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Romania’s Ruling Party Lawmakers To Amend Pension Law In Parliament

Lawmakers of Romania’s ruling Democratic Liberal Party will uphold amendments brought by unionists to the draft pension law, party vice-president Ioan Oltean said Friday, adding the law was drafted quickly and under pressure and could use improvement.

Caroli, Campofrio Merge To Form Romania’s Largest Meat Processor

Caroli Foods Group and Campofrio Food Group joined their operations to form the largest meat processor in Romania, with a cumulated turnover of EUR120 million and an estimated market share of 16%, the companies said Friday.

Romania Scrapped Over 20,200 Old Cars In Two Weeks Under 2010 Clunkers Program

Over 20,200 old cars have been scrapped since February 18 when Romania set off its 2010 clunkers program, accounting for some two thirds of the overall number of cars scrapped in 2009.

Romanian Social Democrat Lawmakers Challenged Law On Public Servants’ Statute

Romanian social democrat senator Dan Sova said Thursday that social democrats in the Chamber of Deputies notified Wednesday the Constitutional Court that the law on the Statute of Public Servants the Chamber has recently adopted is unconstitutional.

Romanians To Spend Less On Cigarettes, Alcohol, Keep Food Budget Unchanged – Poll

Romanians plan to spend less on certain products in 2010 and the biggest spending cuts will target cigarettes, alcohol, clothes and electronic appliances, while food budgets will not be reduced, according to a survey conducted in February by market research company 360insights.

Romanian Central Bank Governor Upholds Pension Reform

Romanian central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Thursday the country’s public pension system needs reformation because it is currently unsustainable.

Romania Might Introduce Mandatory Energy Certification For Buildings In Two Mos – Tourism Min

Romania’s Tourism and Regional Development Minister Elena Udrea said Thursday mandatory energy certification for buildings might be introduced in at most two months, as at the moment the country lacks enough energy auditors to implement the respective certifications.

Romania ’09 Cement Market Falls 30% To 8M Tons

Romania’s cement market fell 30% in 2009, to 8 million tons, and is seen further down in 2010, the executive head of cement business owners association CIROM said Thursday.

Romanian Rompetrol Hikes Pump Prices By RON0.06/Liter

Romania’s second-largest oil group Rompetrol, owned by Kazakhstan's KazMunayGaz, on Thursday rose its gasoline and diesel oil pump prices by 0.06 lei (EUR1=RON4.0929), the second increase this week

Romania Is Ready To Join Schengen Area, Must Solve Infrastructure Issues – Interior Min

Romanian Administration and Interior Minister Vasile Blaga said Thursday Romania is ready to join the Schengen area, adding the Government must make real efforts to solve infrastructure problems that represent the country’s vulnerable points.

Romanian Democrat Liberals Move To Oust Opposing Senate Chairman

The Romanian democrat liberals (PDL) filed Thursday the request to dismiss social democrat (PSD) Mircea Geoana from the position of Senate chairman, according to PSD group leader Constantin Igas, who added the request was signed by 57 senators.

Romania To Seek Legal Ways To Back Local Builders At Public Works Auctions – Min

Romanian authorities will try to find legal ways to back Romanian builders at public works auctions, the country’s Tourism and Regional Development Minister Elena Udrea said Thursday at the Mediafax Talks about Construction conference.

Public Work Contracts Won’t Be Allotted More Than 10% Extra Funds – Romanian Tourism Min

Romania’s Tourism and Regional Development Minister Elena Udrea said Thursday the ministry decided that contracts signed following public auctions will not benefit from more than 10% fund increases, adding extra funds will have to be approved by the ministry’s technical and economic council.

General Insurance In Romania Least Profitable In CEE – Insurers

Romania has the least profitable general insurance sector in Central and Eastern Europe, mainly because of loss on the auto insurance segment, said Thursday Cristian Constantinescu, head of the Romanian Insurers and Reinsurers’ Union UNSAR.

Romania Loses EUR400M/Year From Obsolete Heating Sys

Romania annually loses EUR400 million because of its obsolete heating system, which needs investments of EUR3.6 billion for upgrades, Iulian Iancu, president of the Chamber of Deputies’ Industry and Services Committee, said Thursday.

Romanian Min: Cos Excessively Contesting Auctions Will Be Downrated At Future Auctions

Romania’s Tourism and Regional Development Minister Elena Udrea said Thursday she wants construction companies that excessively contest public works auctions to be downrated at future auctions set up by the ministry.

Romanians Displeased With Social Services, Money Transfer Not A Solution – Ctrl Bk Governor

Romanian central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Thursday people are displeased with the country’s social services which are said to be underfunded, adding that taking money from one place to subsidize another is not a solution.

Romania Marks 33 Years Since Devastating Earthquake

Monica Pop, manager of the Clinic Ophthalmology Hospital in Romania’s capital Bucharest, was a senior medical student 33 years ago, in March 1977, when a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the country, leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured.

Romanian Troops’ Mission In Afghanistan Is To Protect World From Terrorism – President

Romania’s President Traian Basescu Thursday told the Romanian troops of the Curtea de Arges 33 Battalion stationed in Afghanistan that their mission is to protect the civilized world from terrorism.

Romania ‘09 Investments Down 29% On Yr – INS

Romanian local investments in 2009 decreased 29.1% compared with a year before, according to the preliminary data published by the country’s statistics institute INS Thursday.

Romania’s President Goes To Afghanistan To Meet With Romanian Troops

Romania’s President Traian Basescu, Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea and General Staff chief Gheorghe Marin arrived in Afghanistan Thursday morning to meet with the Romanian troops deployed in the area.

