Five-star hotel Athenee Palace Hilton in Bucharest has opened the Cafe Athenee restaurant following a revamping process which included the hotel's reception, lobby, the hallway area, as well as food and beverage areas. The entire renovation cost was of EUR 2 million, according to Linda Griffin, the newly appointed general manager of the Bucharest hotel.

Austrian companies are still interested in investing in Romania, but they ask for more transparency, efficiency and consistency in public administration, as well as the improvement of the local legal system, according to Rudolf Lukavsky, Commercial Counselor within the Austrian Embassy to Bucharest.

Private health care operator Centrul Medical Unirea (CMU), majority owned by investment fund Advent International will merge with Euroclinic Hospital and Medical Centers, the two companies have announced. Advent International has taken over the majority share package in Euroclinic from Dutch group Eureko.

*CMU merges with Euroclinic – in Ziarul Financiar
*Gunter Grieb leaves Profi after a year – in Ziarul Financiar
*Romania taken down by Greece's problems, says Economist Intelligence Unit – in Ziarul Financiar
*Local Musette stores go to New York – in Ziarul Financiar

Romanian state-owned gas company Romgaz will purchase natural gas from import, through negotiations on Vienna Gas Exchange from June 2011, according to the company. This will be a first for the Romanian company and it means that the company will get gas at lower prices compared to the current imports based on the contracts Romgaz mainly concluded with Gazprom.

Romanian state-owned passenger railway company CFR Calatori will raise railway transport tariffs by 8 percent from September 20 and it will maintain discounts for commuters, school pupils and university students, the company has said. The increase in railway transport tariffs was initially planned for September 15, but it was put off for a later date.

Romanian low cost airline operator Blue Air gave up five of its 11 planes and sacked 300 of its 800 employees, within a restructuring process that is due to end on November 1, said Gheorghe Racaru, strategy and development manager of the group Blue Air is part of.

*Banks have to face mass protests for the first time for change of contracts – in Ziarul Financiar
*Over 40,000 Romanians signed mandatory home insurance – in Ziarul Financiar
*Romanian Simona Popovici is part of the Coca Cola Hellenic HR management team – in Ziarul Financiar
*Reuters: Romania could reach a financing crisis in November – in Ziarul Financiar
*Sorin ovidiu Vantu freed from arrest. Basescu about SOV accusations: “An accused cannot be confronted with a head of state” - in Gandul

French retailer Auchan has chosen a smaller format for its future store Iasi, pursuing an area half the size of its usual store formats so far. Auchan will open a 5,000 sqm store in mixed project Palas Iasi in the second half of next year.

Palas Iasi, the mixed real estate project developed by local developer Iulius Group in partnership with the Iasi municipality, has had to shift the project amidst the crisis to comply with the new market realities. The project, which was initially supposed to feature 800 apartments, will only feature 100 apartments, out of which 60 have already been sold, said Iulian Dascalu, president and owner of the group.

Five-star hotel Athenee Palace Hilton in Bucharest has opened the Cafe Athenee restaurant following a revamping process which included the hotel's reception, lobby, the hallway area, as well as food and beverage areas. The entire renovation cost was of EUR 2 million, according to Linda Griffin, the newly appointed general manager of the Bucharest hotel.

Austrian companies are still interested in investing in Romania, but they ask for more transparency, efficiency and consistency in public administration, as well as the improvement of the local legal system, according to Rudolf Lukavsky, Commercial Counselor within the Austrian Embassy to Bucharest.

Private health care operator Centrul Medical Unirea (CMU), majority owned by investment fund Advent International will merge with Euroclinic Hospital and Medical Centers, the two companies have announced. Advent International has taken over the majority share package in Euroclinic from Dutch group Eureko.

*CMU merges with Euroclinic – in Ziarul Financiar
*Gunter Grieb leaves Profi after a year – in Ziarul Financiar
*Romania taken down by Greece's problems, says Economist Intelligence Unit – in Ziarul Financiar
*Local Musette stores go to New York – in Ziarul Financiar

Romanian state-owned gas company Romgaz will purchase natural gas from import, through negotiations on Vienna Gas Exchange from June 2011, according to the company. This will be a first for the Romanian company and it means that the company will get gas at lower prices compared to the current imports based on the contracts Romgaz mainly concluded with Gazprom.

Romanian state-owned passenger railway company CFR Calatori will raise railway transport tariffs by 8 percent from September 20 and it will maintain discounts for commuters, school pupils and university students, the company has said. The increase in railway transport tariffs was initially planned for September 15, but it was put off for a later date.

Romanian low cost airline operator Blue Air gave up five of its 11 planes and sacked 300 of its 800 employees, within a restructuring process that is due to end on November 1, said Gheorghe Racaru, strategy and development manager of the group Blue Air is part of.

*Banks have to face mass protests for the first time for change of contracts – in Ziarul Financiar
*Over 40,000 Romanians signed mandatory home insurance – in Ziarul Financiar
*Romanian Simona Popovici is part of the Coca Cola Hellenic HR management team – in Ziarul Financiar
*Reuters: Romania could reach a financing crisis in November – in Ziarul Financiar
*Sorin ovidiu Vantu freed from arrest. Basescu about SOV accusations: “An accused cannot be confronted with a head of state” - in Gandul

French retailer Auchan has chosen a smaller format for its future store Iasi, pursuing an area half the size of its usual store formats so far. Auchan will open a 5,000 sqm store in mixed project Palas Iasi in the second half of next year.

Palas Iasi, the mixed real estate project developed by local developer Iulius Group in partnership with the Iasi municipality, has had to shift the project amidst the crisis to comply with the new market realities. The project, which was initially supposed to feature 800 apartments, will only feature 100 apartments, out of which 60 have already been sold, said Iulian Dascalu, president and owner of the group.