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Romanian Supreme Court Extends Graft-Charged Senator’s Arrest Until May 30

20:08, 23 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Supreme Court has ruled to extend the preventive arrest of Senator Catalin Voicu by 30 days, at the request of anticorruption prosecutors, while the defense argued that evidence had been obtained illegally.

New Medicine Against AIDS Launched In Romania Friday

18:37, 23 Apr. 2010
A new medicine against AIDS is available in Romania and is recommended to patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which became resistant to other treatments, Sorin Petrea, director of medical development at infectious disease institute Matei Bals, said Friday.

Romanian Yogi Gregorian Bivolaru Acquitted in Sex Offences Trial

17:58, 23 Apr. 2010
The Romanian leader of the Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA), Gregorian Bivolaru, tried for sexual perversion, sexual contact with a minor and trafficking of minors, was acquitted Friday by the central-Romanian Sibiu Court, five years after his trial had started.

Romanian Politician’s Son Caught Rapid With EUR20,000 For Influencing Magistrates

16:29, 23 Apr. 2010
Romanian politician Nati Meir's son, Or Meir, was caught rapid with EUR20,000, with which he was supposed to convince certain magistrates to repeal an arrest warrant and issue lighter sentences in a criminal lawsuit, Romanian anticorruption prosecutors said Friday.

Romanian PM To Set Up Govt Workgroup On Pollution Tax, Electric Automobile

16:23, 23 Apr. 2010
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Friday that, in the Government’s next meeting, he will set up an inter-ministry workgroup to design a new framework fro the country's car pollution tax’s and prepare Romania’s strategy on moving towards the electric automobile.

Romania’s Clunkers Program Has Served Goal To Back Local Auto Industry – PM

16:21, 23 Apr. 2010
Romania’s car park renewal program, in which the government pays people to scrap their old cars and buy new ones, has served its purpose to support the local car industry as more than half of new cars sold were made locally, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Friday.

Bucharest Hospital Manager Sacked After Patients Became Infected From Minor Surgeries

16:05, 23 Apr. 2010
Romanian Transport Minister Radu Berceanu sacked Friday the manager of the CFR 2 Hospital in Bucharest, Constantin Tanase, after two women developed severe infections following minor surgeries.

Romanian Health Min Investigates Hospital, Two Patients Infected

14:51, 23 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Health Ministry has closed down three sections of Bucharest’s CFR 2 Hospital for investigation, after two female patients who underwent minor surgery there on Tuesday night developed severe infections, hospital PR manager Cristian Codreanu said Friday.

Ministry Layoffs To Target Support Departments – Romanian Tourism Min

14:13, 23 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Regional Development and Tourism Minister Elena Udrea told MEDIAFAX Friday that restructuring will mainly target the ministry’s supporting departments, which have grown too large after the merger of two ministries.

Romania’s Parliament Economic, Social Committee Approves Draft Education Law

13:42, 23 Apr. 2010
The Romanian Parliament’s economic and social committee approved the draft education law with 20 to eight votes, the Education Ministry said Friday.

Romania Calls For Speedier Gap Reduction Btw Old EU Member States And Newcomers

13:16, 23 Apr. 2010
Romanian President Traian Basescu on Friday said efforts should be stepped up to reduce gaps between the European Union’s old member states and newcomers, arguing that competitiveness in the EU can never grow "if major imbalances are kept between Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Europe.”

Romania’s Administrative Reform Compatible With Europe 2020 – Romanian EU Commissioner

12:45, 23 Apr. 2010
The economic reform of Romania’s administrative system is compatible with the outlook of Europe 2020 and would reaffirm the country’s participation to European social and economic development, Romania's EU Commissioner For Agriculture Dacian Ciolos said Friday.

Greek Crisis Weighs Down Romania Euro Adoption – MEP

12:42, 23 Apr. 2010
The prospects in Europe to join the euro area have changed after the Greece’s financial crisis and Romania will adopt the European common currency later than scheduled, Romanian MEP Theodor Stolojan said Friday.

