English

EC Clears Acquisition Of Romanian Pwr Supplier By Italy’s Enel

12:05, 21 Dec. 2007
The European Commission approved the acquisition of Romania’s electric power supplier Electrica Muntenia Sud by Italy’s Enel, concluding that it would not impede competition, EU said Friday in a press release.

Romania To Keep Current Gas, Pwr Prices Jan 1

11:47, 21 Dec. 2007
Prices for electric power and natural gas will be maintained at the current level January 1, Romania’s energy watchdog ANRE said Friday.

Transport Min Says Will Resign If Probe Shows Victim Involved In Road Accident

11:13, 21 Dec. 2007
Romanian transport minister Ludovic Orban said Thursday evening on Antena 3 he will resign all his public positions if investigators prove his road accident on Sunday involved a victim.

Romania’s Disputed Car Tax Could Be Amended Late January – Fin Min

16:29, 20 Dec. 2007
The draft ordinance amending laws on Romania’s car tax regime has been largely completed and they new provisions could be adopted end January, finance minister Varujan Vosganian said Thursday.

Econ Min: Romanian ’07 Budget Def 1.4% Of GDP

15:12, 20 Dec. 2007
Romania’s general consolidated budget will report a deficit of 1.4% of gross domestic product at the end of the year, Economy and Finance Minister Varujan Vosganian said Thursday.

Romanian Director Envisions „Dracula Dreamin'”

15:04, 20 Dec. 2007
Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu intends to organize, late August, a horror and fantasy film festival - "Dracula Dreamin'" – in central Romanian city Brasov.

Romanian Parliament Okays 2008 State, Social Insurance Budgets

12:50, 20 Dec. 2007
The Romanian Parliament has approved Thursday the state and social insurance budgets, with the majority of the funds going to education, health, agriculture and infrastructure, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said Thursday.

Romanian Minister Reported Road Accident After Call From Police Commissioner

12:07, 20 Dec. 2007
Romanian transport minister Ludovic Orban reported his accident only after he was called by the police chief commissioner, who asked whether media reports about him being involved in a road accident were true, the interior Ministry spokesman told MEDIAFAX Thursday.

Romanian PM Declines To Comment On Transp Min Situation

19:46, 19 Dec. 2007
Romanian Premier Calin Popescu Tariceanu on Wednesday declined to comment on a car accident involving Transportation Minister Ludovic Orban, saying police should handle the case, government spokeswoman Camelia Spataru said.

Romania Extends List Of People To Receive Damages For Former Deposits At CEC

19:22, 19 Dec. 2007
The Romanian authorities on Wednesday expanded the list of eligible persons to receive damages for their deposits at the savings bank Casa de Economii si Consemnatiuni, or CEC, in view of purchasing cars, regardless of the make.

Romania Refuses To Accept Moldova’s Sovereignty – Moldovan President

16:55, 19 Dec. 2007
The president of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, accused western neighbor Romania of failing to acknowledge the country’s sovereignty and of refusing to conclude a Bilateral Treaty and Border Agreement, BBC Romania reported.

Romanian RCA Insurers Tariffs 30% Below Mkt Value-Exec

16:11, 19 Dec. 2007
Romanian insurers licensed to sell civil liability car insurance policies, or RCA, offer prices some 30% lower compared to the level imposed through the overall mandatory reserves set up for their contracts, Allianz-Tiriac Asigurari general manager Cristian Constantinescu said Tuesday.

Drug Dealers Allegedly Funding PKK, Busted In Romania

14:44, 19 Dec. 2007
Three members of an international group of drug dealers, who supposedly financed the PKK, were arrested for 29 days for helping with the transport of 58 kilograms of heroin.

Italian Govt Repeals Expulsion Decree, Drafts Another

12:54, 19 Dec. 2007
The Italian government officially confirmed it would repeal the decree allowing the expulsion of EU citizens, minister for the relation with parliament Vannino Chiti said Wednesday, adding a new decree would be issued, according to Italian daily La Repubblica.

Bucharest Intl Airport Invests RON6.7M In Explosive Detection

12:05, 19 Dec. 2007
Bucharest’s international airport “Henri Coanda” plans to spend over RON6.7 million in February next year on explosive detection equipment, the airport said in a statement.

Romania’s President Reluctant To Moldova’s “Games”

11:40, 19 Dec. 2007
Romania’s President Traian Basescu said Tuesday at the public television that he finds it hard to understand the policy of the Communist Party in Chisinau, but stressed that the aggressive gestures displayed by the Moldovan President, Prime Minister and foreign affairs minister will not change Romania’s stand toward the Republic of Moldova.

Renault Recalls Over 10,000 Logans In Brazil

11:08, 19 Dec. 2007
Renault will recall over 10,000 Logan cars, made in 2007, off the Brazilian market, to check and possibly replace parts that could affect the well functioning of the steering system, the French carmaker said Monday, quoted by Brazilian publication Folha.

Romanian President Says US Is A Very Important Partner

11:01, 19 Dec. 2007
Romanian President Traian Basescu said Tuesday evening on the public television network TVR that he is one of the United States’ best friends as long as the US treats Romania as a partner.

Romania’s Accession To The EU Was A Success – Barroso

22:53, 18 Dec. 2007
The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said in an interview for Romanian radio station RFI Romania, that the first thing he can say, one year after Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the EU, that the integration was a success, and critics were wrong.

Romania Avoids 25% Slash In EU Farm Aid

19:51, 18 Dec. 2007
The European Commission on Tuesday said it decided not to slash Romania’s farm aid by a quarter after establishing Bucharest authorities have taken sufficient steps to improve controls on payments to farmers.

