foreigners

The area of Romanian farmland owned by foreigners increased by over 10% this year to 709,000 hectares from 635,000 hectares in 2010, and 24.29% of it belongs to Italians, Agriculture Minister Valeriu Tabara told a news conference Monday.

Romania might release 8,000 work permits in 2010 for citizens of non-European Union countries, which would bring nearly EUR1,600,000 in revenues to the state budget, according to a draft decision put up for debate by the country’s Labor Ministry.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Friday the sector in charge of citizenship problems will be consolidated by the end of the year, so that foreign citizens will no longer have difficulties in obtaining Romanian citizenship.

The European Commission will issue a statement if it is informed about the status of Romanians in Italy, Michele Cercone, the EC spokesman, said Tuesday for MEDIAFAX.

Romania will release nearly 10,000 work permits for foreign citizens in 2009 and the number could go up in ratio with market requirements, Marius Lazar, secretary of state with Romania’s Labor Ministry, said Sunday in western city of Arad.