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Romanian Interior Min Intelligence Chief To Resign

Virgil Ardelean will resign from the headship of the General Intelligence and Internal Protection Division of the Ministry of Administration and Interior.

Romanian Investors May Trade Eurobonds On Intl Stock Exch – Central Depository

Romanian investors will be able to trade eurobonds on the international capital markets after Romania’s Central Securities Depository set up a direct connection between its own clearing and settlement system RoClear and the similar institution in Luxemburg, settlement house Clearstream Banking.

Romanian Ministers Should Not Be MPs Too – Romanian Pres Committee

The Romanian policy and constitution presidential committee recommends the instatement of incompatibility between the position of Government member and that of Parliament member.

Romanian Int Ministry Intelligence Dept Head To Be Removed From Office – Official

Romanian social democrat leader Mircea Geoana said Wednesday that Virgil Ardelean, one of the state secretaries appointed by ousted interior minister Gabriel Oprea, will be dismissed as head of the ministry’s General Department of Intelligence and Protection.

Ukraine Embassy Delegation Meets Romanian Econ Min Off On Gas Crisis Issue

A delegation of the Ukrainian Embassy to Bucharest met Wednesday with representatives of the Romanian Economy Ministry to talk on the gas crisis issue, in which the Ukrainian side said a deal with Russia on gas transit would be inked, sources within the ministry told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian President Pleads For Single Chamber Parliament

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday that he would opt for a single chamber Parliament and would lift immunity for lawmakers whose actions are punishable under the Criminal Code.

Romanian Const Court Upholds Amendments To Nationalized Houses Law

Romania’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday ruled with majority of votes that the amendments to the Law on nationalized houses are constitutional, rejecting a presidential notification in the matter.

Around 450 Employees In Romanian ArcelorMittal Galati On Voluntary Layoffs As Of Jan 16

Approximately 450 employees of Romania's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal Galati, owned by UK-based ArcelorMittal, will leave the company as of January 16, through the voluntary layoffs program, trade unionists said Wednesday.

Romanian New Car Mkt Could Go Dn To Half In 2009, 100,000 Jobs In Jeopardy

New car sales risk dropping to half this year, at around 150,000 units, and nearly 50% of jobs in the Romanian auto industry, namely 100,000, might be scrapped, said Wednesday Brent Valmar, head of the Romanian Association of Carmaker and Importers, or APIA.

Romanian Carmaker Dacia Considers Lowering Prices

Romanian carmaker Dacia, the local unit of France’s Renault, to help clients alongside scrap bonuses they receive from the government for their old cars within the country’s car park renewal program, Dacia vice-president Constantin Stroe said Wednesday.

Romania New Car Sales Dn 53% In Dec, Dn 14.1% In 2008

New car sales in Romania dropped 53% on the year in December, to 13,054 units, and were down 14.1% on the year in 2008 compared to 2007, to 270,995 cars, while the entire auto market saw a 11.7% decrease, the Association of Carmakers and Importers in Romania, or APIA, said Wednesday.

Parliament Dissolution, Last Resort To End Crises – Romanian President

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday that dissolving the Parliament should be a last resort to end crises, adding it would not increase the authority of the head of state but will increase the ability of state institutions to act responsibly at times of crisis.

Romanian President Would Prefer A Semi-presidential Regime

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday that one of his options in the revision of the country’s Constitution would be to instate a semi-presidential regime and clarifications are needed to correlate the president’s legitimacy to the prerogatives he has.

Romania’s Local Car Production Dn 78.6% In Dec, Up 1.5% In 2008

Romania’s local carmaking output fell a sharp 78.6% on the year in December, to 4,045 units, but an increase of 1.5% was registered for the entire year 2008, to 245,308 cars, the Association of Carmakers and Importers in Romania, or APIA, said Wednesday.

Putin Calls Up Romanian President Over Gas Situation

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called up Romanian President and offered him more information on gas supply situation.

Romania To Attend The Paris Book Fair

Romanian writers Nicolae Manolescu and Eugen Negrici will attend a roundtable, organized within the Paris Book Fair, regarding their recently launched books, "Istoria critica a literaturii romane" (A critical history of Romanian literature), and respectively "Iluziile literaturii romane."

Germany’s Leoni To Close Plant S Romania, 200 Jobs Cut

German auto wiring systems maker Leoni, a supplier for Dacia automaker, will close down one of its four plants in Romania, namely the plant in southern Mioveni, near the Dacia factory, due to lower demand, the company said Tuesday.

Romanian Carmaker Dacia Ponders Suspending Production Again, If Demand Stays Low

Romanian carmaker Dacia is considering suspending production again, in February-March, if demand stays low, after the company announced a halt in activity between January 26 and February 8.

Romanian PM Nominates Dan Nica For Interim Interior Min

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc nominated deputy prime minister Dan Nica as interim replacement for Gabriel Oprea, who resigned the position of interior minister after losing political support from the social democrats.

Romanian Carmaker Dacia Might Drop 3-4,000 Employees In Spring – Manager

Romanian carmaker Dacia might drop 3-4,000 employees working on one production shifts in spring, unless the situation in the auto industry improves, general manager of the company, Francois Fourmont said at a meeting with local authorities.

