English

Romania Bans Sale, Consumption Of Hallucinogenic Plants Starting Monday

17:02, 15 Feb. 2010
The decree adopted by Romania’s Government banning the distribution, sale and consumption of ethnobotanical plants with hallucinogenic effects came into effect Monday after it was published in the Official Journal.

Renault Official: Some 10% Of Cars Parts Traded On Romanian Auto Mkt Counterfeited

15:43, 15 Feb. 2010
Nearly 10% of car parts traded on the Romanian automotive market are counterfeited, with the bulk including car body parts and braking and directional control systems, Jean Francois Martin, quality and service manager with French automaker Renault, said Monday.

Romanian Lawmakers To Convene For Talks On Constitution Revision Committee Tuesday

14:59, 15 Feb. 2010
Romania's Chamber of Deputies Speaker Roberta Anastase on Monday said she would summon the Parliament’s standing offices Tuesday to discuss the setting up of a committee for the revision of the country's Constitution.

Romania’s Foreign Tourism Promotion Budget Inadequate, Should Be Increased – TUI

14:47, 15 Feb. 2010
Romania’s foreign tourism promotion budget, around EUR5 million for 2010, is very low and ought to be increased in order to obtain satisfactory results, TUI Romania general manager Tim Grosse told MEDIAFAX.

Romania’s Car Tax Levied On Euro 4 Cars Bought Last Year As Of Monday

13:58, 15 Feb. 2010
Romania’s pollution tax will be levied on Euro 4 cars as well starting February 15, when the government-set deadline for tax exemptions expires.

Romania’s Ruling Party To Hold Meeting Saturday, Invites Head Of State To Attend

13:57, 15 Feb. 2010
Leaders of Romania’s ruling Democratic Liberal Party will hold a meeting Saturday, February 20, to discuss the party’s political priorities for this year and debate its by-laws in view of upcoming inner elections, party spokesman Liviu Negoita said Monday.

Romania’s Long-Term Goods Mkt Dn 42.6% On Year, To EUR1.42B – Survey

13:33, 15 Feb. 2010
Romania’s long-term use goods market shrunk by 42.6% last year to EUR1.42 billion, compared to 2008, when it grew by 11.5%, with IT products and office equipment posting the worst results, according to the data of market researching company GfK Romania.

No Of Romanian Suspended Cos Up 4-Fold YY In Jan

13:03, 15 Feb. 2010
About 6,000 companies in Romania suspended operations in January, four times more than in the same period a year before, according to the National Trade Registry Office.

Romanian Social Democrats To See Five Way Showdown For Party President

12:52, 15 Feb. 2010
The president of the Romanian Constanta County Council, social democrat Nicusor Constantinescu, said Monday before the National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) that Constanta mayor Radu Mazare will enter the race for PSD president.

Romanian Ex General Mihai Chitac Discontinues Jail Term For Two Months On Medical Grounds

11:24, 15 Feb. 2010
Romanian former General Mihai Chitac, sentenced to a 15-year prison term for the events in western city Timisoara in 1989, considered the precursors of the Romanian anti-communist revolution, was released Monday from jail in order to undergo surgery.

Romanian Tourism Employers Call On Govt To Increase Tourism Promotion Budget

15:11, 14 Feb. 2010
The Romanian Tourism Employers’ Union (FPTR) says the funds allotted by the state budget for the promotion of Romanian touristic destinations are insufficient given the field’s needs and neighboring countries’ investments into tourism, and asks the Government to allocate larger amounts.

Romanian Insolvent Companies Up 10% Dec ‘09-Jan ‘10

14:47, 14 Feb. 2010
More than 2,000 Romanian firms became insolvent in January 2010, up by almost 10% since December, with a total 18,421 firms announcing insolvency in 2009, according to the National Trade Registry Office (ONRC).

International Antidrug Watchdog Accuses Romania Of Aiding Sale Of Light Drugs

16:23, 13 Feb. 2010
The International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy accuses Romania of aiding the sale of hallucinogenic plants, arguing that the Government offered protection by allowing shops ten days to get rid of their stocks.

