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Prosecutors Extend Ban To Leave Romania For Ex Agric Min

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors on Friday extended to March 3 the interdiction for former minister of agriculture Ioan Avram Muresan to leave the country, after the official was charged with committing corruption deeds.

Nokia To Make Phones For Europe, Middle East And Africa In Romanian Unit

Finnish mobile telephone giant Nokia will produce phones for markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in its plant in Jucu, in the central Romanian county of Cluj, Anna Simai, Senior Communication Manager Nokia for Southeast Europe told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romanian Railway Unionists Resume Activity

Railroad traffic was resumed on Friday in Bucharest’s "Gara de Nord" railway station and the first trains to depart for their destinations will be the fast train to Constanta and the intercity towards Galati.

Constitutional Court Rules In Matter Regarding State-Owned Dwellings

The contracts of tenants living in houses owned by the state protocol administration authority, or RA-APPS, and that expire in the following months will be extended only until mid 2008, following a decision of the Constitutional Court.

Coroner Report Shows Giovanna Reggiani Was Not Raped

The coroner report indicates the fact that Giovanna Reggiani, the 47-year-old Italian woman attacked in Rome by a Romanian immigrant was not raped, Thursday said police chief Marian Mandroc, Romania’s attaché in Italy.

Romanian Nuclear Reactor Shut Dn On False Alarm

The second nuclear reactor of Romania sole power station Station was switched off Thursday due to a false alarm, the station’s operator Nuclearelectrica said in a statement.

Burger King Signs Franchise Agreement In Romania

Burger King (BKC), America’s second largest chain of fast food restaurants, signed late last year a franchise agreement to start operations in Romania, the company said in its quarterly financial report Thursday.

Romania’s Constitutional Court Finds CNSAS Law As Unconstitutional

Romania’s Constitutional Court Thursday ruled that the law on the Romanian authority in charge with granting access to the files of the former communist secret police Securitate, or CNSAS, is unconstitutional.

Public Administration Reform, A Priority – World Bank

Restructuring public administration is the most important reform Romania should think about, said Thursday Catalin Pauna, economist with the Romanian office of the World Bank.

EC Plans To Adopt Interim Reports On Justice Reform For Romania, Bulgaria

The spokesman for the European Commission, Mark Gray, said Thursday in a press conference that the commission plans to adopt Monday the reports on justice in Romania and Bulgaria.

EP OKs Simplified Visa Control Regime In Romania, Bulgaria And Cyprus

The European Parliament on Thursday approved an extension of simplified controls of visas at the external frontiers of Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus, EP said in a statement.

EU Jus Commissioner Aware Of Romania’s Resolution To Continue Reform-Min

The EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini is aware of the Romanian government’s resolution to carry on the reform in the legal field, Romania’s interim justice minister Teodor Melescanu said Thursday.

Lawyer Elena Udrea To Return Fees Collected From State Protocol Administration For Legal Assistance

The executive secretary of Romania’s Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), Elena Udrea, said Thursday she decided to give back the money obtained for legal assistance services provided in 2003 and 2004 to the state protocol administration authority RA-APPS.

Fitch Changes Romania Outlook To Negative From Stable -2-

Fitch Ratings has today revised Romania’s outlook to stable to negative, mainly due to the rise of the current account deficit.

Romanian Road Transporters Threaten General Strike

Romanian road transporters threaten to go on general strike as of February 25, unless authorities reply to their memo requesting the amending of laws regulating their activity.

Romania Ctrl Bk Pledges To Keep Inflation Under Control – Governor

Romania’s central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said late Wednesday that the National Bank of Romania would take the necessary measures to keep inflation within this year’s target band of 2.8-4.8%.

Philip Morris International Production Hiked Worldwide, Dropped In Romania

Philip Morris cigarette production climbed by 0.9% in 2007, to 291.3 billion units, but in Romania, Russia, Serbia and Turkey, deliveries were lower compared to the previous year.

Romania Ups Gas Subsidies For Low-Income Population

The Romanian authorities will increase gas subsidies granted to people with low incomes, following the 8.5% growth of the natural gas prices as of February 1, minister of Economy and Finance Varujan Vosganian said Wednesday.

Romania To Raise Public Sector Wages By 9.58% In 2008

Romania’s Government will raise public sector wages by an average 9.58% in 2008, with most funds going to top priority fields, such as education and healthcare.

Parliament Legal Committees Postpone Report On Uninominal Vote Law For Next Week

The committees for legal matters in Parliament completed Wednesday discussions on the amendments brought to the uninominal voting system law for which the government assumed responsibility, but postponed the report for next week, due to lack of quorum.

Romania Must Adapt To New Global And Regional Challenges – World Bank

Romania is confronted with an investment calendar meant to sustain economic growth and improve the legal system, but at the same time it needs to adapt to new global and regional challenges, said Orsalia Kalantzopoulos, regional director with the World Bank.

