The European Commission (EC) has concluded that Romania's EUR 200 million (RON 1 billion) recapitalisation of the wholly state-owned CEC Bank does not constitute state aid within the meaning of EU state aid rules, the commissiom reported on Monday.In September 2024, Romania informed the commission of its intention to recapitalise CEC Bank, with the primary goals of enhancing its lending capacity, developing the CEC Financial Group, and improving operational efficiency by streamlining workflows within the bank. Romania submitted a business plan covering the period 2025-2028, along with a long-term outlook for 2029-2032, and a report on the 'private investor test', all of which were evaluated by the commission.The commission assessed the measure under the EU state aid rules. Following its assessment, the commission found that Romania's recapitalisation of CEC Bank 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 manner acceptable to a prudent private investor, the intervention does not constitute state aid.The commission's assessment of Romania's business plan indicated that the EUR 200 million capital injection would yield returns consistent with market conditions for the Romanian state, CEC Bank's sole shareholder. The business plan forecasts increased market share in lending and deposits, improved efficiency, and robust capital levels.
Only 145 companies in Romania, out of more than 800,000 active businesses, managed to grow their revenues and remain profitable every year between 2008 and 2024, according to an analysis published by business intelligence platform Termene.ro. The study found that these firms, representing just one in every 5,500 companies (or 0.02% of the total), generated […]
The secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, Mathias Cormann, was on a visit to Romania on Monday, September 15. The representative had talks with president Nicusor Dan and prime minister Ilie Bolojan, after which he said that Romania may succeed in joining the organization in 2026. Founded in 1961, the […]
Romania’s anti-corruption prosecutors have indicted Timișoara Airport’s former general manager Iulian Daniel Idolu and five board members on charges of abuse of office, alleging they illegally extended Idolu’s mandate without a competitive selection process. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) said Iulian Daniel Idolu, who served as general manager of “Traian Vuia” Timișoara...
Romanian car rental company Klass Wagen said that it launched the Autozentrum brand and opened its first subsidiary in Germany, becoming the first Romanian company to sell used cars on the German market. The move marks the beginning of the Klass Wagen Autozentrum European network, through which the group intends to sell used cars directly […]
The Romanian men's tennis team defeated El Salvador 3-1 over the weekend of September 13-14 and secured a spot in the Davis Cup World Group I Play-offs. The tie between the two teams was played within World Group II. In the first match of the tie, Romanian Radu Țurcanu defeated Marcelo Arévalo, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, […]
France has introduced a pilot program to teach Romanian as a mandatory foreign language in its public school system, marking the first such initiative in the country’s education sector, the Romanian Embassy in Paris announced. The project began at Collège Aimé et Eugénie Cotton in Blanc-Mesnil, a town in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, where many students […]
