Romania’s Liberal Party (PNL), led by interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan, has called on parliamentary parties, including former coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (PSD), to support the rapid adoption of legislation required under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), warning that delays could jeopardise access to European Union funding.

The party said nearly 50 legislative acts still need to be approved before the end of the current parliamentary session in June to ensure the full implementation of reforms and investments linked to the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

“We have less than a month of the current parliamentary session ahead of us, and a significant mobilisation is needed for the almost 50 necessary normative acts to be voted on in Parliament,” PNL said in a statement quoted by News.ro.

The appeal came amid a fragile parliamentary landscape following the collapse of the governing coalition, which has complicated efforts to advance legislation tied to Romania’s commitments under the PNRR.

PNL argued that swift legislative action is essential to prevent Romania from missing reform milestones and losing access to European funds scheduled for disbursement by the end of the year.

“In order to avoid a negative scenario for Romania, the PNL demands parliamentary responsibility and prioritisation for the rapid adoption of all outstanding laws related to the PNRR,” the party stated.

The Liberals noted that the caretaker government has limited legislative powers and cannot adopt emergency ordinances, making parliamentary cooperation indispensable.

“Given the legal impossibility of adopting emergency ordinances by the incumbent government, liberal parliamentarians are ready to submit the necessary legislative initiatives, and an accelerated parliamentary procedure, agreed by a majority of parliamentarians, can lead to the desired results,” the statement added.

PNL issued a specific appeal to PSD, which withdrew from the ruling coalition but continues to cooperate with the government on certain legislative matters.

“We especially ask PSD to keep its promise to support and vote on all necessary normative acts, so that Romania is not penalised and does not lose PNRR funds,” the party said.

Romania is among the largest beneficiaries of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, but the implementation of reforms has repeatedly lagged behind schedule. Several major milestones remain outstanding, including legislation related to public sector governance, state-owned enterprises, public administration, taxation, and sectoral reforms.

The end-of-June parliamentary deadline has become increasingly important, as the government seeks to secure the remaining disbursements available under the programme before the facility enters its final implementation phase.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)