Romania’s acting prime minister Ilie Bolojan said after the July 2 government meeting that the executive will request an extraordinary parliamentary session in the second half of July to adopt nine legislative projects linked to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), as the country faces an August 31, 2026 deadline to implement key reforms and risks losing billions of euros in EU funding.

Bolojan said the government has identified nine remaining legislative milestones needed to complete the PNRR framework and unlock financing tranches, with six considered essential and three classified as complementary measures required to finalise the programme, Bursa.ro reported. He added that the proposals are being finalised after technical consultations with the European Commission and will be submitted to parliamentary groups.

He said the adoption of the full package could secure the absorption of about EUR 4.5 billion.

Parliament last week approved a set of laws aimed at meeting milestones under the plan, including measures on research digitisation, water management reform, state agricultural land administration and the acceleration of public investment, particularly in construction. The laws have EUR 2.7 billion financed linked, PM Bolojan said.

Among the most important pending reforms, to be approved in the extraordinary session, is a new law on the remuneration of public sector employees, which is currently under negotiation with the European Commission. The discussions focus on the overall fiscal impact of the wage system rather than salary levels, with Brussels maintaining that public wage costs must remain capped at 8.1% of GDP. The government has said any increases would need to be offset by spending cuts or additional revenue measures.

Another draft law concerns changes to the incompatibilities regime and integrity rules in public administration, prepared by the Ministry of Justice and the National Integrity Agency and currently under consultation with parliamentary parties.

A third measure introduces a bonus-malus system for staff in tax administration, including the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) and anti-fraud structures, linking performance to revenue collection and tax evasion reduction targets.

The government is also preparing amendments to the Administrative Code aimed at reforming the civil service, including changes to recruitment, promotion and career progression rules. Officials said the objective is to strengthen merit-based advancement and administrative efficiency.

A separate Urban Planning Code, already in Parliament, is intended to simplify planning legislation and adjust governance rules for Bucharest, including provisions linked to a local referendum on urban planning competences.

A sixth major measure concerns the decarbonisation of heating and cooling systems, which previously failed to pass the Senate by a narrow margin. The government intends to resubmit the proposal in the Chamber of Deputies.

Three additional legislative initiatives are also being prepared to complete the PNRR package.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)