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Romania Closes NW Airspace Saturday Due To Approaching Volcanic Ash Cloud

Romania will close its northwest airspace Saturday, starting with 3 a.m. local time, due to an approaching cloud of ash generated by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

Romania’s Contribution To 2010 EU Budget Reduced By EUR24.8M

Romania’s contribution to the 2010 European Union budget will be smaller than initially set, as the figures released on April 15, 2010 show the Union registered a EUR2.25 billion surplus in its last year's budget, said the European Commission.

Romanian Integrity Agency Notifies Prosecutors After Checks Into Opp Deputy Wealth Statement

Romania’s National Integrity Agency, which screens public officials’ wealth for potential cases of corruption, called for prosecution in the case of social democrat deputy Robert Negoita who did not include in his 2009 wealth statement revenues exceeding EUR5 million.

Volcanic Ash Cloud Won’t Affect Romania Directly

Romania’s National Meteorology Authority said Friday it estimates the ash cloud caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland will not affect Romania directly, but will advance close to the north-west area of the country Saturday.

Romanian Leu Exch Rate Hits 12-Weeks Low, At 4.1429 Vs Euro

The Romanian leu fell slightly against the euro in the first part of Friday's trading session and the central bank computed an indicative at 4.1429 units, the weakest in 12 weeks.

Romanian Govt Mulls Passing Emergency Decree To Allow Integrity Agency To Continue Activity

Romania’s Government is considering passing an emergency decree to allow the country’s National Integrity Agency to continue functioning at EU-required standards unless it finds other legal ways, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romanian Carmaker Dacia To Develop LPG-Fueled Duster

Romanian carmaker Dacia, owned by France’s Renault, is working on a LPG-fueled version of its first SUV, Dacia Duster, Dacia board chairman Jacques Chauvet told a news conference Friday.

Romanian Health Minister Sacks Head Of Country’s Vaccine-Making Institute

Romania’s Health Minister Cseke Attila on Friday sacked Radu Iordachel, head of the country’s Cantacuzino Institute, which produces vaccines, over failure to tackle and fix the institute’s production deficiencies.

Over 30 Flights Canceled In Romania Due To Volcanic Ash Cloud

Romanian airliners have canceled over 30 flights coming from and heading for destinations across Europe because of the ash cloud caused by a volcanic eruption Thursday in Iceland.

Romania Constitutional Court Strips Integrity Agency Of Its Main Attributions

Romania’s National Integrity Agency, a EU-required institution, has been withdrawn its main attributions in screening public officials wealth and interest statements, following a Constitutional Court ruling.

IMF Cuts Romania’s 2010 Growth Forecast To 0.8%

The International Monetary Fund on Thursday cut its growth forecast for Romania this year to 0.8% from 1.3% previously, due to weaker-than-expected economic results in the last quarter of 2009 and feeble consumption.

EXCLUSIVE: Romania Seeks To Raise EUR1B By Selling Stakes In OMV Petrom, Pwr Cos

Romania’s government plans to raise over EUR1 billion from selling shares in some of the country’s biggest oil and energy companies, including OMV Petrom (SNP.RO), Transelectrica (TEL.RO) and Transgaz (TGN.RO).

Romanian Taxi Drivers To Protest New Legislation In Bucharest, Brussels

Two Romanian transporter and taxi driver associations will rally between April 22-27 in Bucharest and Brussels in protest to City Hall refusing to extend taxi licenses and prohibiting cabs from waiting outside the area for which they have authorization.

Romanian Fmr Envoy Fears Standing Trial In Singapore For Hit-And-Run

Romanian former envoy to Singapore Silviu Ionescu told Romanian newspaper Libertatea that the Singaporean Government “set him up”, adding he fears he might be assassinated if he returns to Singapore to stand trial.

Romania To Regulate Sale, Use Of Dietary Supplements – Health Minister

Romania’s Health Minister Cseke Attila announced Thursday that the ministry is working on a draft decision to regulate dietary supplements, especially designating institutions with control authority in the field.

Romania Ctrl Bk Head: Curr Acct Gap Could Widen To 6% Of GDP In ’10

Romania should consider a current account deficit of around 6% of the gross domestic product in 2010, due to the level of structural funds the country plans to attract this year, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Thursday.

Romania Must Be Fully Prepared To Join The Eurozone – Ctrl Bk

A slight delay in joining the euro area would be less harmful than moving to adopt the euro before being fully prepared, Romanian central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Thursday.

German Auto Plastics Producer Roechling To Open Plant In Craiova, S Romania

The auto division of German plastics producer Roechling will invest over EUR5 million into building a plant in Craiova, southern Romania, which will supply parts to the local Ford factory and, possibly, to Romanian carmaker Dacia.

Romania’s Privatization Authority To Sack 155 Employees – Sources

Romania’s Government approved a restructuring plan for the country’s privatization authority AVAS which entails the layoff of 155 people, namely more than one third of the agency’s 422 employees, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Thursday.

Romanian PM Threatens To Sack State Secretaries Who Lack Expertise, Urges Mins To Read Govt Program

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc threatened to dismiss all secretaries of state who prove to lack expertise and do not counter opposition during debates in Parliament by properly upholding the projects included into the Government program.

