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Romanian Drivers In Countrywide Protest Against Car Tax

Hundreds of Romanian drivers took to the streets Saturday, displeased with the tripling of the pollution tax for used cars.

Romania To Have New Govt By Dec 22 – President

Romanian President Traian Basescu told journalists Friday the country will have a new Government by December 22, after the hearings of the ministers of the new Cabinet by the special parliamentary committees on December 20 and 21.

Romanian Govt Fills Vacant Position Within The Securitate Archive Study Council

The Romanian Government asked TV producer Lucia Hossu-Longin to represent the Executive in the National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (CNSAS), on the position left vacant when Constantin Ticu Dumitrescu passed away, Hossu Longin told MEDIAFAX.

NGO Sues Romanian Govt Over Triple Car Tax

Non-governmental organization “The Commissariat for Civil Society” sued the Romanian government for its recent decision to triple the pollution tax on used cars and urged the Bucharest Court of Appeals to annul the decree tripling the tax.

New York’s Former Mayor Impressed By Romania’s Capital City

Romania’s capital city is a beautiful, clean city, and its inhabitants should be proud of it, New York’s former mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Friday, after the meeting with Bucharest’s mayor Sorin Oprescu.

Romanian Pres Issues Post-EU Council Statement, “National Interest Was Served”

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Friday, at the end of the winter European Council, that he managed, together with Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu, to serve national interest, referring to the decisions made by the European forum, the last one organized under the French EU presidency.

Romanian Social Democrats, Democrat Liberals Nearly Done Negotiating, Hungarian Party Still An Issue

Romanian social democrat leader Mircea Geoana said Friday after a new round of negotiations withy democrat liberals to form a coalition government that technical talks on a governing program have progressed, but the inclusion of the Hungarian party in the coalition is still a problem.

Romanian Prosecutors Bring Out Incriminating Evidence In Lawmaker Graft Case

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors in Cluj, western Romania, said in the file drafted for liberal Virgil Pop, whom they arrested late November, that Pop received EUR30,000 from denouncer Petru Chis after promising the latter he would personally see to it that his company gets hold of several works contracted by power distributor Electrica at Nokia plant in Cluj.

Romanian ’09 Budget Def May Be Set Above 3% Of GDP, On Econ Support Measures – PM

Romania's 2009 budget draft has to be revised to include economic support measures and a hike in investment expenses, that could push the budget deficit above the 3% Maastricht limit of the gross domestic product, or GDP, Romania’s Pime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said Friday.

Romanian Authorities Recover Another Two Dacian Bracelets

Another two Dacian bracelets from the Romanian cultural patrimony were recovered by Romanian authorities, following investigations performed by police and prosecutors in the file “Dacian Gold.” The bracelets were brought from Germany and will be displayed Friday at the National History Museum.

Romanian Far-Rightist Leader Vadim Tudor To Run For President

Romanian far-rightist party leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor said Friday he will run for president in the 2009 presidential election and pleaded for the creation of an opposition pole, to be called the National Antipoverty Alliance.

Romanian Drivers, Car Dealers Stage Protests Against Triple Car Tax

Nearly 400 Romanian drivers and car dealers staged protests on Friday against the government’s recent decision to triple a tax on car registration as of December 15.

Romanian Social Democrats, Democrat Liberals To Decide On Magyar Union Issue This Afternoon

Following talks scheduled for Friday afternoon between the Romanian Democratic Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party, a decision will be made regarding the Magyar Democratic Union in Romania, head of the social democrats’ National Committee Adrian Nastase said.

Romanian Foreign Invest Agency Head Steps Down

Romanian outgoing premier Calin Popescu Tariceanu on Friday accepted the resignation of Monica Barbuletiu from her position of vice-president of the Romanian Foreign Investments Agency.

Romanian 10-Mo FDI Up 37% YY To EUR8.16B – Ctrl Bk

Foreign direct investment in Romania in the first ten months stood at EUR8.16 billion, 37% higher compared with EUR5.95 billion the same period of 2007, the central bank said on Friday.

Romania’s 10-Mo Curr Acct Gap Widens 10.9% YY To EUR14.43B

Romania’s current account deficit rose 10.9% on the year in the first ten months, to EUR 14.437 billion, from EUR13.01 billion in the same period a year earlier, the central bank said in a statement Friday.

Romanian Designated PM Says Negotiations Btw His Party, Liberals Are Over

Romanian democrat liberal vice-president Theodor Stolojan, whom President Traian Basescu recently appointed Prime Minister, on Friday dismissed rumors alleging the liberals and democrat liberals held political negotiations, stressing talks to include liberals in the future government are over.

Romanian Democrat Liberals Ponder Parliamentary Partnership With Liberals – Sources

Romanian liberals and the democrat-liberals have recently talked about a potential parliamentary collaboration and about supporting a potential minority government formed of the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) and the Hungarian minority party (UDMR), which might be created due to incongruities between the democrat liberals and the social democrats, liberal sources told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian State To Pay Iraqi Debt To 25 Cos In Installments Over 20 Yrs

A total number of 25 Romanian companies with business sin Iraq in the ‘80s, including car maker Dacia, lender BCR and oil company Rompetrol, will receive a total sum of $112.4 million from the state, money owed by the Arab state. The sums will be paid over 20 years.

Romanian Govt Postpones Car Tax Tripling Until Dec 15, ‘08

The emergency ordinance by which the Romanian Government postponed the tripling of the car tax by December 15, 2008 was published Thursday evening in the Official Gazette.

