government on Wednesday supplemented the budget for the country’s clunkers program and will issue 50,000 additional scrapping vouchers.

Romania Integrity Agency Law Under Debate In Chamber Of Deputies Wednesday

The new draft law regulating the activity of the National Integrity Agency (ANI), which was approved by the Romanian Government in its meeting Monday, will be under debate in the Chamber of Deputies’ plenary meeting on Wednesday, Chamber’s democrat liberal secretary Dumitru Pardau said Tuesday.

Romania To Consider Lowering Visa Money Requirement For Moldovan Citizens

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Tuesday that the government will consider lowering the amount of money citizens of the Republic of Moldova are required to have before receiving a visa for Romania.

Most Foreign Tourists Considering Romanian Vacation Expect Country To Be Unsafe

Most foreign tourists who would consider spending a holiday in Romania for the first time think the country is unsafe, said research conducted by the THR Company and issued Tuesday.

Romania To Amend Public Procurement Legislation To Speed Up Procedures, Hinder Abusive Challenges

Romania has amended its public procurement legislation banning bidders from challenging auctions until the procedure is finished and shortening settlement terms to ten days from the previous 20.

Romania Fin Min: IMF Forecast On ’10 GDP Growth May Be Optimistic

The International Monetary Fund’s latest forecast on Romania’s economic growth of 0.8% this year, recently revised down from 1.3%, may be too optimistic, the country's Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu said Tuesday.

Romanian Senator Serban Mihailescu Indicted On Graft Charges

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors indicted senator Petru Serban Mihailescu, former coordinating minister with the Government’ Secretariat General, on charges of receiving illicit gains and breaching the country’s arms and ammunition legislation.

Ford Romania To Become Export Center For Europe In 2018

Ford Romania will become Ford Motor Co.'s export center for Europe in 2018, or even sooner, in 2016, and the local auto market will sell 500,000 cars annually, Ford Romania’s National Sales Company managing director Paul Flanagan said Tuesday.

Romania’s Law On Stray Dogs To Be Amended, Euthanasia Allowed

The prefect of Romanian capital Bucharest, Mihai Atanasoaei, said Tuesday that a draft law on stray dogs has been sent to the Chamber of Deputies and the amendments include the euthanizing of dogs that are aggressive, gravely ill or that are not adopted within seven days.

EXCLUSIVE: Romanian Social Democrats To Give Discount Cards To New Members On Youth Day

Romania’s leftist opposition party leader Victor Ponta will offer discount cards to new members of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), on May 2, when Romania celebrates youth day, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Tuesday.

Romania Ranked Fourth Globally By Internet Connection Speed For Q4, 2009

Romania ranked fourth globally by average Internet connection speed for the final quarter of 2009, which edged up to 7.2 MBps, 28% faster than in the final quarter of 2008, says the “State of the Internet Report” published Tuesday by digital platform company Akamai.

Romanian Branch Of Swiss Media Group Ringier Reports RON57.6M Loss In 2009

The Romanian branch of the Ringier publishing group reported a turnover of RON124.3 million for 2009, down by 27.6% on the year, with an overall loss of RON57.6 million, Ringier heads told a press conference Tuesday.

New Romanian Leftist Party To Be Launched On May 1, In Bucharest

Romania’s newly-created leftist party, National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR), will be launched officially on May 1 in the Revolution Square in capital Bucharest, party members told MEDIAFAX Tuesday.

Romania To Ask IMF For Third Waiver On Govt Arrears – Sources

Romania’s Government is planning to ask the International Monetary Fund for a new waiver of non-observance pertaining to the first-quarter performance criteria in the sector of general government arrears, government sources said Tuesday.

Romanian Carmaker Dacia To Boost Duster Production To 460 Units/Day Until End-2010

Romanian carmaker Automobile Dacia, owned by France’s Renault, plans to increase the production of its first SUV, Dacia Duster, to 460 units per day until the end of the year, from its current output of 260 units per day.

Romania Could Have A Third Carmaker, Besides Renault, Ford

Romania has potential, from all points of view, to attract a third carmaker, and there are prospects for a new auto industry investor to set up business in the country, Constantin Stroe, head of Romania’s carmakers association ACAROM, said Tuesday.

Romanian Air Traffic Administration Employees To Be Insured For EUR1M

The Romanian Air Traffic Services Administration, or ROMATSA, will hold an auction on June 10 to acquire employee insurance policies covering loss of license, certificate, or pilot’s license, with estimated premiums of EUR 800,000-1,000,000, according to the terms of supply published Tuesday.

Romanian Police Officer Arrested For Drug Trafficking

Romanian organized crime prosecutors Tuesday arrested a police officer in capital Bucharest for illegal drug trade, after he had also been convicted for theft, said Bucharest Police spokesman Christian Ciocan.

UK Firms Don’t Invest In Romanian Infrastructure Over Difficulty In Getting Paid

British companies don’t invest in Romanian road infrastructure because it’s often difficult for them to get paid for the work they do, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Nick Anstee, said Tuesday in Bucharest.

Romania’s Govt To Announce By June If Car Pollution Tax Will Be Modified

Romania’s Government will announce by the end of June whether the car pollution tax will be modified and what the modification entails, Government representatives said Tuesday at the Mediafax Talks about Auto Industry conference.

Romanian Workforce, Property Still Cheap, Investors Stand To Gain – PM

Romania’s workforce and property are still affordable, compared to other EU member states, and businesspeople who choose to invest in Romania now stand to gain at the end of the recession and the financial crisis, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday.

Romanian Carmaker Dacia Q1 Exports At 80,000 Cars, France Tops Germany As Main Export Market

Romanian carmaker Dacia, owned by France’s Renault, exported nearly 80,000 cars in the first quarter of the year, and the main export market was France, which overtook the Romanian carmaker’s biggest export market of last year, Germany, Dacia CEO Jerome Olive said Tuesday.

Romania New Cars Sales Growth Second In EU Under Clunkers Programs

Romania ranks second in the European Union by new car sales this year, overtaken only by the UK, Romanian Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely said Tuesday at the Mediafax Talks about Auto Industry conference in Bucharest.

Romania’s Government To Continue Supporting Auto Industry Through Clunkers Program, Guarantees

The Romanian Government will continue to support the country’s auto industry in 2010, both through the clunkers program and by granting Government guarantees and state aid, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday at the Mediafax Talks about Auto Industry conference.

Ford Romania Starts Making Transit Connect In Romanian Factory

Ford Romania started Monday production of the Ford Transit Connect in its plant in Craiova, southern Romania, board member Nadia Crisan told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian High Court Judge Panel Rules Graft-Charged Senator To Remain Under Arrest

The Romanian High Court panel of nine judges overruled Monday evening the appeal made by social democrat senator Catalin Voicu to the decision of the Court to extend his preventive arrest by 30 days.

Romanian Govt To Assess Functioning Standards In Hospitals Countrywide – PM

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Monday evening the Government will assess the situation of hospitals countrywide, adding healthcare units that do not meet specific functioning standards will eventually be transformed in shelters for the elderly.