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Luminita Sorina Placinta Appointed Romanian Youth&Sports Minister

18:51, 14 Iul. 2009
Romanian President Traian Basescu on Tuesday signed the decree appointing democrat liberal Luminita Sorina Placinta minister of Youth and Sports.

Romanian Youth&Sports Min Steps Down Amid Fraud Probe

17:59, 14 Iul. 2009
Romanian Youth and Sports Minister, Monica Iacob Ridzi announced Tuesday she will step down to avoid damaging the government’s image.

Bucharest Subway Co. Pays RON56M For Disabled Access Elevators

15:28, 14 Iul. 2009
Bucharest subway company Metrorex will pay some 55.9 million lei (EUR1-RON4.2175), VAT exclusive, to mount special elevators and platforms for the locomotor disabled.

Romania’s Jan-May Curr Acct Deficit Narrows 75.5% YY To EUR1.78B

12:57, 14 Iul. 2009
Romania's current account deficit narrowed 75.5% in the first five months of 2009 to EUR1.78 billion, from almost EUR7.24 billion in the same period a year earlier, due largely to the lower trade deficit, the central bank said in a statement Tuesday.

Romanian Social Democrats Want Homeowners To No Longer Pay 20% Of Thermal Upgrade Costs

12:28, 14 Iul. 2009
Romanian social democrats want homeowners’ associations to no longer pay 20% of apartment thermal refurbishment costs, Adrian Nastase, head of the National Council of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), said Tuesday in a press conference.

Romanian Magistrates File Complaint Against Justice Min

10:25, 14 Iul. 2009
The president of the Romanian Magistrates Association (AMR), Mona Pivniceru, said she will file a complaint against justice minister Catalin Predoiu at the Prosecution Office within the High Court of Justice, claiming the minister issued “a memo that defies the law”.

Romanian “Rabla” Program Allows Loans, Leasing On For Purchases

19:39, 13 Iul. 2009
Romanian people who replace their cars through the car park renewal program "Rabla" will be able to use leasing and lending to finance the purchase, according to an order by the environment minister, which also states that one owner can receive the bonus from the state for each vehicle scrapped.

Romanian Social-Democrats Call For Minimum Rev Tax Annullment

19:20, 13 Iul. 2009
Romania’s Social Democratic Party PSD proposed the elimination of the minimum tax as of September 1, the party’s spokesperson Bogdan Niculescu Duvaz announced Monday at the end of PSD’s Standing Bureau meeting.

Romanian Govt Mulls Freezing High Pensions Prior To Drafting New Pension Law – Sources

19:19, 13 Iul. 2009
The Romanian government is looking at several variants before drafting the new pension law and is considering freezing high pensions, obtained via special laws, or setting a new payment level by recalculating these pensions through the law regulating the public pension system, official sources said.

Romanian Chamber Of Deputies To Hold Extraordinary Session On Ridzi, Tariceanu Cases

17:00, 13 Iul. 2009
The Standing Office of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies decided Monday to organize an extraordinary session, on July 27, which would include two plenary meetings that would debate, among others, the reports in the Ridzi and Sterling-Tariceanu cases.

Romanian Social Democrats To Call For Extraordinary Parl Session In Youth Min Case

15:50, 13 Iul. 2009
Romania’s Social Democratic Party, part of the ruling coalition, wants to call for an extraordinary Parliament session to debate the inquiry committee’s report on democrat liberal youth minister Monica Iacob-Ridzi, party spokesman Bogdan Niculescu Duvaz said Monday.

Nabucco Shareholders May Use 50% Of Pipeline’s Capacity

15:48, 13 Iul. 2009
Shareholders of the Nabucco gas pipeline consortium will be allowed to use 50% of the pipe’s capacity, while the rest will be used by companies transporting natural gas to Europe, according to the intergovernmental agreement signed Monday in Ankara, Turkey.

Romanian PM: Nabucco To Deliver Energy Without Political Pressures

13:32, 13 Iul. 2009
Nabucco pipeline project is aimed at ensuring energy safety in the region and in the European Union, at market conditions and without political pressures, Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Monday in Ankara, Turkey.