Gas Pipe Cracked Under Hospital In Bucharest, Romania, Patients Moved To Other Hospitals

15:58, 13 Feb. 2010
A gas pipe under Caritas Hospital in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, cracked Saturday, leaving the hospital without heat; the patients were either transferred to other units or checked out, according to Marius Savu, director of the Bucharest Hospital Administration.

Four Dead, Four Badly Injured In Truck-Hit Van In SE Romania

19:43, 12 Feb. 2010
Four people died and other four were severely injured Friday evening, following a violent collision between a truck and a van on national road 22C, according to the latest information from Carmen Serbanescu, spokesperson of the local traffic police department in Constanta, southeastern Romania.

Bucharest-Ploiesti Highway Segment 50% Finished – Romanian PM

19:20, 12 Feb. 2010
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Friday, during a visit to Ploiesti, southern Romania, that construction works on the Bucharest-Ploiesti highway segment are 50% finished, adding he hopes works will be entirely completed by the end of the year.

Romania’s Opposition Social Democrats Dismiss Pension Law As Unconstitutional

18:31, 12 Feb. 2010
Romania’s Social Democratic Party said in a press release Friday the draft law reforming the country’s public pension system, approved by the Government Wednesday, is unconstitutional.

Romanians To Pay At Least 20% More On Jan ’10 Utility Bills – Homeowners Assoc Head

14:29, 12 Feb. 2010
Romanians will pay at least 20% more on January's utility bills, compared with December 2009, due to extremely low temperatures and higher heating prices, Radu Opaina, head of Homeowners Association in Romania, said Friday.

Romania ‘09 4Q GDP Sees 2nd Largest Decline In EU

12:51, 12 Feb. 2010
Romania posted the second biggest quarterly economic fall in the European Union in October to December last year, while the EU's gross domestic product inched up 0.1% on the quarter, official data showed Friday.

Romanian Development Min Wants 25,000 New Rural Homes Built For Doctors, Teachers, Priests

12:49, 12 Feb. 2010
The Romanian Regional Development and Tourism Ministry plans to build around 25,000 homes in several communes around the country for teachers, doctors, priests, engineers and specialists who want to work in rural areas, Minister Elena Udrea said in a press conference on Friday.

IMF Votes Feb 19 Whether To Disburse EUR2.3B To Romania

12:47, 12 Feb. 2010
The International Monetary Fund is to decide February 19 whether it will disburse Romania another EUR2.3 billion of a EUR13 billion two-year standby loan, according to the IMF executive board calendar.

Romanian Development Min Hopes To Introduce Energy Certification For Buildings Next Month

12:47, 12 Feb. 2010
Romania’s Development and Tourism minister Elena Udrea said Friday she hopes the government can implement mandatory energy certification for buildings in one month due to faster energy efficiency calculation procedures and an increasing number of energy auditors.

Romania Might Allow Housing Agency To Sell Homes Within State-Guaranteed Home Buying Program

12:46, 12 Feb. 2010
Romania’s Development and Tourism minister Elena Udrea said Friday she will propose amendments to the law regulating the country’s’ Housing Agency ANL to allow purchases of ANL-built homes with state-guaranteed loans.

Four Ski Slopes In C Romania Closed Over Avalanche Risk

12:11, 12 Feb. 2010
Four ski slopes in the central Romanian mountain resort Sinaia have been closed as of Friday because of high avalanche risks.

SW, NE Romania Under Weather Advisory For Snow, Rain, Blizzards

11:58, 12 Feb. 2010
Romanian weather authorities issued a code-yellow alert forecasting snowfall, rain and blizzards in 17 counties in the southwest and northeastern parts of the country, valid from Friday night to Saturday evening.

Romania FDI Halves To EUR4.89B In 2009

10:46, 12 Feb. 2010
Foreign direct investments, or FDI, in Romania fell 48.4% on the year to EUR4.89 billion in 2009, from EUR9.5 billion a year earlier, the central bank said Friday.

