English

Somali Pirates On Two Ships With Romanians Aboard Open Fire Against Anti-Pirate Troops

09:29, 17 Feb. 2010
Somali pirates who captured UK-flagged ship St. James Park and North Korea-flagged cargo vessel Rim, with three Romanian sailors aboard, opened fire against a ship which approached them Tuesday night, said non-governmental organization Ecoterra, cited by website australia.to.

Romania’s Prosecutor Gen Asks Parliament Approval To Pursue New Probe On Ex Youth Min

17:39, 16 Feb. 2010
Prosecutor general Laura Codruta Kovesi urged the Romanian Chamber of Deputies to initiate procedures allowing the start of criminal investigations targeting former Youth and Sports Minister Monica Iacob Ridzi, charged with abuse of office and fund misappropriation in a new corruption file.

Romanian Council Studying Secret Police Files Mulls Contesting Dinescu’s Removal

15:41, 16 Feb. 2010
The Council for the Study of the Archives of Romania's former secret police Securitate mulls contesting a decision stating poet Mircea Dinescu cannot be a Council member to avoid rendering null the Council’s decisions exposing public figures as former collaborators.

Romanians Think Doctors And Teachers Deserve Highest Salaries – Survey

15:36, 16 Feb. 2010
Romanians think doctors and teachers should have the highest salaries, while judges, police officers, MPs, prosecutors and other public servants trail behind in a recent survey conducted by job search website Myjob.ro.

EU: Romania Has Until 2012 To Lower Budget Gap

15:26, 16 Feb. 2010
European Union finance ministers on Tuesday agreed to a one-year extension until 2012 of the deadline by which Romania and Lithuania must bring their budget deficits down to below 3% of the gross domestic product.

Romania Taxing Property At Real Value Is Imminent

15:01, 16 Feb. 2010
Taxing property at its real value, as Romania’s Finance Ministry is planning, is imminent because the country needs to bring in money to the budget and necessary to avoid raising other taxes, Adrian Crivii, general manager of evaluation and advisory company Darian, said Tuesday.

Romanian Development Min To Sell State-Made Homes Cheap

14:12, 16 Feb. 2010
Homes made by the Romanian National Housing Agency (ANL), meant to be rented by young people, will be sold at prices below EUR19,140 for a studio, below EUR26,950 for two rooms and below EUR36,014 for three-room apartments.

Romania’s Fmr President Quits All Positions Within Social Democratic Party

14:09, 16 Feb. 2010
Romania’s former president and honorary president of the leftist Social Democratic Party Ion Iliescu said Tuesday on Antena 3 he is resigning all positions held within the party.

Romania Housing Prices Seen Further Down In 2010 – Valuator

14:09, 16 Feb. 2010
The price of Romanian housing will continue to fall this year, by around 10%-15% for newly-built properties and by 15%-20% for old homes, as clients’ incomes are estimated to drop further, said Tuesday Adrian Crivii, the general manager of evaluation and advisory company Darian.

Romania Mandatory Car Insurance Unprofitable For Insurers, Kept Only To Gain Market Share

13:48, 16 Feb. 2010
Romania’s insurers registered losses over the past five years on the mandatory civil liability car insurance segment (RCA) and must find solutions to reduce costs, National Union of Romanian Insurers (UNSAR) president Cristian Constantinescu said Tuesday.

Romania’s Oltchim Puts 1,140 People On Furlough By End-Feb

10:09, 16 Feb. 2010
Romanian state-owned chemical plant Oltchim (OLT.RO) will put 1,140 employees on furlough by the end of February, the company said Tuesday citing difficulty in keeping its installations functioning at normal capacity, on the backdrop of the lack of raw material on the market.

Romanian Social Democrat VP Joins Race For Party Head

20:56, 15 Feb. 2010
Romanian social democrat vice-president Victor Ponta said Monday he decided to join the race for party president, following the decision of social democrat Adrian Nastase to drop out of the race for the party leader seat.

Romania To Ban Sale Of Alcoholic Drinks, Tobacco In Duty-Free Shops Within 45 Days

20:06, 15 Feb. 2010
Companies that sell goods in duty-free shops have 45 days to exhaust their stocks of distilled alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, following an order of the Romanian finance minister effective as of February 12.

Romania 09 Budget Gap At 7.2% Of GDP, Below IMF Cap

18:03, 15 Feb. 2010
Romania’s consolidated budget deficit rose to 36.4 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.1173), or 7.2% of the gross domestic product at the end of 2009, modestly below the 7.3% of GDP cap agreed with the International Monetary Fund, the Finance Ministry said Monday.

Eight Romanian State Companies To Dismiss 3,545 Employees In 2010

18:01, 15 Feb. 2010
Around 3,545 employees in eight state-run companies subordinated to Romania’s Economy Ministry will be laid off in 2010, with compensatory payments, according to the list approved by the government.

Romanian Social Democrat Nastase Backs Out Of Race For Party President

17:02, 15 Feb. 2010
Romania’s Social Democratic Party national council head Adrian Nastase said Monday he is backing out of the race for party president saying he doesn’t want to be part of a competition he described as lame spectacle.

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.