Romanian Bank Office Head Investigated For Alleged Ties With Money Forgery Ring

11:59, 23 Apr. 2010
Romanian organized crime prosecutors detailed five people who were trying to exchange forged currency worth over EUR35,000 and set off checkups to see whether the money was to be handed over to the head of a bank office in southwestern Caransebes and further put in circulation via the bank office.

Romanian Prosecutor, Police Officers, Lawyers Detained For Corruption

10:28, 23 Apr. 2010
A Romanian prosecutor, two police officers and two lawyers have been detained for 24 hours on charges of corruption and making up a criminal group.

Romania PM: Govt Is At Peace With Country’s ‘09 IMF-Validated Budget Deficit

09:54, 23 Apr. 2010
The Romanian Government is “very much at ease” as regards the country’s 2009 budget deficit, considering that the result was validated by officials of the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund during recent talks with Romanian authorities, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday.

Romania PM: Consultations On Cabinet Reshuffling Meant To Solve Potential Conflicts

09:17, 23 Apr. 2010
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday evening on public television that the draft law revising the Constitution sets the prime minister can propose the dismissal of a minister only after consultations with the president, in a move to settle potential conflicts between state authorities.

Romania PM: Single-Chamber Parliament Will Save Millions Of Euros To State Budget Annually

09:14, 23 Apr. 2010
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday evening on public television that a single–chamber Parliament will save millions of euros to the state budget annually and stressed that all those who oppose the draft law revising the Constitution are actually afraid they might lose their privileges.

Romania President: Govt Will Issue Emergency Decree To Keep Integrity Agency Running

21:00, 22 Apr. 2010
Romanian President Traian Basescu said Thursday in Brussels that the government will issue an emergency decree allowing the country’s integrity agency to operate again, as soon as it takes note of the motivation of the Constitution Court ruling that stripped the anticorruption body of its main role.

Romanian Blue Air Asks EC, Govt For Aid Over EUR2.5M Loss From Airspace Closure

20:30, 22 Apr. 2010
Romanian low-cost airline Blue Air lost EUR2.48 million because of the airspace restriction and has asked for aid from the Government and European Commission, the company’s general manager, Sherif Ussama, told MEDIAFAX.

Romania’s Tourism Ministry To Sack 17% Of Employees – Draft Act

20:07, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism will sack 158 of its nearly 900 employees, namely over 17% of its staff, of whom 13 European Affairs advisers, according to a draft government decision drawn up by the ministry.

Romanian President: Country’s Adoption Law Will Not Change During My Term

19:21, 22 Apr. 2010
Romanian President Traian Basescu said Thursday in Brussels that the country’s law on adoptions will not change, “at least” not during his term, regardless of the lobby in favor of change made “in Brussels and elsewhere.”

President Basescu Says EC Head Shares His Standpoint On Core Issues For Romania

19:03, 22 Apr. 2010
Romanian President Traian Basescu said that European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made Thursday in Brussels the same remarks he did in the meeting with Government members on Wednesday, and underscored the dire need to keep tight grip on public spending.

Romania Assures EU The Country Will Have A Fully Operational Integrity Agency

17:12, 22 Apr. 2010
Romanian President Traian Basescu on Thursday assured European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso that Romania will fulfill its undertaken commitments to have a fully operational integrity agency that will meet its objective to screen public officials’ wealth and interest statements.

Romanian Integrity Agency Mixes Up Probing, Judgment Powers – Constitutional Court

15:48, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Constitutional Court believes the extent of the National Integrity Agency’s activity is wider than what should be permitted to an administrative body and the Agency mistakes investigative for judicial powers.