Romanian Opp Party Threatens To Challenge Pension Bill Constitutionality Over Rejected Amendments

Romania’s leftist Social Democratic Party, in opposition, is set to challenge the pension bill at the Constitutional Court if its proposed amendments are not accepted during debates in plenary session, social democrat senator Olguta Vasilescu said Thursday.

Romanian Police Confiscated Over 700 Licenses For Right-Of-Way Violations

Romanian Traffic Police officers confiscated, on Wednesday alone, the licenses of more than 700 drivers who did not give right of way to pedestrians crossing the street in clearly marked and signaled places.

InterAgro Asks Romania’s Econ Ministry To Change Gas Law

Romanian group Interagro, owned by businessman Ioan Niculae, called on the Economy Ministry to change the law on natural gas, so that the gas used by the chemical and petrochemical plants would be considered raw material instead of power resource.

Romanian Director Cristi Puiu’s “Aurora” Picked For Cannes Un Certain Regard

The feature film "Aurora" by Romanian director Cristi Puiu has been selected in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, taking place between May 12 and 23, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Around 200 Romanian Public Servants Picketed Govt HQ

Around 200 Romanian public servants picketed the Government headquarters on Thursday, demanding their right to collective bargaining and the collective labor contract be respected.

Romanian Power Prices May Soar After ’13 – Econ Min Official

Environment investment costs will cause energy prices to soar after 2013, Romanian Economy Ministry official Alexandru Sandulescu said Thursday.

Romania’s Integrity Agency Checks Senators Allegedly Incompatible With Public Office

Romania’s National Integrity Agency is looking into the wealth and interest statements of several senators who are allegedly incompatible with public office after they received derogations from the Senate’s committee for legal matters, allowing them to fill management positions in public institution

Romanian Leu In Neutral Drive, Ctrl Bank Intervention Unnecessary – Deputy Governor

The leu’s current exchange rate has a “relatively neutral” effect on Romania’s economy and the central bank will not intervene to alter its evolution unless the rate sidetracks, deputy governor Cristian Popa said Thursday.

Singapore Wants Fmr Romanian Envoy Investigated Under Romanian Law

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore asked the Romanian Government Thursday to do what it can to persuade its former envoy Silviu Ionescu to return to Singapore to stand trial or investigate and prosecute him under Romanian law.

Romanian Insurers, Brokers Must Solve Complaints In Maximum 30 Days

Romanian insurers and brokers will be forced to resolve all claims and complaints within 30 days, whether the solution is favorable or not, according to a norm passed by the insurance regulator CSA and published in the Official Journal.

Romanian Ctrl Bker Sees Zero Economic Growth In 2010

Romania is expected to experience zero economic growth in 2010, following the severe recession that led to a contraction of 7.1% last year, a central bank official said Thursday.

More Than Half Of Light Car Accidents In Romania Solved Amiably In 2H 2009

Nearly 58% of car accidents that occurred in Romania in the second half of last year were solved using amiable settlement, introduced as of July 1 last year, said Thursday Angela Toncescu, head of Romania’s insurance regulator CSA.

Romanian Tattoo Artists Annual Magazine To Be Launched At Sibiu Tattoo Art Convention

A sixty-page magazine featuring Romanian tattoo artists will be launched in the country’s central city of Sibiu, during the second annual edition of the international tattoo art convention Transilvania Tattoo Expo, to take place on May 28 - 30.

Romania’s Leftist Opposition Pushes To Get Its Rejected Amendments Back On Pension Bill

Senators of Romania’s leftist Social Democratic Party, in opposition, said they would uphold in plenary all amendments to the pension bill that the Senate’s committee for labor rejected Wednesday.

Romanian Prison Drama Actor Detained For Breaking And Entering

Romanian amateur actor Papan Chilibar, who played a supporting role in this year’s Berlin Silver Bear winning prison drama "If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle", was detained by Bucharest police Wednesday evening for breaking and entering, along two other suspects.

Romanian Labor Committee Senators Adopt Draft Pension Law With Amendments

The Romanian Senate’s labor committee adopted Wednesday the country’s draft pension law with amendments and agreed on a pension point of at least 45% of the average gross salary.

Romanian Ministers Have Three Weeks To Propose Job Cuts, Govt Awaits IMF Approval

Romanian ministers have three weeks to come up with concrete propositions to restructure institutions under their authority and the Government is also waiting for the IMF’s approval on cost standards to be applied in public administration, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Wednesday.

Vinci-Aktor Construction Group May Drop Romanian Hwy Segment Contract

The Vinci-Aktor consortium, winner of the auction for the construction of the Romanian Comarnic-Brasov highway, may drop the concession contract because the group lacks financing for the EUR1.5 billion project, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Education Unionists To Stage One-Day Strike On April 22 Over Education Bill

Romanian education unions met Wednesday to resume talks on the problems the education sector is currently facing, and decided to stage a one-day strike on April 22 over planned layoffs in the sector, cuts in staff spending and the draft education law.

Romanian Government Tightens Conditions For Employees Who Want Medical Leave

The Romanian Government decided on Wednesday to tighten conditions for employees who can request a medical leave and will introduce of a verification system and a higher penalty for people demanding such leaves without solid grounds.