Press Review - August 17, 2017

08.17.2017 By Oana Gavrila

Eurostat: Romania Posts Biggest GDP Growth In EU In 2Q/2017

Romania registered the biggest economic growth rate in the European Union, of 5.7%, in the second quarter of 2017, compared with the same period a year before, followed by Latvia with 4.8%, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, said on Wednesday.

The smallest GDP growth rates were registered in Belgium (1.4%), Italy (1.5%), Finland and Great Britain (1.7%) in April-June 2017, compared with the year-earlier period, according to Eurostat.

Romania posted the third biggest GDP growth rate in the EU, of 1.6%, on the year in the second quarter of 2017, after he Czech Republic (2.3%) and Sweden (1.7%).

Seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.6% in both the euro area (EA19) and the EU28 during the second quarter of 2017, compared with the previous quarter, according to a flash estimate published by Eurostat.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 2.2% in the euro area and by 2.3% in the EU28 in the second quarter of 2017, after +1.9% and +2.1% respectively in the previous quarter.


Wizz Air Introduces 48-Hour Fare Lock Service

Low-cost airline Wizz Air announced Wednesday it will introduce a service allowing passengers to lock the price of their selected flight for 48 hours for a RON14 fee (EUR3) per person.

The Fare Lock service will be available for flights booked at most seven days ahead.

Wizz Air operates a fleet of 85 planes on more than 500 routes, connecting 142 destinations in 43 countries.



Sbarro Food Chain Enters Romanian Market in Fall

Romania's local restaurant market will add a new international chain to its ranks this fall, as US Sbarro will enter the market with franchised units.

This is the second large chain to tap the Romanian market this year after Taco Bell.

The Romanian classic restaurant market is estimated at RON6 billion, adding to around RON2 billion spent in fast-food places.

Sbarro is a chain of pizzeria that specializes in New York style pizza by the slice and other Italian-American cuisine. Launched more than 50 years ago in the United States.

Sbarro is present in more than 30 countries and will open a unit this fall in Bucharest Mall.

Tarom Has Three New Board Members

Romania state-owned airline Tarom has appointed three new board members, all employees of the Transport Ministry.

Dragos Pelmus, former deputy secretary of state in the Transport Ministry is now Tarom's vice-president, Ion Voicu, former communications manager at the ministry, and Adriana Ionescu, adviser to the the transport minister, are now administrators at Tarom.

They are replacing Andrei Dragos, Valentin Iordache, and Radu Francis Florescu.



Magnitude 4 Earthquake in Galati County

An earthquake of magnitude 4 on the Richter scale occurred Wednesday evening in Galati county.

The tremor occurred at 6:16 pm local time at a depth of 10 kilometers.

Also Wednesday, a magnitude 3.7 quake on the Richter scale occurred in Buzau county, at a depth of 113.8 kilometers.

The biggest recent earthquake in Romania was on August 2 and registered a magnitude of 4.9 Richter. It occurred in Buzau county, at a depth of 132 kilometers.