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Over 4,000 Employees In Romania’s Dacia Car Plant On Warning Strike

Over 4,000 employees of the Dacia Renault car making plant in the southern Romanian city of Pitesti, went on a two-hour warning strike Friday, demanding higher wages and higher bonuses on Easter and Christmas.

Romania Should Cut Through Red Tape In EU Fund Absorption

Romania should strive to increase European Union funds absorption, which is well below the country’s yearly contribution to the union’s budget, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Friday during a seminar on economic issues.

Over 600 Unionists Picket Education Ministry

Over 600 unionists of “Spiru Haret” federation picket the Education Ministry headquarters Friday and are to march up to the Parliament building, protesting against the national pact for education, which they deemed a political scheme used to win votes.

Bush To Meet With Romanian President, PM, NATO, Secretary Gen

U.S. President George W. Bush will have bilateral meetings with Romanian President Traian Basescu, Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer during the NATO summit in Bucharest on April 2-4, the White House said in a statement.

New Car Registrations In Romania Up 35.6% On Yr In Jan, Feb

Romania ranks second in Europe by increase in the number of new passenger car registrations in the first two months of the year, posting a 35.6% increase on the year, to 50,918 units.

Foreign Flag Vessels Collide In SE Romanian Harbor

Two foreign flag vessels collided on Thursday night in Constanta harbor. However, no human lives were lost and the material damages are minor ones.

Vodafone Romania Ups Internet Access Speed To 7.2 Mbps

Romanian mobile telephony operator Vodafone Romania will launch Tuesday, March 18, a new technology, HSUPA, which will provide high upload speeds for data and will increase the download speed, HSDPA, up to 7.2 Mbps.

Bucharest’s Road Public Transport, Subway Cos To Merge

Bucharest’s road public transport company RATB and subway company Metrorex will merge forming one institution called the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, according to a draft act drawn up by the Transports Ministry.

Romanian Anticorruption Prosecutors Seize Ex Agric Min Apartment

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors seized an apartment held by former agriculture minister Decebal Traian Remes in the northern Romanian city of Baia Mare, people close to the investigation told MEDIAFAX.

County Council Heads To Be Elected Uninominally In June Polls – Govt

Presidents of county councils will be elected under the uninominal voting system at the local elections in June 2008, in compliance with the law introducing the uninominal voting system, of which the government took note, government spokeswoman Camelia Spataru told MEDIAFAX Thursday.

Romanian Agriculture Min Advises Milk Producers To Join Forces

Romanian agriculture minister Dacian Ciolos advised small producers in the milk industry to join forces if they wish to have a saying on the market.

Italy’s Enel To Be First Integrated Co In Romanian Electric Pwr Sector

Italian power firm Enel SpA (EN) will become the first integrated company in the electric power field in Romania, following the investments in the nuclear and thermal sectors, the head of the group’s international unit Carlo Tamburi said Wednesday.

Romania’s Car Tax Computed Based On CO2 Lvls For Euro 3 Cars As Well

The Romanian minister of Economy and Finance Varujan Vosganian on Thursday confirmed the country’s car tax regime will consider the level of carbon dioxide emissions for Euro 3 cars as well, in addition to Euro 4 cars.

Romanian Health Ministry Aims Building 30 Hospitals By 2012

Romania’s Health Ministry expects to receive in April, offers for the design, construction and equipping of 32 hospitals countrywide, projects that will rise to an estimated RON13.7 billion (EUR3.7 billion), VAT included, and that are to be finished in 2012.

Bucharest Zoo Stays Open – Minister

Romanian environment minister Attila Korodi said Thursday the zoo in Bucharest would not be shut down, but will see investments

Romanian Costel Busuioc Wins Spain’s „Hijos De Babel” Song Contest

Romanian Costel Busuioc, 33, won the "Hijos de Babel" song contest final Wednesday night, organized by the Spanish public television.

Romania Jan Curr Acct Gap Widens 16.7% On Yr

Romania’s current account deficit widened 16.7% on the year in January to EUR1.135 billion, largely due to a widening of the income deficit, preliminary data from the central bank showed Thursday.

Romanian Automobile Craiova Could Change Name To Ford Romania

Romania’s auto-assembly plant Automobile Craiova could change its name to Ford Romania, and the measure is to be discussed on May 5 in the extraordinary shareholders’ meeting.

Govt Secretary General Resigns Position To Run For Mayor Seat

Romanian Government secretary general Ilie Bolojan announced he resigns his position after on Monday he said he would run for the Oradea mayor seat, as the candidate of the National Liberal Party.

Romanian Govt OKed Decision Organizing Local Elections On Jun 1

The Romanian government approved Wednesday a set of decisions setting June 1 as the date for the first round of local elections, and allotted 66 million lei (EUR1=RON3.6799), double compared to local elections in 2004.

Ford Motor To Buy Romania’s Automobile March 21

The privatization commission of Romania’s Automobile Craiova assembly plant was empowered to extend the sale offer until March 21 to allow the completion of the company’s takeover by U.S. giant Ford Motor Co., the head of Romanian privatization authority Teodor Atanasiu said Wednesday.

