Business Review

Greater financial support is only one of the benefits that Romanian farmers stand to reap from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2014-2020, said Dacian Ciolos, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, last week at the end of his visit to Romania. BR takes a look at the local ramifications of the proposed CAP reform.

Simona Bazavan

When it comes to logistics, Constanta has the most favorable geographical position in Eastern Europe. Its location, next to the Black Sea, near the Danube Channel and with connections to two Pan-European transport corridors, should have made it the second biggest maritime hub and logistics development in the European Union. But while the volume of cargo is growing annually, developers’ reservations have left ambitions for the port all at sea.

Andreea Ceasar

A market drop of 20 percent, an increase in VAT and belt-tightening consumers have not scared away DIY newcomers. Business Review finds out why.

Andreea Ceasar

Cautious but optimistic was the general state of mind of company representatives attending the third Austrian Business Forum organized by BR last week. Against the looming debt and banking crisis in Europe, Austrian investors have became even more guarded in handling their local business but remain confident that growth will follow.

Simona Bazavan

After the frantic years prior to the crisis, when Romania was the place to be for many Austrian companies, the Teutonic march has slowed in the past couple of years. Existing investors are fighting to preserve their positions and new ones have become scarce. BR takes a look at some of the most important changes made by Austrian investors in the past year.

Simona Bazavan

After Nokia’s shock announcement two weeks ago that the company was going to slash its local operations by closing down its Jucu plant with the loss of 2,200 jobs, the Romanian authorities and the business community have accepted the decision as a natural move in a global market economy. However, the question remains what happens to the surplus labor force flooding onto the market? BR talked to HR pundits to explore the options.

Otilia Haraga

The Republic of Moldova’s economy grew by 6.9 percent last year and another 7.5 percent in the first semester of this year, convincing an increasing number of European companies to place the country on their investment map. Participants in the first Moldova Business Forum organized last week by BR discussed opportunities in Moldova and ways to increase investment flows between the two countries.

Simona Bazavan

Despite the geographical proximity and traditional exchanges between Romania and the neighboring Republic of Moldova, investment flows between the two countries remain low. Authorities on both sides of the border hope to change that and believe that the better promotion of business opportunities will help them do so.

Simona Bazavan

Romanian farmland is valued on average at less than 20 percent of its Western European equivalent, making it a fertile investment opportunity, especially for foreign investment funds. After a couple of lean years, the market is starting to show signs of recovery, reaping the harvest of upward global trends.

Simona Bazavan

Many local FMCG producers are taking matters into their own hands by announcing big investment plans for their own retail networks. From dairy producers to meat processors and winemakers, the phenomenon has grown in the past couple of years, fueled by the economic crisis, adding more complexity to the local retail scene.

Simona Bazavan