Legislative priorities for the second session
The next parliamentary session starts on September 1st and will last until the end of December. Working just on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the permanent Committees and on Mondays in the plenary sessions, deputies and senators have only 48 days in order to debate, amend and adopt the draft bills. The #GoodAffairs Team provides a selection of the legislative priorities for the coming parliamentary session, on the following subjects: #JUSTICE, #HEALTH, #TAXATION and #BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. Be vigilant, keep an eye on them. We will certainly do that. Or let us keep an eye on them for you.
Amending on the laws on the statute of judges and prosecutors, on the Superior Council of the Magistracy and on the organisation of the judiciary. #Initiator: Ministry of Justice #Status: It is to be adopted by the Gov’t and passed through the Parliament until December 2017. #Provisions: The Romanian's Attorney General and the head prosecutors will be appointed by the Judges Section of the Superior Council of the Magistracy, upon the Justice Minister’s proposal. President Klaus Iohannis has been excluded from this procedure.The Minister of Justice presented the principles of the draft bill on August 23rd, 2017. The Pardon Law #Initiator: Ministry of Justice #Status: It is to be debated in the Legal Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, that has the decisional vote. The pardon Law was adopted on May by the Senate, the debates on the draft bill were very controversial and determined the dismissal of Serban Nicolae, former Chairman of the Legal Committee of the Senate. #Provisions: It is a tool by which Gov’t hopes to sort out the overcrowding of the jails. According to the draft bill, people imprisoned for up to 5 years and also a number of imprisoned people who have children under the age of 14th are pardoned. The corruption and violence cases are exempted from the ruling.
The Vaccination bill #Initiator: Ministry of Health #Status: Adopted in the siting of the Gov’t on August 9th. Recorded to the Standing Bureau of the Senate. #Provisions: Regulates the life-long vaccination of children and adults. The bill defines the following: vaccinations regime (mandatory and recommended); financing of the vaccination activity; public procurement for vaccines; awareness campaigns on vaccination; the technical group set up at the Ministry of Health and the counties’ health committees. Both authorities and all SHs responsibilities are regulated. The application norms will be approved within 12 months after the bill is adopted. The Vaccination bill is to enter the force on January 1st, 2018.
Taxation of multinationals #Initiator: A group of 26 PNL senators #Status: The draft bill is blocked in the Committee of Industry and the Committee for Economic Development of the Senate that give their approval by releasing the final report on the draft bill. #Provisions: Transposing of the Council Directive (EU) 2016/1164 of 12 July 2016 on preventing tax base erosion risks and transfer of profits. Former Gov’t postponed the implementation of the European Directive. PM Mihai Tudose stated that the current Gov’t “will try to find proper tools in order to be fair with the business environment”. The amending of the Fiscal Code #Initiator: A group of PNL deputies and senators #Status: The Budgetary Committee of the Senate requested the postponement of the deadline for the releasing of the final report until September 12th. It has received a negative approval from the Gov’t. #Provisions: Clipping the CAS and CASS contributions by 7% and decreasing the tax on income and on profit from 16% to 10% starting October 2017. The Royalties Law #Initiator: Ministry of Finance #Status: In working progress. To be adopted by Gov’t and passed through the Parliament until December 2017. It is expected to be release into public debates on October. #Provisions: The additional taxation of the profits obtained from the extraction of natural and unprocessed resources in Romania by at least 20%.
#BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
The Prevention Law #Initiator: Ministry for Business Environment and SMEs #Legislative status: Adopted by the Gov’t on May 2017. Registered to the Senate, as the first chamber of the legislative procedure. The Budgetary Committee requested the postponement of the final report releasing until September 26th. #Provisions: The new bill eliminates fines for first-time offenders in the case of about 267 offenses, replacing them with warnings. The Insolvency Law #Initiator: Ministry of Finance #Status: In force. To be amended by the Gov’t and passed by the Parliament until November 2017. New amendments: An enterprise won’t be able to stay in insolvency more than two years. A person will be banned to set a new enterprise in the years to come after insolvency. ANPC draft bill #Initiator: PNL deputies and senators #Status: Adopted by the Chamber of Deputies through silent approval procedure. Submitted to the Senate. Negative approval from: Government, Public Administration Committee, Committee for European Affairs. Positive approval from: Labour and Budget Committees. Reports from Industry, Legal and Economic Strategy Committees are expected to be released. #Provisions: The draft bill stipulates that the National Authority of Consumers’ Protection (ANPC) is to be led by a Council composed of 7 members, who are to be appointed by the Parliament. ANPC could apply fines on the companies’ turnover of 0.5 up to 10% of the previous financial year’s results. Looking forward to your feedback. #goodaffairs team