Colgate-Palmolive Shuts Down Plant In C. Romania, Lays Off 45 Employees

U.S. consumer products maker Colgate-Palmolive Co. on Wednesday said will shut down the toothpaste production line at its plant in Brasov, center Romania, a move resulting in 45 job cuts.

Romania’s Labor Productivity Growth Faster Than Wages In 03-07

Romania’s labor productivity grew at a slightly faster rate than the country’s average gross wages in 2003-2007, Vergil Voineagu, head of the Romanian Statistics Institute, said Wednesday.

Romanian Senate Tacitly OKs Ex Ministers Liability Amendment

The Romanian Senate approved tacitly a draft law initiated by social democrat Serban Nicolae according to which former ministers fall under the law of minister liability and the act also applies to criminal cases under investigation.

Romania 07 GDP Growth Slows On Poor Farming Output

Romania’s 2007 gross domestic product growth slowed to 6% on the year in real terms from 7.9% in 2006, primarily due to a decline in farming output, National Statistical Institute, or INS, said Wednesday.

Romania Still Has Widespread Abuse, Corruption, Discrimination Issues – U.S. Report

Romania still faces abuse, corruption and discrimination issues, although the government has addressed some human rights problems during the year, according to the 2007 U.S. State Department country report on human rights practices.

Constitutional Court Calls Parliament’s Attention Over Constitutional Matters

The Romanian Constitutional Court called to the Parliament’s attention the fact that it failed to correlate dispositions of a law that were declared as unconstitutional with the Court’s decision as well as the stipulations of the constitution.

Romanian Prosecutors Check Validity Of Bid On Rehabilitating Bucharest-Pitesti Highway

The National Anticorruption Department, or DNA, is verifying the legality of the auction through which the Bucharest Regional Department for Roads and Bridges chose the contractor that would rehabilitate the Bucharest-Pitesti highway.

Romania’s Environment Min Says 18 Zoos Will Be Closed Down

Romania’s environment minister Attila Korodi said on Tuesday that 18 zoos, among which the Bucharest zoo, that fail to observe the necessary functioning conditions will be closed down.

Romanian Deputies Adopt Law On Criminal Probe Against High-Officials

Romanian deputies Tuesday adopted 188 to 63 and three abstentions the draft law allowing the start of a criminal probe against the ministers who are also members of Parliament only with the approval of the Parliament.

EC Prompts Romania To Introduce CO2 Emission Criterion To Euro3 Cars

The Romanian government is working at the last amendments regarding the country’s tax on car registration after the European Commission asked that the new calculation method considering CO2 emissions also be applied for Euro3 cars.

Romanian Education Sector Unionists Protest Against Pact For Education

The members of the “Spiru Haret” and “Alma Mater” Free Unions Federation in the education sector, said they would protest Friday against the National Pact for Education, which they consider "a political means to win over the electorate."

Romanian Pres Asks PM To Cancel The Car Tax

Romanian president Traian Bsescu sent a letter to prime minister Calin Tariceanu, asking him to cancel, through emergency ordinance, the car tax, accusing Tariceanu that, through such measures, he is belittling Romanians.

Romania Jan-Feb State Budget Surplus 0.2% Of GDP – FinMin

Romania’s general consolidated budget ran a small surplus of around 0.2% of gross domestic product in Jan-Feb, Romanian Finance Minister Varujan Vosganian said Tuesday during a seminar.

Romanian Econ Fin Min Says Pension Hike Was One-Off Deal

Romanian pensions will reach, after the increase in January 2009, sucha high level that any other addition, aside from the indexing in correlations with the average salary, will not be sustainable from a budget perspective, said economy and finance minister Varujan Vosganian.

Romanian Jan Trade Deficit At EUR1.41B

Romania’s trade deficit widened roughly 3% in January to EUR1.41 billion from EUR1.37 billion in the corresponding month last year, driven by higher imports from the European Union, the National Statistical Institute said Tuesday.

Romanian Feb CPI +0.7% On Mo, +7.97% On Yr

Romania’s consumer price index rose 0.7% on the month in February, on higher utility prices, taking the annual rate to 7.97%, its highest level since March 2006, the National Statistical Institute, or INS, said Tuesday.

Romania, Bulgaria Engaged In Tough Race For EUR7B Austrian Investment

Romania stands higher chances than Bulgaria to attract the EUR7 billion-investment that Austria's steel-maker Voelstahlpine plans to make in the Black Sea region.

Romanian Constitutional Court Says Dignitary Probes Need Parliament OK

The Romanian Public Ministry is obligated to ask the Parliament for approval in the investigation of ministers or former ministers, who are currently members of Parliament, when the dignitaries are targeted within an investigation.

Air France, Delta Airlines To Operate Direct Bucharest-New York Flight

French airliner Air France will operate starting April 1 a direct flight on route Bucharest-New York, in connection with American airliner Delta Air Lines, the French company said Monday.