Romania, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey Sign Nabucco Pipe Deal

13:31, 13 Iul. 2009
The prime ministers of Romania, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey signed Monday in Ankara the intergovernmental accord for the Nabucco project, the gas pipeline aiming to reduce European Union dependence on Russian gas.

Romanian Fin Ministry To Implement VAT Compensation Sys In July

12:53, 13 Iul. 2009
Romania's Finance Ministry will implement in July the value-added tax compensation system, which will include a sum of 980 million lei (EUR1=RON4.2138), one of the coalition leaders said Monday after the ruling coalition’s weekly meeting.

Bucharest Stock Exch Must Become Regional To Survive – Dinu Patriciu

12:50, 13 Iul. 2009
The Bucharest Stock Exchange, or BVB, cannot survive in its current organization and its only solution to grow is to become a regional bourse, Romanian businessman Dinu Patriciu said Monday.

Romania’s Consul To Chisinau Resigns Amid Sex Scandal

10:45, 13 Iul. 2009
Romania’s consul to Chisinau, Ion Nuica, resigned Monday after “Curentul” daily posted on its website several photos and footage showing Nuica having intercourse with a woman who “seems” to be an employee with the Romanian consulate in Chisinau.

Romanian Govt Mandates PM To Sign Nabucco Accord On July 13

22:56, 12 Iul. 2009
The Romanian Government Sunday evening approved the memorandum which mandates Prime Minister Emil Boc to sign on behalf of Romania the intergovernmental accord on the Nabucco natural gas pipeline and the political declaration of the five states involved in the project in Ankara (Turkey) on Monday.

First 30 Km Of Romanian Bucharest-Brasov Hwy Complete This Year – PM

18:29, 12 Iul. 2009
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Sunday that the first 30 km of the Moara Vlasiei - Ploiesti segment of the Bucharest – Brasov highway will be completed this year, and works on the Ploiesti ring road will be complete in November.

Bucharest City Hall To Take Back 3,000 Parking Spots From Dalli Exim

16:53, 12 Iul. 2009
Bucharest City Hall announced it will begin Monday to take over the over 3,000 parking spots managed by Dalli Exim, since the company was notified, one month ago, that the contract signed with the mayoralty in this respect in 1995 was terminated.

Middle East Should Drop Preconditions, Start Peace Talks – Romanian Pres

16:44, 12 Iul. 2009
Romanian president Traian Basescu met Sunday in Ramallah with Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas, stating at the end of the meeting that the Middle East should move to peace talks and give up preconditions set for the beginning of talks.

Over 3,000 Catholics Protest In Bucharest

15:12, 12 Iul. 2009
Over 3,000 catholics in Bucharest left Sunday at noon from the "Sfantul Iosif" Cathedral in Bucharest on a march towards the Government, led by catholic clerics and the Bucharest Archbishop, Ioan Robu.

Romanian Pres Supports Palestine, Israel As Separate States

13:50, 12 Iul. 2009
Romanian president Traian Basescu said Sunday, before his departure to Ramallah, that the peace process in the Middle East "can be continued now, given the political evolutions in the region,” and the goal needs to be "two states, Palestine and Israel, in peace and security."

Two New AH1N1 Virus Cases In Romania, Toll Reaches 53

18:27, 11 Iul. 2009
Two new cases of AH1N1 virus infection were discovered in the Romanian infectious disease monitoring network, namely two children aged eight and respectively 15, which brings the infection toll to 53 in Romania, said the Ministry of Health.

EC Unlocks EUR170M SAPARD Funds For Romania

16:10, 11 Iul. 2009
The European Commission sent Saturday a letter to Romanian authorities, informing them SAPARD payments worth EUR170 million have been unlocked, Romanian agriculture minister Liviu Harbuz told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Transporters To File Complaint At EC Over Excessive Fines By Hungarian Authorities

20:15, 10 Iul. 2009
Two transport organizations in Romania, namely APTE 2002 and FORT, will file a complaint at the European Commission against the fines applied to Romanian transporters by Hungarian road control authorities, MTI news agency informed, citing the leaders of the two organizations.

Romanian Trade Registry: 80,000 Cos Suspend Ops In 1H, Up 12-Fold On Yr

16:18, 10 Iul. 2009
The number of Romanian companies that suspended their activity in the first half of 2009 rose sharply compared with the same period a year ago, Trade Registry data shows, signaling the financial crisis and the minimum tax enforcement have taken their toll on the country's economy.