Automobile Dacia Says Romania Should Replace Car Tax With Lower Environ Tax

18:38, 18 Dec. 2007
Automobile Dacia, the Romanian unit of French carmaker Renault, on Tuesday recommended the executive to replace the country’s controversial tax on car registration with a lower environment tax, Automobile Dacia general manager Francois Fourmont said.

Romanian Pro TV Group Runs MTV Romania

17:02, 18 Dec. 2007
Central European Media Enterprises, the largest media group in Central and Eastern Europe, and MTV Networks International signed, on December 17, 2007, a license contract spanning over several years.

Romanian Constr Mkt 170,000 Workers Short – Official

16:03, 18 Dec. 2007
Romania’s construction market is 170,000 workers short and the numbers are seen rising, the Romanian Association of Construction Entrepreneurs, or ARACO, said Tuesday.

Constantin Balaceanu-Stolnici Quits Romanian Academy Activity

15:59, 18 Dec. 2007
Romanian Academy honorary member Constantin Balaceanu-Stolnici quit his activity at the Academy on Tuesday, Academy president Ionel Haiduc told MEDIAFAX.

Lazio Eyes Dinamo Bucharest Keeper Lobont – Paper

15:23, 18 Dec. 2007
Lazio Roma voiced interest in transferring Romanian goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont from FC Dinamo Bucharest, Italian news agency Calciomercato quoted Corriere dello Sport as saying on Tuesday.

Romania To See Typical Winter, Normal Weather Next Year

14:38, 18 Dec. 2007
Winter in Romania this year will not be atypical as last year, while 2008 will also be a normal year as far as weather phenomena are concerned, said Tuesday Ion Sandu, head of the national meteorology authority ANM.

Eurostat: Romania 9-Mo Trade Deficit EUR15B Vs EUR9.6B On Yr

14:37, 18 Dec. 2007
Romania ranks fifth in Europe by trade deficit in the first nine months of the year, up two places against the corresponding period a year ago, according to the statistical office of the European Union, Eurostat.

Romania Wins Second Place In „Dancing Around The World” Competition

14:36, 18 Dec. 2007
Romanian singer Andreea Balan and her dance partner Petrisor Ruge, Romania’s representatives in the international competition "Dancing around the world” won second place in this year’s edition that took place in Mexico.

European Parliament Hosts Rosia Montana Exhibition

14:04, 18 Dec. 2007
The “Past, present and future of Rosia Montana” photography exhibition opened Tuesday at the European Parliament.

Romanian PM Urges Lawmakers To Vote For 2008 State Budget

11:28, 18 Dec. 2007
Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu asked lawmakers to forget political feuds and voter-friendly actions and vote for the 2008 state budget, which he said is balanced and allows the country to continue developing.

Romanian Accused Of Murder Sentenced To 16 Years In Italian Prison

20:45, 17 Dec. 2007
An Italian court on Monday convicted Romanian national Doina Matei to 16 years in prison, Italian news agency AGI reported.

Romania Pushes For 1yr Delay On Animal Welfare Norms

20:13, 17 Dec. 2007
Romanian authorities will try to convince European Commission to accept a on-year derogation, for 2008, from EU norms on the stunning of pigs before slaughter. Talks are currently unfolding in Brussels.

Swiss Political Shift Might Trigger Referendum On Free Movement

15:57, 17 Dec. 2007
Switzerland’s former justice minister, far-rightist Christoph Blocher, might propose the organization of a referendum against the expansion of the agreement on free movement for Bulgaria and Romania, according to a well-known Swiss journalist, quoted by swissinfo.org.

Romanian PM Proposes One Third Of Car Tax Revenue For Environmental Projs

15:43, 17 Dec. 2007
Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu asked the ministers of finance and environment to come up with a system to allow the country’s controversial car tax to be collected as state budget revenue, with about one third of the money going into environmental projects.

Austria To Gradually Drop Labor Restrictions Come ’09

14:52, 17 Dec. 2007
Austrian finance minister Wilhelm Molterer, who is also Vice Chancellor in the Austrian Cabinet, said Monday, in Bucharest, that Austria will gradually lift restrictions imposed on the labor market, starting with the year 2009.

E.ON Gaz Romania Sees Household Gas Prices Up 30% In 2008

13:19, 17 Dec. 2007
E.ON Gaz Romania sees the country’s household gas prices rising 10% in January 2008 and estimates prices will grow by 30% at the end of next year, the Romanian unit of Germany’s giant E.ON said Monday.

Traffic Doubles At W Romanian Border As Romanians Return For Holidays

13:05, 17 Dec. 2007
Romanians working abroad have started to return in the country for the winter holidays and authorities are taking all necessary measures to decongest traffic at the western border.

Intercity Train Smashes Truck In W Romania

10:57, 17 Dec. 2007
An intercity train going on route Budapest-Bucharest derailed on Sunday night near the town of Arad, western Romania, after colliding with a truck.

Number Of Foreign Tourists To Register Slight Increase In ’08 Compared To ‘07

18:36, 16 Dec. 2007
The number of foreign tourists to visit Romania and that or Romanians to spend their vacations abroad would slightly increase in 2008 against 2007 according to estimations of the Association of Employers in Romanian Tourism, or FPTR.

Romania’s Defense Council To Debate Moldova’s Shocking Gesture-Sources

17:53, 16 Dec. 2007
Romania’s Supreme Defense Council, or CSAT, will debate next week about the diplomatic relations between the country and the Republic of Moldova and the consequences of Moldova’s gesture to declare two Romanian diplomats personae non-gratae, official sources said.