Romanian Household Natural Gas Prices Up 8.5% Feb 1

Romanian household natural gas prices will be hiked by 8.5% February 1, Romania’s Energy Regulatory Authority ANRE said in a statement Wednesday.

Societe Generale Explains The Factors Leading To The EUR4.9B Fraud

The deputy general director of France’s Societe Generale, Jean-Pierre Mustier, stated that three breaches in the risk control system allowed a trader within the bank to perform a risky investment of EUR50 billion on European stock exchanges, triggering EUR4.9 billion worth of losses for the bank.

Ukraine To Set Up Checkpoint On Serpent Island By Aug

The Ukrainian customs on Serpent Island, which is subject to an ongoing protracted litigation between Romania and Ukraine, will be completed by end August, a border patrol official said Tuesday, quoted by Ukrainian agency KrugInform.

Romania Seeks To Attract Business Tourists In 2008

The Romanian authorities are to focus on business tourism and short trips promotion this year, seeking to lure tourists to big cities such as capital Bucharest, the Ministry of Tourism said in a statement Tuesday.

Laws Against Smoking Could Become Effective In ’09

Provisions on the obligation for separation between smoking and non-smoking public areas and the prohibition of tobacco advertising outside points of tobacco sale physical might come into force on January 1, 2009, while the initial deadline mentioned in the draft laws on this topic was July 1, 2008

Romania’s Audiovisual Watchdog, Culture Min To Amend Audiovisual Law

Romania’s audiovisual watchdog CNA and the Ministry of Culture are working on a draft law amending the audiovisual law so that the law will be in agreement with the new audiovisual directive - Audiovisual Media Services Directive, the ministry’s secretary general Virgil Nitulescu told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Pres Asks Parliament Parties To Back Majority Uninominal Voting System

Romanian president Traian Basescu sent letters to all parliament party leaders, asking them to support the majority uninominal voting system in two rounds of elections, Parliament party representatives told MEDIAFAX.

Romania’s Consumer Watchdog Fines Ten Airliners For Passenger Rights Violation

Romania’s consumer protection watchdog fined ten airliners over 288,000 lei (EUR1=RON3.7420) for having breached passenger rights regulations, the watchdog head Dan Vlaicu told a press conference Tuesday.

Romanian Govt To Use Budget Gap To Reduce Imbalances With EU

The Romanian government will make the best of its budget deficit ceiling of 3% of gross domestic product and will continue to fund projects in infrastructure, environment and agriculture to reduce imbalances between Romania and other EU states, Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said Tuesday.

Romania’s Govt Might Lower Expenses In ’08 Budget By March – Fin Min -2-

Romania’s government might approve by March a budget revision that would lower the expenses in the general consolidated budget, Economy and Finance Minister Varujan Vosganian said Tuesday.

Romania Social Security Contributions Among Highest In Europe

Overall contributions to the social security system in Romania places the EU newcomer third among European countries in a classification made by Ernst&Young, which said the measures to cut social security contributions were nearly rendered void by an increased taxation base.

Airplane Crash In N Romania Leaves One Dead

French citizen Eric Rossman, 38, manager of Romanian pulp and paper plant AMBRO SA Suceava, died Tuesday afternoon after his small private jet crashed into the woods in the area of Siminicea, in Romania’s northern county of Suceava.

Yoko Ono Submits Work At Bucharest Biennale For Contemporary Art

Yoko Ono is among the 39 Romanian and foreign artists submitting works for the third edition of the Bucharest Biennale for Contemporary Art, to take place May 23 - June 21, organizers said Tuesday.

Chamber Speaker Asks That Probe Requests For MPs Be Sent To Parliament

Chamber of Deputies speaker Bogdan Olteanu asked prosecutor general Codruta Kovesi to forward to Parliament the notices on the start of criminal investigations on acting and former ministers who are also MPs.

Romania’s Social Democrats Say No To Govt Education Laws

Mircea Geoana, head of Romania’s leftist opposition Social Democratic Party, or PSD, said on Monday that his party would vote against the education laws brought forth by the Ministry of Education.

Google Sets Up Branch In Romania

Google, the world’s largest search engine opened a branch in Romania, called Google Bucharest, after in March 2007 it had appointed its consultant for Romania.

Romanian Parliament’s Legal Committees To Complete Report On Uninominal Voting Sys

The leaders of the Romanian Parliament decided Monday that the committees for legal matters must debate the law introducing the uninominal voting system, for which the government assumed responsibility, so that the law will be in agreement with the decision of the Constitutional Court.

Romanian Social Democrats To Oppose New Car Tax In Parliament

Romania’s leftist opposition Social Democratic Party, or PSD, will vote against the government emergency ordinance instating the new pollution tax for cars, party president Mircea Geoana said Monday.

Romania Fiscal Auth To Expand Online Application Sys To 22 Counties Nationwide

Romania’s fiscal regulator ANAF on Monday proposed expanding the online fiscal statement application system to 22 counties nationwide and recommended the list of online contributors should include additional categories of taxpayers.