Italian Co Building Bucharest-Brasov Hwy Should Use Local Reinforced Concrete – President

14:26, 10 Iul. 2009
Romanian President Traian Basescu on Friday told the Italian constructors who won the auction for the first segment of the highway linking capital city Bucharest to central Brasov to buy reinforced concrete produced in Romania, as the local steel industry is closing down over lack of demand.

Romania Does Not Plan To Ask IMF To Hike Loan – PM

13:51, 10 Iul. 2009
Romania's Government does not plan to ask the International Monetary Fund to increase the loan or to amend the macroeconomic indicators agreed in spring, and the first half indicators will be analyzed as of July 20 when official data is available, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Friday.

Romanian Prosecutors Request Financial Checkups In Youth Day Scandal

13:23, 10 Iul. 2009
Romanian prosecutors requested financial checkups at the companies that signed contracts with the Youth and Sports Ministry for the Youth Day festivities, the country’s financial authority ANAF said Friday.

Romanian National Park Retezat In „Seven Natural Wonders of the World” Semifinals

12:53, 10 Iul. 2009
Romania qualified in the semifinals of the competition "The Seven Natural Wonders of the World", as National Park Retezat ranked tenth among the most beautiful national parks, forests and natural monuments of the world.

Romania’s Jan-May Trade Def At EUR3.6B Vs EUR9.1B

11:05, 10 Iul. 2009
Romania’s trade deficit narrowed in the first five months to EUR3.62 billion from EUR9.1 billion in the same period a year earlier, the National Statistics Institute reported Friday.

Romania’s June CPI +0.2% M-M, Annual Inflation Narrows To 5.86%

11:04, 10 Iul. 2009
Romanian consumer price index rose 0.2% in June compared with the previous month, due to higher fuel prices and the leu depreciation, but the annual inflation narrowed to 5.86%, according to data released Friday by the National Statistics Institute.

Businessman Sorin Vantu Sues Romanian President For Slander

20:00, 09 Iul. 2009
Romanian businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vantu has sued President Traian Basescu over slanderous allegations during a television on private channel B1 TV, according to journalist Victor Ciutacu’s blog.

Romanian Parl Commission Recommends Youth Minister Dismissal, Prosecution

19:14, 09 Iul. 2009
The Romanian Parliament commission looking into the Youth Day scandal recommended on Thursday that the prime minister dismisses youth minister Monica Iacob Ridzi and requested her prosecution on charges of embezzlement and abuse of office.

OLAF ’08 Investigations In Bulgaria, Romania Brought Out More Than EUR80M In Fraud

18:25, 09 Iul. 2009
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) had 23 ongoing investigations in Bulgaria and five in Romania at the end of 2008, in cases involving fraud and mismanagement of SAPARD funds, which brought total damages worth more than EUR80 million, according to OLAF’s Annual Activity Report for 2008.

Romanian Swine Flu Cases Climb To 50

18:06, 09 Iul. 2009
Romanian authorities on Thursday confirmed the 50th infection with the new A/H1N1 flu virus, in a 38-year-old man who returned from the U.K. recently, the Health Ministry said in a release.

Moody’s Revises Dn Romania’s ’09 GDP Contraction Forecast To 5.7%

16:35, 09 Iul. 2009
Moody’s revised downwards its predictions on Romania’s economic contraction in 2009 to -5.7% from its previous forecast of -4%, the rating agency said in a Credit Opinion report on Romania.

Romanian Ex-Convict Miron Cozma Set To Run For Presidency

16:35, 09 Iul. 2009
Romanian former miners’ leader Miron Cozma, who served time in prison for his involvement in the 1991 riots, said Thursday that he will run independently in the presidential election in fall, unless he succeeds in registering his Workers Party by then.

Romanian Parliament Committee To Push For Prosecution Of Youth Minister

16:01, 09 Iul. 2009
The parliament inquiry committee investigating Romania’s youth and sports minister Monica Iacob-Ridzi will recommend the start of prosecution against the minister, while the ruling Democratic Liberal Party will draft a separate stance.