Romania Revised GDP Data Show Mild Quarterly Growth In 3Q/09

Romania’s gross domestic product grew modestly in the third quarter of 2009 compared with a quarter earlier, putting a temporary stop to the country’s economic decline, according to revised data from the statistics institute INS.

Medicine Prices Might Rise By About 6.25% As Of April 1 – Romanian Health Min

Romanian health minister’s adviser Sipos Emse said Wednesday the price of medicine might rise by about 6.25% starting April, after modifying medicine prices according to the exchange rate used in setting the 2010 budget.

Romanian Mayor Charged With Bribery, Forgery, Placed Under Preventive Arrest

The mayor of the southern Romanian city Craiova, Antonie Solomon, was placed under 29-day preventive arrest Wednesday afternoon, after some five hours of hearings, under charges of soliciting bribe, forgery and use of forgery.

Romania Doesn’t Blur Statistics, Contrary Reports ‘Malicious’ – Fin Min

Romania doesn’t modify its data regarding macroeconomic indicators and possible differences between the figures announced by authorities regarding the same indicator come from initial estimates and actual preliminary or final calculations, Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu said Wednesday.

Romanian MEP’s Match-Fixing Trial Suspended, File Sent To Constitutional Court

The Romanian High Court of Justice suspended Wednesday the trial in which FC Steaua Bucuresti owner Gigi Becali is indicted for bribery in a match-fixing case and will send the file to the Constitutional Court to settle an exception of unconstitutionality raised by one of the defense lawyers.

Romanian Democrat Liberals Want Senate’s Social Democrat Chairman Suspended

The leader of democrat liberal senators, Constantin Igas, said Wednesday democrat liberals will set off procedures to suspend the Senate’s social democrat Chairman Mircea Geoana for his refusal to hold a vote on independent lawmakers’ request to keep their positions in parliament standing committees.

Romanian Senate Adopts Amended Draft Fiscal Responsibility Law

Romania’s Senate on Wednesday amended and adopted a draft fiscal responsibility law, which sets limits on budget revisions operated throughout one year and provides fiscal rules on total spending, staff expenses and budget deficit.

Romania Ctrl Bk To Cut Key Rate Again But Not By Much

Romania's central bank will reduce in the upcoming period the key monetary policy rate, but not significantly, said Wednesday Lucian Croitoru, an adviser of the central bank governor Mugur Isarescu.

Romanian Subway Co Metrorex Might Up Ticket Prices 5-7% This Year

Romania’s state-owned subway company Metrorex could increase subway pass prices by 5-7% this year if inflation tops 5% for the interval May 2009- May 2010, company general manager Gheorghe Udriste said Wednesday.

New Romanian Dacia Duster SUV Available On British Mkt At End- 2012

French carmaker Renault, owner of Romania’s Automobile Dacia, said Wednesday that Dacia’s new crossover SUV, the Duster, will enter the British market at the end of 2012.

Final Court Ruling Finds Romanian Subway Strike Last Year Was Legal

The Bucharest Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday a two-day subway strike in November last year was legal and subway unionists may resume their protests anytime.

Bucharest Court Sentences Ex Deputy Nati Meir To 4Yr Jail Term In Swindling Case

Former deputy Nati Meir was sentenced to a four-year jail term by the Bucharest Court after he deceived several people to whom he promised jobs in Israel.

Romania’s Cantacuzino Institute Gets RON1M State Funds To Unlock Vaccine Production

Romania's government decided in its meeting Wednesday to assign a total 1 million lei (EUR1=RON4.1092) to the Cantacuzino Institute needed to finalize a series of works and verify its vaccine production parameters and obtain all approvals needed to continue producing vaccines.

Romania’s OMV Petrom Hikes Pump Prices By RON0.06/Liter

Romania’s largest oil company OMV Petrom (SNP.RO) raised Wednesday its gasoline and diesel oil pump prices by 0.06 lei (EUR1=RON4.1092) per liter, the second increase in the past few days, following the increase of international quotations for crude oil products.

Witness Says Romania’s Fmr Envoy To Singapore Had Been Drinking Before Car Accident

Romania's former envoy to Singapore Silviu Ionescu had been drinking alcohol on the night the embassy car he was allegedly driving hit three people, killing one, according to the first witness in the case, quoted by The Straits Times online.

Family Of Late Romanian Comedy Actor Sues Doctor Over Moral Damages

The family of Romanian comedy actor Toni Tecuceanu, who died early January following severe lung complications, has sued doctor Adrian Streinu Cercel for damages brought to Tecuceanu’s image and has also requested to be handed the actor’s medical record.

Romania Revised ‘09 GDP -7.1% On Year, Less Than Expected

Romania’s gross domestic product shrank by a less than expected 7.1% on the year in 2009, amounting to 491.2 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.1092), revised data from the statistics institute INS showed Wednesday.

Romanian Anticorruption Prosecutors Detain Mayor Charged With Bribery, Forgery

Antonie Solomon, mayor of southern Romanian town Craiova and leader of the local branch of the country's ruling Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), was heard and detained by anticorruption prosecutors for 24 hours on charges of bribe taking, intellectual forgery and use of forgery.

Romanian Econ Min Plans “Major” Chinese-Financed Projects In ’09

Romania and China intend to begin, this year, on the Romanian market, a series of “major” projects, with Chinese financing, and to encourage companies in the two states to collaborate in areas such as energy, infrastructure or environmental protection.