Romanian Parliament convened in extraordinary session to advance PNRR legislation

Romania's Senate and Chamber of Deputies will meet in an extraordinary session between July 27 and July 31 to adopt legislation required to meet milestones under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and avoid losing European Union funding.

The agenda will also include measures to address the impact of the recent cyberattack on the National Agency for Cadastre and Real Estate Advertising (ANCPI), including proposals to extend the deadline for applying the reduced VAT rate to certain residential property purchases.

Senate president Mircea Abrudean announced that the Senate's Permanent Bureau had approved the extraordinary session.

"We will debate and vote on the legislative projects necessary to meet the milestones assumed through the PNRR and to ensure that Romania does not lose the European money it has at its disposal," Abrudean said, as reported by Spotmedia.ro.

According to Abrudean, Parliament will also consider two draft laws related to the disruption of ANCPI's operations following the cyberattack, which halted numerous real estate transactions. One proposal would extend, most likely until August 31, the deadline allowing buyers who had already signed preliminary purchase agreements to benefit from the reduced VAT rate.

"I proposed that all political forces align around a single solution, so that the best option is adopted. The solution is to extend it by a reasonable period, most likely until August 31, so that people who signed contracts and made plans based on the legislation in force do not suffer the consequences of an administrative blockage that is not attributable to them," Abrudean said.

Separately, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) has prepared an amendment seeking to postpone the application of the standard 21% VAT rate on eligible housing purchases until October 1, while the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) has submitted a bill granting additional time for transactions delayed by the ANCPI system outage.

PSD leader Sorin Grindeanu has also called deputies back from the parliamentary recess, announcing three additional legislative priorities alongside the PNRR-related bills.

The extraordinary session will be held in a hybrid format. The Chamber of Deputies is scheduled to hold plenary sittings on July 27 and July 29, with committee meetings taking place throughout the week.

The legislative agenda includes the Urban Planning Code, a PNRR milestone, amendments concerning the teaching career bonus for education staff, revisions to the health reform law, and additional PNRR-related legislation transmitted by the Senate.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin) ...