The European Commission has concluded that Romania's €250 million (RON 1.25 billion) recapitalisation of the majority state-owned Exim Banca Romaneasca does not constitute State aid within the meaning of EU State aid rules. In September 2024, Romania informed the Commission of its intention to recapitalise Exim Banca Romaneasca. The primary goals were to increase lending volumes, develop synergies between retail and corporate activities, optimise internal processes, and improve the structure of financing sources. Romania submitted a business plan covering the period 2025–2032 and a report on the 'private investor test' conducted in connection with the planned capital increase. The Commission evaluated these documents. The Commission assessed the measure under EU State aid rules and found that Romania's recapitalisation of Exim Banca Romaneasca does not constitute State aid. EU State aid rules specify that if a Member State acts as a private investor would and is compensated for the risk in a way acceptable to a prudent private investor, the intervention does not constitute State aid. The Commission's assessment of Romania's business plan for Exim Banca Romaneasca showed that the €250 million capital injection would provide returns consistent with market conditions for the Romanian State, which is Exim Banca Romaneasca's majority shareholder. The business plan forecasts an increased market share in lending and deposits, improved efficiency, and robust capital levels. The non-confidential version of this decision will be made available under the case number SA.115897 in the State aid register on the Commission's competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.
A report published on Wednesday, October 15, by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (or CPT) urges Romanian authorities to address serious shortcomings in the treatment and conditions of detention of patients in forensic psychiatric hospitals. The deficiencies in the Romanian system were identified by the Committee representatives during a visit […]
The state-owned Electrica (BVB: EL), one of the main players in Romania’s energy sector, completed the Satu Mare 2 photovoltaic park, a strategic project that marks an important step in diversifying the production portfolio. Located near the commune of Botiz, Satu Mare County, the park has an installed capacity of 27.056 MW and represents an […]
More than 100 items, ranging from frescoes and paintings to sculptures, photographs, and other rare artifacts from Italian museums, will go on display in Timișoara for an exhibition looking at the city of Pompeii. Titled The Fragility of the Eternal. From Pompeii to the Grand Tour to Today, the exhibition will be open from November […]
Robotics startup Dexory, founded in London by Romanians Andrei Dănescu, Adrian Negoiţă, and Oana Jinga, has secured new Series C funding of USD 165 million, according to an announcement made on LinkedIn and quoted by Ziarul Financiar. The company has developed an autonomous robot, the tallest in the world, reaching 16 meters, and a platform designed […]
NEPI Rockcastle, Central and Eastern Europe’s largest owner and operator of shopping centers, has inaugurated its first photovoltaic park in Chișineu-Criș, Arad county, in western Romania. The investment is part of its green energy programme, which includes a EUR 110 million plan for photovoltaic projects across Central and Eastern Europe. According to the company, these […]
A Romanian man sneaked into the museum five days before the theft of the Cotofenești Helmet and the Dacian gold bracelets from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands. The new information, revealed from the criminal case by Dutch RTL Nieuws, shows that Andrei B. is believed to have...
