The European Commission has approved a €358 million (1.772 billion RON) Romanian scheme to support small and medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs') affected by the coronavirus outbreak and the restrictive measures that the Romanian government had to implement to limit the spread of the virus. The public support was approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. Under the scheme, the aid will take the form of direct grants for investments in productive activities, up to a maximum amount of €1 million (4934.3 RON) per beneficiary. The scheme will be open to SMEs active in sectors particularly affected by the coronavirus outbreak, such as processing industry, construction, wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, transport and storage. In order to be eligible, companies must have been established in Romania by 31 December 2018 and must have recorded operating profits over 2019. The scheme is expected to benefit 4,000 companies. The Commission found that the Romanian scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid (i) will not exceed €1.8 million per beneficiary; and (ii) will be granted no later than 31 December 2021. The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the measure under EU State aid rules.
Romanian-born actor Sebastian Stan has been nominated in the category of "Best Actor in a Leading Role" for his performance in the film The Apprentice at the 2025 BAFTA Awards. Stan portrays Donald Trump in The Apprentice, focusing on the early years Trump spent in New York. The film depicts a young Trump as an emotional […]
Romanian authorities in coordination with the European Commission participated on Wednesday, January 15, in the urgent medical evacuation operation of 12 Palestinian patients from the Gaza Strip, along with 35 family members. Those evacuated are severely affected by the lack of access to adequate medical treatment. The operation was carried out with the involvement of […]
Romania’s state railway operator CFR Călători will receive 12 new electric trains, which will connect Bucharest with the largest cities in the country’s eastern counties. The trains, part of a contract with the Railway Reform Authority, or ARF, will connect Bucharest North station to Suceava, Iași, Galați, as well as Iași to Cluj-Napoca. According to […]
In a decision adopted in its Thursday meeting, the Romanian government approved May 4, 2025, as the new date for the first round of the presidential elections. The second round should thus be held on May 18, as agreed by the ruling coalition leaders last week. "Two government decisions and an emergency ordinance have been […]
Most of the excavation for the first tunnel built on a highway in Romania has been completed, and traffic could potentially be opened by the end of this year between Tigveni and Bucharest, a section of the Sibiu-Pitești highway. Romanian state officials noted construction work at Section 4 (Tigveni - Curtea de Argeș) of the […]
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or EBRD, invested EUR 707 million in 44 projects in Romania in 2024 to support the country’s green transition, a sharp increase compared to the previous year, when it invested EUR 658 million spread over 23 projects. EBRD cooperates with private corporations, equity funds, banks, as well as local […]
