Author: Alexandru Popescu

The Pan-European Personal Pension Plan – PEPP is back on the European agenda at a time when two realities are overlapping and simultaneously impacting the labor market: population aging (with a direct effect on the sustainability of public pensions) and professional mobility – internal and cross-border – which has already become the „new normal.” In short, demographic pressure and mobility are meeting precisely where systems are most difficult to adapt. This is not a minor detail: in 2025, the number of immigrants in the EU reached a record high of 64.2 million (Migration and asylum in Europe – 2025 edition – Interactive publications – Eurostat), argue Claudia Sofianu, Partner,…

Romania risks losing essential European funds for its development, as negotiations for the EU's new Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 are in full swing, but in Bucharest there doesn't seem to be a clear plan or a voice representing Romania's interests at the negotiating table, warns IMM Romania. In a context marked by major financial and economic pressures on the Romanian business environment, European funds allocated through the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 will play a decisive role in the country's recovery. The period coincides with the window of opportunity in which Romania's economy could enter a recovery trend,...

Romania is set to attract certain investments of over 25 billion euros in vital sectors such as defense, energy, infrastructure, and critical mineral resource extraction over the next five years, which will provide an extremely attractive framework for horizontal business development in the economy, according to a Frames analysis released on Monday. „The macroeconomic outlook is positive for Romania. This is what most investors take into account. The politicians‘ squabbling is seen merely as background noise, and ’we won't sell our country' type speeches are ridiculed. Regardless of who will be at the Victoria Palace in the coming years, they will have to...

Consumers around the world are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for guidance on investment decisions and to improve their financial security, according to the second edition of the EY Global AI Sentiment Study. The survey, conducted among more than 18,000 people in 23 countries, found that the adoption of artificial intelligence has accelerated over the past six months in the financial services sector as a result of growing consumer interest. Nearly half of respondents (49%) said they had used artificial intelligence to support their savings and investment decisions in the past six…

E.ON signed an agreement on Monday to acquire the British energy provider OVO, thereby consolidating its position in one of Europe's largest energy markets. E.ON already supplies energy to approximately 5.6 million customers in the United Kingdom. Through the acquisition of OVO, around 4 million customers will be added to this portfolio. This solid customer base, in a highly developed and dynamic market, will allow E.ON to develop innovative energy solutions and expand them on a European scale. „The United Kingdom is an important growth market for E.ON, particularly regarding flexibility and..."

The heightened volatility in global markets over the past few days has once again drawn attention to how gold performs during periods of political and economic uncertainty. After reaching approximately $5,100 per troy ounce on January 26, the price of gold subsequently rose to over $5,600, an all-time high. However, the rapid rise was followed by a correction of nearly 11%, with prices falling below the $4,900 threshold shortly after reaching the peak. Over the past week, gold has stabilized in the $4,500–$4,700 per ounce range, signaling a period of calm following the rapid increases in…

Bosch, a global leader in technology and services, closed fiscal year 2025 with consolidated sales of 2.9 billion lei (570 million euros) in external sales in Romania, achieving steady growth of approximately 9 percent in lei (7.6 percent in euros) despite difficult market conditions. Total net sales of 11.7 billion lei (2.3 billion euros) recorded in Romania, including sales from unconsolidated companies and domestic deliveries to affiliated companies, showed a slight decrease of 1.8 percent compared to the previous year. „Bosch Romania has once again proven its resilience..."

PPC Energie is launching a pilot project for the first time in Romania, through which customers will receive active electricity at zero cost during certain hours of the day, to benefit from photovoltaic energy production when it is generated. Participation in the Zero Active Electricity pilot program is available for the first 5,000 eligible customers between May 7-20, 2026, and benefits will be granted between June-September 2026. In total, a customer will be able to benefit from approximately 70 hours of free active electricity each month for 4 months. „The Active Electricity pilot program...

The restructuring plan for TAROM, which includes state aid, is the company's last chance because legally, we can no longer give them money, stated the President of the Competition Council, Bogdan Chirițoiu, to AGERPRES on Thursday. „There is a restructuring plan approved by the European Commission, but the money is national. If you will, it's TAROM's last chance, because legally, we can no longer give them money. Therefore, this restructuring plan must lead TAROM to economic viability, but legally, we are no longer allowed to give money after this rescue aid. The real TAROM has not had..."

The national currency appreciated on Thursday against the euro, which was quoted by the National Bank of Romania (BNR) at 5.2661 lei, down 0.27 bani (-0.051%) from the previous rate of 5.2688 lei. The value of the leu also rose against the dollar, with the U.S. currency quoted at 4.4727 lei, down 0.19 bani (-0.04%) compared to Wednesday, when it stood at 4.4746 lei. In contrast, the national currency depreciated against the Swiss franc, calculated by the NBR at 5.7518 lei, up by 0.89 bani (0.16%), compared to 5.7429 lei, the previous rate, according to Agerpres. The price of a gram of gold…