With its EU accession in 2007, Romania has gained access to much needed financing alternatives in agriculture; the main sources of funding are the direct payments and those through the National Program for Rural Development. The proper use of the financing for the farming sector could trigger a more competitive Romanian agriculture, the increase in the number of jobs in rural areas, as well as the sustainable development of rural areas. Romania-Insider.com looks at the main features of the EU funds for agriculture, an area which could become one of the country's competitive advantages if properly taken care of, as well as at several foreign investments in Romanian agriculture.

BRD-Groupe Societe Generale posted a profit of EUR 113 million in the first nine months of the year, down 28 percent on the level registered at the end of September last year, according to the bank. Its banking revenues were of EUR 634 million, up 5 percent.

The Bucharest state-owned metro company Metrorex transported almost 90 million passengers in the first half of the year, according to data from the Transport Ministry. Last year, 170 million passengers used the Metrorex network, and in 2008, 182 million.

Romania currently has the most unsustainable public pensions system among all the emerging economies in the EU, according to a report issued by international rating agency Standard&Poor’s. The Romanian public pensions system will see an increase in pension expenses by 6.4 percentage points of the GDP in the following decades, from a current 8.4 percent of the GDP, to 14.8 percent of the GDP in 2050.

*BCR Group, controlled by Erste, makes RON 6 million profit in third quarter – in Ziarul Financiar
*The stake of the ordinance becomes the stake of the IMF agreement – in Ziarul Financiar
*Americans from Plexus give up on plans to enter China and open a factory in Oradea – in Ziarul Financiar
*Tg Mures airport seeks EUR 40 mln EU financing – in Ziarul Financiar
*Loss in the banking system reaches RON 474 million in the first nine months – in Gandul

The negotiations between Romania and the International Monetary Fund, which currently runs a review mission in the country, may have reached a deadlock mainly because of the condition to change the consumer loans emergency ordinance 50, so the IMF visit to Romania could be extended, according to Mediafax newswire. Suspending the agreement with the IMF is not excluded at this point, according to the newswire which quotes sources familiar with the talks.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a EUR 80 million syndicated financing package to Expur, a Romanian oilseed processing company. The EBRD financing will support Expur’s strategy to contribute to the development of the rape meal and biodiesel markets in Romania

BCR, the largest Romanian bank by assets, controlled by the Austrian Erste Group, posted a net profit of RON 494.5 million (EUR 117.7 million) for the first nine months of this year, down by 29.3 percent on end-September 2009, according to BCR Group’s consolidated financial statements.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Thursday revised upward its forecast for Romanian economy to minus 2 percent in 2010, from a contraction of 3 percent previously estimated, citing slightly improvements over recent months. In its latest economic outlook, the EBRD said Romania has managed to remain "on course" with its EUR 20 billion IMF-led program by implementing austerity measures that will keep the fiscal accounts under control.

*Franks, IMF: The Emergency Ordinance 50 is a must in order to get the next loan tranche – in Ziarul Financiar
*Carrefour found another EUR 60 million for local operations. Romanian retails start falling – in Ziarul Financiar
*Orange's revenues drop mainly on the prepay segment – in Ziarul Financiar
*The GP per capital will return to the 2008 level only in 2013 – in Ziarul Financiar
*Eximbank grows loans portfolio by 20% to EUR 118 million – in Ziarul Financiar
*100,000 Dacias with GPL – on Adevarul

With its EU accession in 2007, Romania has gained access to much needed financing alternatives in agriculture; the main sources of funding are the direct payments and those through the National Program for Rural Development. The proper use of the financing for the farming sector could trigger a more competitive Romanian agriculture, the increase in the number of jobs in rural areas, as well as the sustainable development of rural areas. Romania-Insider.com looks at the main features of the EU funds for agriculture, an area which could become one of the country's competitive advantages if properly taken care of, as well as at several foreign investments in Romanian agriculture.

BRD-Groupe Societe Generale posted a profit of EUR 113 million in the first nine months of the year, down 28 percent on the level registered at the end of September last year, according to the bank. Its banking revenues were of EUR 634 million, up 5 percent.

The Bucharest state-owned metro company Metrorex transported almost 90 million passengers in the first half of the year, according to data from the Transport Ministry. Last year, 170 million passengers used the Metrorex network, and in 2008, 182 million.

Romania currently has the most unsustainable public pensions system among all the emerging economies in the EU, according to a report issued by international rating agency Standard&Poor’s. The Romanian public pensions system will see an increase in pension expenses by 6.4 percentage points of the GDP in the following decades, from a current 8.4 percent of the GDP, to 14.8 percent of the GDP in 2050.

*BCR Group, controlled by Erste, makes RON 6 million profit in third quarter – in Ziarul Financiar
*The stake of the ordinance becomes the stake of the IMF agreement – in Ziarul Financiar
*Americans from Plexus give up on plans to enter China and open a factory in Oradea – in Ziarul Financiar
*Tg Mures airport seeks EUR 40 mln EU financing – in Ziarul Financiar
*Loss in the banking system reaches RON 474 million in the first nine months – in Gandul

The negotiations between Romania and the International Monetary Fund, which currently runs a review mission in the country, may have reached a deadlock mainly because of the condition to change the consumer loans emergency ordinance 50, so the IMF visit to Romania could be extended, according to Mediafax newswire. Suspending the agreement with the IMF is not excluded at this point, according to the newswire which quotes sources familiar with the talks.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a EUR 80 million syndicated financing package to Expur, a Romanian oilseed processing company. The EBRD financing will support Expur’s strategy to contribute to the development of the rape meal and biodiesel markets in Romania

BCR, the largest Romanian bank by assets, controlled by the Austrian Erste Group, posted a net profit of RON 494.5 million (EUR 117.7 million) for the first nine months of this year, down by 29.3 percent on end-September 2009, according to BCR Group’s consolidated financial statements.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Thursday revised upward its forecast for Romanian economy to minus 2 percent in 2010, from a contraction of 3 percent previously estimated, citing slightly improvements over recent months. In its latest economic outlook, the EBRD said Romania has managed to remain "on course" with its EUR 20 billion IMF-led program by implementing austerity measures that will keep the fiscal accounts under control.

*Franks, IMF: The Emergency Ordinance 50 is a must in order to get the next loan tranche – in Ziarul Financiar
*Carrefour found another EUR 60 million for local operations. Romanian retails start falling – in Ziarul Financiar
*Orange's revenues drop mainly on the prepay segment – in Ziarul Financiar
*The GP per capital will return to the 2008 level only in 2013 – in Ziarul Financiar
*Eximbank grows loans portfolio by 20% to EUR 118 million – in Ziarul Financiar
*100,000 Dacias with GPL – on Adevarul