Romania ‘09 Adjusted Industrial Output Down 5.7% YY

10:22, 12 Feb. 2010
Romania's adjusted industrial production fell 5.7% on the year in 2009, driven mainly by declines in the mining and manufacturing industries, the statistics institute INS said Friday.

Romania’s GDP Falls 7.2% On Year In 2009, Country Still in Recession

10:10, 12 Feb. 2010
Romanian economy declined 7.2% on the year in real terms in 2009, following a larger-than-expected quarterly contraction in the fourth quarter of the year, a flash estimate of the National Statistics Institute, or INS, showed Friday.

Romania’s Jan CPI +1.68% On Month, +5.2% On Year

10:07, 12 Feb. 2010
Romania's consumer price index spiked by an unexpected 1.68% on the month in January, driven by higher tobacco and fuel prices, while the annual inflation widened to 5.2%, the National Statistics Institute said Friday.

Romanian Man Dies In Car Accident Caused By Czech Skiing Team

09:50, 12 Feb. 2010
A 54 year-old man from the central Romanian town of Miercurea Ciuc died Thursday in a car accident on national road 13A, near Harghita Bai, when his car was hit by the vehicle of the Czech delegation to the World Orientation Week.

Switzerland Offers Financial Aid Of EUR7M For Romania Healthcare System

21:16, 11 Feb. 2010
Switzerland will provide financial aid of EUR7 million to Romania in 2010 to help the country develop its emergency healthcare services.

Romanian President Upholds Simpler Access To Funds In European Council Meeting

20:57, 11 Feb. 2010
Romanian President Traian Basescu took part Thursday in Brussels in an informal session of the European Council on the topic of member states’ economic situation, and spoke about the need to simplify access to community funds, especially under unfavorable economic conditions.

Bucharest Appeals Court Issues First Life Sentence In A Pimping, Human Trafficking Case

18:43, 11 Feb. 2010
The Bucharest Court of Appeals has issued Thursday, for the first time, a life imprisonment sentence for two pimps who severely battered a young woman and dumped her body in a basement, where it was later found by police officers.

Southern Romania Among EU Regions With High Nitrate Level In Groundwater – EC Report

16:37, 11 Feb. 2010
Southern Romania is one of the areas in the European Union where groundwater contains a high concentration of nitrates, according to a report on the implementation of the Nitrates Directive, published Thursday by the European Commission.

The Cranberries To Play Bucharest On July 20

15:34, 11 Feb. 2010
Irish rock band The Cranberries will perform in capital city Bucharest on July 20 and the concert venue will be announced soon, promoters Events said Thursday.

Swiss Ringier Sells Two Romanian Papers To Local TV Network

15:25, 11 Feb. 2010
Ringier Romania, the local division of the Swiss publishing group, has sold daily Evenimentul Zilei and weekly business magazine Capital to the newly-created Editura Evenimentul si Capital, whose majority shareholder is businessman Bobby Paunescu.

Romania Govt Sets Home Purchasing Program Guarantee Budget At EUR700M This Year – Fin Min

15:17, 11 Feb. 2010
Romania’s government will assign a maximum of EUR700 million for its state-guaranteed home-buying program in 2010, down from EUR1 billion last year, Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu said Thursday.

FIFA World Cup Trophy To Arrive In Romania In April

14:57, 11 Feb. 2010
The FIFA World Cup Trophy will arrive in Romania for the first time, as part of a 225-day world tour organized by Coca-Cola in 86 states on five continents.

Romania Fin Min: Political Changes Justify Compensatory Payments To State Co Managers

14:56, 11 Feb. 2010
Romania’s Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu on Thursday said that theoretically, the managers of state-owned companies operating in the public sector should get compensatory payments only as a form of protection, when discharged from office after a new governing power takes helm.

Rain, Melting Snow Flood Romanian Capital

11:51, 11 Feb. 2010
After last week’s heavy snowfall and blizzards, Romania’s capital Bucharest is now facing flooding because of rain and the snow that is melting.