Romania Should Outlaw Early Loan Repayment Fees Via Govt Decree – Competition Watchdog

15:48, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Government should transpose in national legislation a European directive banning bank fees foe early loan repayment by passing an emergency decree rather than a draft law, which takes longer to be adopted, Competition Council head Bogdan Chiritoiu said Thursday.

Romanian Constitutional Court Says Govt Can’t Fix Anticorruption Body Law With Decree

14:53, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Constitutional; Court said in the motivation of its ruling stripping the National Integrity Agency of its main attributions that the Government cannot pass an emergency decree to keep the agency functioning.

Dalai Lama’s Visit To Romania Ecumenical, Not Political – Romanian MEP

14:44, 22 Apr. 2010
Dalai Lama’s visit to Romania will be strictly ecumenical, and it will not question the One China principle endorsed by Romanian authorities, Romanian MEP Laszlo Tokes said in a press release Thursday.

Romania’s Competition Council Might Fine Another Bank For Inexact Data

14:38, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Competition Council is investigating another lender for providing inexact data, after it fined Raiffeisen Bank for the same reason, the watchdog’s president Bogdan Chiritoiu said Thursday.

Competition Watchdog Starts Inquiry On Bucharest’s Heating Supply Mkt

14:35, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Competition Council will start an investigation on heat production, transport, distribution and supply market in the capital city Bucharest, the watchdog’s president Bogdan Chiritoiu said Thursday.

Romanian Cantacuzino Institute Employees Stage Spontaneous Protest Over Planned Layoffs

14:32, 22 Apr. 2010
Over 100 employees of Romanian vaccine producer Cantacuzino Institute Thursday staged a spontaneous protest over the Health Ministry's intention to lay off employees after several production departments were closed down.

Romanian Economy Min Admits Some People Were Hired In State Cos For Political Reasons

14:29, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Economy Minister admitted Thursday that certain employees in state-run companies have been hired on political criteria, adding 5,000 employees in these companies were laid off last year.

Romania’s Econ Min Says Tax Auth Should Foreclose Debtors’ Assets

14:22, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s Economy Minister Adriean Videanu on Thursday said that the tax authority ANAF should foreclose the assets of some companies, as state-owned mining firm CNH, that would never pay their debts to the state budget, otherwise the respective debts will never be recovered.

South Stream To Go Through Romania – Econ Min

13:58, 22 Apr. 2010
Romanian Economy Minister Adriean Videanu on Thursday said Russia-backed South Stream pipeline will transit Romania in its way to Bulgaria and further to Italy and Austria.

Serj Tankian To Perform In C Romania At Artmania Festival

13:55, 22 Apr. 2010
Armenian-American singer and songwriter Serj Tankian, seen as one of rock's most unconventional icons, will perform in Sibiu, central Romania, at the fifth edition of the Artmania Festival to take place between August 13 and August 15, 2010.

Romanian Econ Min Says „Wise Guys” Pay More For Energy

13:37, 22 Apr. 2010
The "wise guys" on the Romanian energy market are now paying 50% more for power, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said Thursday.

Romania To Eliminate Minimum Tax Jan 2011 – Econ Min

12:42, 22 Apr. 2010
Romanian Economy Minister Adriean Videanu on Thursday said the minimum tax will be eliminated as of January 1 2011, adding that he opposes any tax increases.

Romanian Public Sector Workers Can’t Strike Their Way Into Wage Raises – PM

12:40, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s public sector workers who believe staging strikes will get them wage raises and bonuses are wrong, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday, adding raises may only be granted for efficiency and productivity and only when the economy is healthy.

Romanian Econ Min Says Economy Is In Delicate State

12:37, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania is in a delicate economic situation, but is far from a catastrophe, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said Thursday.

Romania’s Govt Pleads For Eliminating Early Loan Repayment Fees – PM

12:04, 22 Apr. 2010
Romania’s government will endorse the normative act proposed by the national authority for consumers’ protection ANPC to eliminate the fee for early repayment of bank loans, including on mortgage loans, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday.