Companies in Romania had EUR 11 billion loans taken directly from foreign banks abroad at the end of last year, mostly from Germany and Austria, according to data from the Central Bank BNR, quoted by local Ziarul Financiar.

They represent almost a third of the companies' total loans, which also have loans contracted from local banks in the equivalent of EUR 25 billion.

The external debt of Romanian companies decreased by EUR 700 million compared to September 2012.

These data are collected by the Central Bank based on some memorandums concluded with central banks in several European countries in order to facilitate the access of foreign banks to information about Romanian borrowers.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com