A concert featuring music from the 17th century will take place at the Anglican Church in Bucharest (Alexandru Xenopol 2A)on November 18, from 19,00 hours. Soprano Judit Andrejszki from Budapest will perform along with Caius Hera, who studied classical guitar at the Timisoara Music Faculty.

Mercadia, the retail company controlled by Romanian billionaire Dinu Patriciu (in picture), will invest EUR 100 million in the Mic.ro network of stores, turning 2,000 of them into mobile stores. The company will buy cars and turns them into mobile stores. The company already signed for 1,000 Fiat Ducato cars with importer Autoitalia.

*National Bank officials about the possibility to exit crisis: the budget adjustment is just the start of reforms – in Ziarul Financiar
*Patriciu wants to invest EUR 100 million in putting Mic.ro on wheels – in Ziarul Financiar
*Astra profit grows four times in nine months to EUR 4.3 million – in Ziarul Financiar
*Ardaf won EUR 2.6 million but its business dropped 23 percent – in Ziarul Financiar
*BCR Life Insurance sees business up 37 percent – in Ziarul Financiar

The use of renewable energy sources, the increase in energy efficiency and a clean and safe energy infrastructure are all challenges that once accomplished might boost Romanian productivity and thus competitiveness. Romania-insider.com looks at the structural funds for economic competitiveness and at the companies that got them.

Calendar of events for the period November 15-18; business events, workshops, press conferences, exhibitions

The Romanian gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.7 percent in the third quarter of this year from the second and it dropped by 2.3 percent from January to September, according to the National Institute of Statistics. The Romanian GDP in the third quarter shrank by 2.5 percent in gross series compared to July-Sept. of 2009 and by 2.3 percent by seasonally adjusted series.

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc and Transport Minister Anca Boagiu on Saturday cut the ribbon to open a new ten-kilometer section of the Transylvania Highway between Turda and Campia Turzii in northwestern Romania. Boc then got behind the wheel to test the road together with the transport minister.

Romania won the women's team epee world title Friday at the Fencing World Championship in Paris, France. Romania's Anca Maroiu, Simona Alexandru and Ana Branza won 35-26 against Germany in the final.

The Bucharest City Hall has started demolishing the old houses on the Buzesti boulevard in the capital city to expand the boulevard. The first houses – on the right side of the boulevard, coming from Victoriei Square to Vasile Parvan – were demolished on Thursday night and 87 houses in total will be knocked down to make room for the extension.

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) will issue a gold coin celebrating the anniversary of 135 years since the birth of Queen Marie of Romania. The coin will be available from November 15.

A concert featuring music from the 17th century will take place at the Anglican Church in Bucharest (Alexandru Xenopol 2A)on November 18, from 19,00 hours. Soprano Judit Andrejszki from Budapest will perform along with Caius Hera, who studied classical guitar at the Timisoara Music Faculty.

Mercadia, the retail company controlled by Romanian billionaire Dinu Patriciu (in picture), will invest EUR 100 million in the Mic.ro network of stores, turning 2,000 of them into mobile stores. The company will buy cars and turns them into mobile stores. The company already signed for 1,000 Fiat Ducato cars with importer Autoitalia.

*National Bank officials about the possibility to exit crisis: the budget adjustment is just the start of reforms – in Ziarul Financiar
*Patriciu wants to invest EUR 100 million in putting Mic.ro on wheels – in Ziarul Financiar
*Astra profit grows four times in nine months to EUR 4.3 million – in Ziarul Financiar
*Ardaf won EUR 2.6 million but its business dropped 23 percent – in Ziarul Financiar
*BCR Life Insurance sees business up 37 percent – in Ziarul Financiar

The use of renewable energy sources, the increase in energy efficiency and a clean and safe energy infrastructure are all challenges that once accomplished might boost Romanian productivity and thus competitiveness. Romania-insider.com looks at the structural funds for economic competitiveness and at the companies that got them.

Calendar of events for the period November 15-18; business events, workshops, press conferences, exhibitions

The Romanian gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.7 percent in the third quarter of this year from the second and it dropped by 2.3 percent from January to September, according to the National Institute of Statistics. The Romanian GDP in the third quarter shrank by 2.5 percent in gross series compared to July-Sept. of 2009 and by 2.3 percent by seasonally adjusted series.

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc and Transport Minister Anca Boagiu on Saturday cut the ribbon to open a new ten-kilometer section of the Transylvania Highway between Turda and Campia Turzii in northwestern Romania. Boc then got behind the wheel to test the road together with the transport minister.

Romania won the women's team epee world title Friday at the Fencing World Championship in Paris, France. Romania's Anca Maroiu, Simona Alexandru and Ana Branza won 35-26 against Germany in the final.

The Bucharest City Hall has started demolishing the old houses on the Buzesti boulevard in the capital city to expand the boulevard. The first houses – on the right side of the boulevard, coming from Victoriei Square to Vasile Parvan – were demolished on Thursday night and 87 houses in total will be knocked down to make room for the extension.

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) will issue a gold coin celebrating the anniversary of 135 years since the birth of Queen Marie of Romania. The coin will be available from November 15.