Romania’s Petrom Cuts Diesel Oil Prices By RON0.06/Liter

Romania’s largest oil company Petrom SA (SNP.RO) will cut Friday diesel oil prices by 0.06 lei (EUR1=RON3.9047) per liter, while gasoline prices will stay unchanged, the company said in a statement.

Romanian Salaries To Grow By At Most 10% In ’09

The growth pace for salaries in the Romanian private sector will slow down next year by at most 10%, due to reductions in human resources budgets and delays in recruitment, while the number of benefits will be reduced, as benefits will be selected depending on staff needs and performance.

Romanian Food Safety Auth Seizes 34 Tons Of Bad Pork Meat

Of the 133.6 tons of pork meat imported by Romania from Ireland, 34 tons were seized, while the rest was processed. The national food safety authority decided, through the rapid alert system, to pull these products off the market, said food safety authority head Radu Roatis.

Romanian Social Democrats, Democrat Liberals To Share Minister Seats Saturday

Romania’s Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Liberal Party decided Thursday the manner to share the minister positions in the next Government and to have negotiations beginning on Saturday.

Romania 11-Mo Used-Cars Registrations Up 115.8% YY To 256,173 Units

Romanian used-cars registrations rose 115.8% in the first eleven months to 256,173 units from 114,049 units in the corresponding period a year earlier, Interior Ministry data showed Thursday.

Romanian IT&C Regulator Urges Internet Providers To Block 40 Porn Sites

Romania’s National Communication Authority, or ANC, urged the country’s main internet providers Thursday to block access to 40 porn sites hosted in Romania, which aren’t password protected or pay-per-view.

Hundreds Of Romanians Sent Petitions To Govt Over Tripled Car Tax

Hundreds of Romanians are sending daily petitions to the Government displeased with the Government’s move to triple the pollution tax for used cars, which utter insults or request tax exemption for different reasons.

Romanian Leu Continues Slide, Ctrl Bk Indicative At 2-Mo Low

The Romanian currency continued its downward trend against the euro in Thursday’s mid-trade and the central bank computed an indicative of RON3.9047 to the euro, the lowest level in two months.

Romanian Leftist Head To Become National Defense Council VP – Sources

Within the negotiations between the Romanian social democrats and democrat liberals, social democrat leader Mircea Geoana managed to impose the amendment of the Law governing the High Council for National Defense, eyeing the vice-presidency of the council, sources within the party told MEDIAFAX.

Sepultura Returns To Bucharest For Gig On Feb 7

Brazilian rock band Sepultura returns to Romania on Februarya 7 for a gig in Bucharest, part of the tour following the release of their newest album "A-Lex", scheduled for January, organizers said.

Vodafone Romania Offers In-Flight Mobile Phone Services

Vodafone Romania on Thursday said will offer in-flight mobile phone services aboard Emirates Airline and Malaysian Airlines flights, following a roaming deal with Telenor Mobile Aviation AS (TMA).

Romanian Liberal Lawmaker Virgil Pop Sent To Court In Corruption Case

The Cluj branch of Romania’s Anticorruption Department (DNA) sent liberal lawmaker Virgil Pop to court on charges of influence peddling, forgery, instigation to forgery and money laundering, the representative of the local anticorruption department said Thursday.

Godfather Of Punk Iggy Pop To Play Romania At B’estfest In July

After more than 40 years on the world’s biggest stages and after creating mass hysteria among fans at festivals such as Glastonbury or Reading Leeds when he invited them up on state, “Godfather of Punk” Iggy Pop will play Bucharest during the 2009 B'estfest festival.

Romania’s Electrica Serv Ex-GM Sues Co

Mihai Radulescu, the former general manager of Electrica Serv, the maintenance and service unit of Romanian state-owned power grid Electrica, sued the company for not extending his mandate during the June General Shareholders Meeting.

Presidential Decree Designating Romanian Prime Minster Published In Official Gazette

The presidential decree designating democrat liberal Theodor Stolojan for the prime minster office was published Thursday in Romania’s Official Gazette.

Romanian Deputy PM Office To Be Filled By Social Democrat Ilie Sarbu Or Dan Nica – Sources

The deputy prime minister office within Romania’s future coalition government will be filled by social democrat Senate chairman Ilie Sarbu or social democrat Dan Nica, sources within the Social Democratic Party said Thursday, adding a decision will be made soon.

Romania Calls For Simplified Proceedings To Access EU Funds – President

Romania urges for simplified procedures and reduced bureaucracy to access EU funds, in order for Member States to be able to take swifter actions in times of crisis, President Traian Basescu said before leaving for Brussels to attend the EC winter works on Thursday.

Romania’s Nov Inflation +0.32% M-M, Annual CPI Slows To 6.7%

Romania’s inflation rose 0.32% on the month in November, due to higher prices for food and services, but the annual inflation slowed to 6.7%, from 7.39% in October, the National Statistics Institute, or INS, reported Thursday.

Romania Not To Discard Its EU Commissioner – President

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Thursday, before leaving for Brussels to attend the winter works of the European Council, that if the majority of EU states wish to apply the Nice Treaty as of Jan 1, Romania will not discard its European Commissioner.

Around 43,000 People In Romania May Lose Jobs By Apr ’09 – Labor Min

The number of jobless people in Romania rose in November by around 12,000 persons and is estimated to increase by another 43,000 persons until April 2009, especially in the construction and agriculture sectors, Labor Minister Mariana Campeanu said Wednesday.