With two weeks to go until the European Union’s Justice and Home Affairs Council convenes to make a decision on Schengen enlargement, Romanian officials stepped up their lobbying efforts in order to have the country accepted into the border-free zone. After FM Teodor Baconschi earlier this week asked for support in the process from EU member states’ diplomats, Interior Minister Traian Igas presented the country’s preparations for joining Schengen in Brussels, while Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu went on a visit to the Netherlands, one of the states that blocked Romania’s accession earlier this year. read more...

Corina Martin, head of the Romanian Tourism Agency Association and of the "Litoral-Delta Dunarii" Association, said Thursday that hotel revenues were 10% lower this summer compared to last year, despite a slight increase in the number of tourists. read more...

Romania's Government plans to convene a meeting for the beginning of next week, to approve the final draft of the letter of intent agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund, European Commission and World Bank in this summer's evaluation mission, people close to the matter told Mediafax. read more...

The law for the support of renewable energy investments could be fully applicable by the end of September, Zoltan Nogy Bege, general manager of the Energy Efficiency Department within the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), stated for Mediafax. read more...

The Senate rejected yesterday President Traian Basescu’s request to speed up the procedures needed in order to list on the Bucharest Stock Exchange the companies that are part of the Property’s Fund (FP) portfolio, a fund whose majority shareholder is the Romanian state, Mediafax informs. read more...

Romania dropped 10 places to rank 77th in the 142-nation global competitiveness rankings compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF), hotnews.ro informs. Romania totaled 4.08 points on a 1 to 7 scale. In 2010 Romania totaled 4.16 points. read more...

The National Printing Company (CNIN) has resumed the tender on introduction of the electronic health insurance card, a contract worth an estimated RON 110.8 M, including the Value Added Tax (VAT), after the assigning procedure was cancelled following a complaint filed by Ericsson Romania, Mediafax reported, quoting the announcement posted on the website www.e-licitatie.ro. read more...

The Romanian government on Wednesday announced it has extended by three years the exploration permits held by OMV Petrom on nine land blocks and one marine block, with a cumulated surface of 23,000 square kilometers. read more...

Romania's Health Ministry will coordinate the National Health Insurance House, but the House will remain autonomous and in charge of the healthcare budget, the Government decided Wednesday through an emergency ordinance. read more...

Romanian Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely said Tuesday that, in mid-2012 or in 2013, he plans to eliminate the pollution tax paid upon a car's first registration and introduce a "green card" certifying the amount of emissions produced by the vehicle. read more...

Romanian central bank governor Mugur Isarescu on Monday said that growth cannot be achieved merely by using more money, and economic growth requires stable prices. read more...

Romanian energy regulator ANRE may keep applying current pricing regulations for electricity and gas beyond 2015, for certain categories of clients, despite deregulation agreements concluded between the government and the International Monetary Fund. read more...

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc this week might put forward a proposition to set up a Ministry for European Funds, democrat liberal MP Sulfina Barbu told Mediafax. read more...

Nearly one million new work contracts have been registered in Romania since the new Labor Code took effect, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Saturday at the summer school of his ruling Democratic Liberal Party’s youth organization. read more...

The German Interior Ministry has no intention whatsoever to reverse its negative opinion on the readiness of Romania and Bulgaria to enter the Schengen area, Novinite.com reported Sunday. read more...

Romania’s Economy ministry will reanalyze the country’s contract with Canada’s Gabriel Resources on the gold mining project in the western Rosia Montana, minister Ion Ariton told a news conference Saturday. read more...

Romanian Transport Minister Anca Boagiu said that, by the end of next of year, the Bucharest-Constanta highway will be completed and open for traffic, and the ministry will finish evaluating the bids received for the construction of the 20.5 km-long Cernavoda-Medgidia section. read more...

President Traian Basescu said yesterday, during the annual meeting of Romanian ambassadors, that despite appearances, economic ties with Russia are growing stronger. “We can also notice an increase in Russian investors’ interest in Romanian economic objectives. I hope that current intentions will become reality,” the president said. read more...

A number of 1,716 employees at the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) “were sent home” as a result of layoffs, and 141 fiscal administrations have been disbanded, ANAF President Sorin Blejnar said Thurs­day, according to Mediafax. Blejnar said the streamlining will bring RON 41 M in savings to the state budget by year’s end. read more...

The Romanian Government wants the Parliament to adopt by November the bill on wages in the public sector in 2012, according to the Executive’s list of legislative priorities for this year’s second parliamentary session. read more...