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Romanian Senate Approves Personal Insolvency Law

Romanian senators enacted Tuesday a legislative proposal on the insolvency of individuals, initiated by democrat liberal (PDL) senators and backed by all Parliament groups.

EC Report: Romania’s Integrity Agency Continued Good Track Record In 2H 2009

Romania’s National Integrity Agency (ANI) continued its encouraging track record in the second half of 2009, defending its findings of incompatibilities or conflicts of interest in court, the European Commission’s noted in its interim report on Romania’s justice sector, released Tuesday.

EC Report: Penalties For Top-Level Corruption In Romania Too Lenient

The European Commission’s interim justice report on Romania, released Tuesday, notes the good track record of the country’s Anticorruption Department (DNA) and an increase in convictions for high-level corruption, but states convictions continue to be too lenient.

Romanian PM Emil Boc’s Aunt Killed In Hit-and-Run Car Accident

One of Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc’s aunts died Monday evening after she was hit by a car in the village of Scrind, Cluj county, northwest Romania.

Romania’s Govt Draws Up Draft Law To Regulate Medicine Supply Within National Health Programs

A draft decision of Romania’s Government states medicines needed for the ambulatory treatment of cancer patients included into the national health program will be available starting July 1 in pharmacies belonging to the healthcare units involved in the program.

Romanian Senate Approves Guarantee Agreement For EIB Loan To Ford Romania

The Romanian Senate approved Tuesday the draft law ratifying the Guarantee Agreement between Romania and the European Investment Bank (EIB), guaranteeing 80% of the a financing contract concluded between the EIB and Ford Romania.

Romanian Leu Firms Vs Euro, Rate Hits 14-Mo High At 4.0736

The Romanian leu strengthened against the euro in mid trade Tuesday on heavy forex sales and the national currency’s reference won nearly 0.4% on the day at 4.0736, the highest rate since January 2009.

Romania Justice Min Upholds Message Of EC Justice Report To Reform Legal Sys

Romania’s Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu said the European Commission’s report on Romania’s justice sector conveys an important message on the dire need to reform the local judicial system.

EC Report: Romania Didn’t Keep Reform Momentum, Has Limited Results

Romania has not managed to sustain the reform momentum it had gained mid-2009 and the capacity of its judicial system has been affected by staff losses, the European Commission said in its justice report released Tuesday.

Romania Feb Private Lending Falls 8% YY To RON199.2B

Romanian private lending fell 7.9% in real terms to 199.16 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.0888) in February from the same month a year before, central bank data showed Tuesday.

EC Draft Report Notes Problems In Romania’s Justice Sector Due To Magistrates’ Protests

The European Commission’s interim report on Romania’s justice sector, expected to be released Tuesday, mentions the problems arisen in the justice sector following last year’s protests staged by magistrates and the staff shortage the country is still facing in the legal system.

EC Draft Report: Romania’s Top-Level Corruption Cases Still Stalling

The European Commission’s draft interim report on Romania’s justice sector, to be released later Tuesday, notes the country has made little progress in justice reform and top-level corruption cases continue to be stalled or are closed with controversial acquittals.

Romanian Senators Vote To Allow VAT Payment 30 Days From Cashing Invoices

Romania’s Senate approved Monday a draft law to amend the Fiscal Code, whereby companies will have to pay VAT within a maximum of 30 days from cashing invoices.

Romania Govt Hikes Education Staff Wages With Funds From Budget For Q2, Q3, Q4

Romania’s government will transfer funds from the budget initially earmarked for the second, third and fourth quarters in order to hike the salary fund for the first quarter for teachers who haven’t received 17% higher wages so far, Finance Ministry state secretary Gheorghe Gherghina said Monday.

Romanian Agric Output Seen Weak Despite Wide Crop Surfaces

Romania fell to last place in 2009 in Europe with respect for corn output calculated on hectare, and poor results were also registered in the production of wheat, potatoes, rapeseed and sunflower, according to data from European statistics office Eurostat and local statistics office INS.

EC To Release Justice Reports On Romania, Bulgaria Tuesday

The European Commission will release Tuesday its interim reports on Romania and Bulgaria’s justice sectors, Bulgarian news website novinite.com reported Monday, citing a Commission spokesperson.

Romanian Passenger Railway Carrier CFR Calatori To Receive 56% Higher Subsidies In 2010

Romanian national railway passenger carrier CFR Calatori could receive 956.25 million lei (EUR1=RON4.0888) in subsidies this year, 56% more than last year, but this amount will only cover half the company’s needs in 2010.

Romania Private Healthcare Market Seen Up 13% This Year, To EUR420M – Report

Romania’s private healthcare services market will increase 13% this year, to EUR420 million, and is set to top EUR600 million in 2012 due to an increasing number of consumers choosing such services, unhappy with public healthcare units, according a report by Polish market research company PMR.

Romanian War Correspondent Mile Carpenisan Dies At 34

Romanian war correspondent Mile Carpenisan, of Timisoara, western Romania, died Monday at age 34, at the Timisoara county hospital, where he had been admitted last week.

Romanian Social Democrats To Submit Motion Against Transport Minister Next Week

The Romanian Social Democratic Party will submit with the Senate next week a simple motion against Transport Minister Radu Berceanu, social democrat leader Victor Ponta said Monday.