Romanian Car Tax Talks Put Auto Mkt In Gridlock

The extended talks on the Romanian pollution tax for cars, used car imports and other factors, such as the worldwide auto crisis, have put the market in gridlock and the buyers on stand-by, car producer and importer association APIA president Ernest Popovici told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Unionists At Bechtel Threaten With Protests If Govt Doesn’t Fund Hwy Works

The leaders of the union within the American company Bechtel said Tuesday they will put “a set of pressures” on the Government to continue the funding of works at the Transylvania Motorway, and also on the company to observe the legal terms regarding massive layoffs.

Romanian PM Invites Japanese Counterpart To Visit Romania

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc invited Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso to visit Romania in 2009, and stressed that Romanian authorities are interested in establishing a strong relation with the Japanese government in the sector of environment protection and local administration.

EC Notified Romania On Dec 22 That New Car Tax Breaches EU Laws – EC Official

European Commission spokesperson for taxation Maria Assimakopoulou told MEDIAFAX Tuesday the Commission wrote a letter to Romanian authorities on Dec 22 saying new car tax regulations seem to be not in line with EU legislation.

Romanian Deputy PM To Coordinate Public Procurement Law Amendments

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc designed deputy prime minister Dan Nica to lead a working group to amend public procurement laws, to reduce terms and simplify procedures, the Government said Tuesday.

Rally At Romanian Carmaker Dacia Ended, Union Says Further Protests Expected

Employees of Romanian carmaker Automobile Dacia, the local unit of France’s Renault, ended the rally attended by over 6,000 people who urged the Government to keep the pollution tax for cars and protect jobs in the auto industry.

Romania’s Ctrl Bk Sets Leu Exch Rate At RON4.2985 Vs Euro, Another Record Low

The Romanian leu touched a fresh historical low versus the euro Tuesday on the inter-bank market, on high demand for foreign currency, and the central bank computed an indicative of RON4.2985 to the euro, a new record low against the euro.

Freedom House Includes Romania Among Free Countries – Report

Romania is among free countries, with election democracy, according to the annual report of Freedom House regarding freedom in the world, which also states that EU accession and closeness to Western Europe are important factors for countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

Over 6,000 People Attend Rally Of Romanian Carmaker Dacia Employees

Over 6,000 people joined the rally organized by employees of Romanian carmaker Automobile Dacia, the local unit of France’s Renault, urging the Government to keep the pollution tax for cars and protect jobs in the auto industry.

About 2,000 Dacia Employees Attend Rally Demanding Job Security In Auto Industry

About 2,000 employees of Romanian carmaker Automobile Dacia, the local unit of France’s Renault, are protesting in Mioveni, southern Romania, urging the Government to keep the pollution tax for cars and protect jobs in the auto industry.

Employees Of Romanian Lender BCR Call Off Gen Strike

Unionists with Romania’s largest lender, Erste Bank-owned Banca Comerciala Romana, or BCR, decided to call off the general strike set to start Wednesday after they received a new wage offer from the management.

Romanian Social Democrat, Democrat Liberal Leaders Meet At Govt HQ

The leaders of Romania’s governing coalition parties, social democrats and democrat liberals, meet at the government headquarters Tuesday at GMT 0900 to talks about the 2009 state budget and possibly about the appointment of a new interior minister.

Romanian BCR Makes Final Offer To Employees To Avoid General Strike

The management of Romania’s largest lender, Erste Bank-owned Banca Comerciala Romana, or BCR, decided late Monday to make a final offer to employees to avoid a general strike planned to start Wednesday.

Romania’s Dec Inflation +0.23% M-M, Annual CPI Slows To 6.3%

Romania’s inflation rose 0.23% on the month in December, due to higher prices for food and services, but the annual consumer price index (CPI) slowed to 6.3%, from 6.7% in November, the National Statistics Institute, or INS, reported Tuesday.

Romanian Social Democrats To Pull Out Of Govt Unless PM Sacks Interior Min

Romanian social democrats will pull out of the center-left coalition government unless the prime minster sacks social democrat interior minister Gabriel Oprea, for whom the party withdrew its political support, the party Bucharest branch head Marian Vanghelie said late Monday in a TV show.

Romanian Culture Min To Launch Seven Financing Programs In ’09

The Romanian Ministry of Culture, Cults and National Patrimony will launch in 2009 seven cultural programs of non-reimbursable financing - Promocult, Dialog Intercultural, Creativitas, Latinitas, Proetnicultura, Rromi împreună pentru Europa and Glissando, according to the institution’s website.

General Manager Of Romanian Insurer Ardaf Quits Executive Seat As Of Feb 1

Daniel Tudor will no longer be general manager of Romanian insurer Ardaf, and the executive management will be ensured by the two deputy general managers, Adina Bacioiu and Dan Bordeanu, the insurer said Monday.

Romanian Liberals Appoint Bogdan Olteanu Party Spokesperson

The new spokesperson of Romania’s Liberal Party is Bogdan Olteanu, party leader Calin Tariceanu said Monday, after the meeting of the party’s Central Politic Office.

Romania To Send EC In 7 Days Proposal To Amend Public Procurement Laws

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Monday in Brussels after a meeting with European Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barosso that Romanian will send the Commission in seven days a proposal to amend the public procurement law, in a move to make the use of EU funds more efficient.

Romania’s BCR President Met With Union Leaders

The president of Romania’s largest lender Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) Dominic Bruynseels met Monday around noon with representatives of the Federation of Independent Union (FSI) within BCR to try and work out differences, the bank said during a press briefing.