Over 70% Of Romania’s Wine Production Isn’t Taxed – Winemakers

Over 70% of Romania’s annual wine production, or about 4 million hectoliters, isn’t taxed and goes to the black market and winemakers’ own consumption, Ovidiu Gheorghe, general manager of Romania’s winemakers association, told a news conference Monday.

Romania’s Car Exports To Germany Exceeded Imports In 2009

Romania exported more cars to Germany than it imported last year, moving from a trade deficit of EUR762.8 million on the auto sector in 2008, to a trade surplus of EUR306.4 million in 2009, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Romanian Parents Associations Call Govt, Education Unions To Dialogue

The Romanian National Federation of Parent Associations in High School Education (FNAP-IP) called on the teachers, Government and the Ministry of Education to find a way towards constructive dialogue, in view of solving all issues.

Romanian Services Post Record 50% Contribution To ’09 GDP

Romania's services sector had a record 50.1% contribution to the gross domestic product in 2009, whereas the agriculture’s weight was slightly lower compared with a year before, Vergil Voineagu, head of the National Statistics Institute, said Monday.

Energy Watchdog Allows Iberdrola Energie Romania To Supply Electricity

Romania’s energy regulatory authority ANRE granted Iberdrola Energie Romania, the local subsidiary of Spanish power utility Iberdrola, a two-year energy supply license, the regulator said.

Romanian Social Democrat Senator Accused Of Peddling, Fraud Suspends Himself From Party

Romanian social democrat senator Catalin Voicu suspended himself from the party Sunday evening, the leader of the party’s branch in capital Bucharest, Marian Vanghelie, said Monday.

Over 400 Romanian Farmers To Picket Agriculture, Finance Ministries Tuesday

Over 400 Romanian farmers will picket the headquarters of the Agriculture Ministry and the Finance Ministry, urging authorities to support the agriculture sector.

Romanian Govt Proposes Unitary Application For Wage Law, With The ’09 Salary Mass

The Romanian Government approached unions with a draft emergency ordinance through which the salary system in the public sector would be applied in a unitary fashion for all staff categories, within a salary mass maintained at the 2009 level, said Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc.

Romanian Transports Ministry To Introduce 3-Month Toll Sticker On Aug 1

Romania’s Transports Ministry will introduce on August 1 a road toll sticker valid for three months, but its price has not yet been set, state secretary Eusebiu Pistru told MEDIAFAX.

Romania, Bulgaria Rank Last In EU By Municipal Waste Recycled In 2008

Just 1% of the 382 kilograms of waste produced in 2008 by each Romanian living in cities or large towns has been recycled, while the remainder has been stored, temporarily or permanently, in landfills, according to a statistic released Friday by Eurostat.

Romania, Bulgaria Eye Building Another Two Danube Bridges, Scraping Giurgiu-Ruse Bridge Toll

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc and his Bulgarian counterpart Boiko Borisov on Friday said the two countries plan to build at least two new bridges over the Danube River, which will link Calarasi and Bechet in Romania to Silistra and Oreahovo in Bulgaria, respectively.

Romanian Airline Op Carpatair Demands Blue Air Bankruptcy Over Debt

Romanian airline company Carpatair demanded in the Bucharest Court the bankruptcy of low-cost operator Blue Air, claiming a EUR30,000 unpaid debt due last September, an obligation that Blue Air refuses to acknowledge.

French Court Clears Romanian Businessman Sever Muresan Of Attempted Murder Charges

The High Correctional Court of Lille, France, has ruled early March to clear Romanian businessman Sever Muresan in a case in which he faced charges of plotting and ordering the murder of his former employee, Swiss national Peter Rolf Gehrig.

Romanian Airline Op Blue Air To Add New Local Bucharest-Arad Flights

Romanian airline operator Blue Air will increase, on May 1, the frequency of flights on the route Bucharest-Arad, from five to six flights per week, due to an increase in demand on this destination, the company announced Friday.

Romanian Govt Open To Reducing Retirement Age For Mothers

The Romanian Government is open to reducing the retirement age by one year for mothers of two, and by two years for women with more than two children, as well as for people who worked in special conditions, Prime Minister Boc announced Friday, after talks with unions.

Over 10,000 Romanian Unionists To Stage Protests On May 1

Over 10,000 unionists affiliated to CNSLR-Fratia will stage protests in Bucharest on May 1, when Romania celebrates Labor Day, and will picket the Government and prefects’ offices countrywide between May 1 and May 9, union leader Marius Petcu told MEDIAXAF Friday.

Romanian Republica’s Assets Auctioned Off For EUR48.5M

RVA Insolvency Specialists, the liquidator of Republica plant in Romania’s capital Bucharest, will organize on March 31 an outcry bid to sell the factory’s assets, for a minimum price of EUR48.5 million, net of VAT.

Romanian Mayor Indicted On Corruption Charges

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors Friday indicted Antonie Solomn, the suspended mayor of Romania’s southern city of Craiova, on charges of bribery and intellectual forgery.

Romania’s Public Debt Falls To RON143.9B In January

Romania’s public debt fell to 143.95 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.0801) at the end of January, from RON148.05 billion a month earlier, according to Finance Ministry data released Thursday.

EC Asks Netherlands To Revise Restrictions On Romanian Employees Temporarily Dispatched For Work

The European Commission asks the Netherlands to review its restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian employees who are temporarily dispatched to that country by their employers, according to an EC press release on Thursday.