Romania must pass six laws to unlock €4.5 billion in EU recovery grants, interim PM warns
Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan says Parliament must convene in extraordinary session this July to adopt six legislative reforms, or risk losing over 4.5 billion euros in PNRR grants.
The funding gap
Romania still has to draw more than 4.5 billion euros in grants from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the EU's largest investment programme. The money is earmarked for the Moldovan Highway, railway electrification, hospitals under construction, schools, nurseries, building insulation and local investments across the country. Funds are disbursed in tranches only after each member state meets the reforms and milestones it committed to.
If you don't meet your objectives, you don't get the related funds, and if you meet them partially, you only get part of the money.
Romania received its fourth payment of 2.25 billion euros on 23 June, bringing total PNRR inflows to over 9 billion euros. The total envelope is 21.41 billion euros (13.57 billion in grants, 7.84 billion in loans). Payment requests five and six, worth roughly 10 billion euros, must be submitted soon.
Six laws to unlock billions
Bolojan identified six legislative projects that are blocking further disbursements. Each carries a specific financial value tied to the reform:
- unitary remuneration law – 770 million euros
- incompatibilities law – 770 million euros
- law rewarding Finance Ministry staff for improving state revenue collection – 770 million euros
- civil service law – 770 million euros
- Urban Planning Code – 972 million euros
- law on decarbonising the heating and cooling sector – 972 million euros
- Unitary remuneration
- 770 € millions
- Incompatibilities
- 770 € millions
- Finance Ministry rewards
- 770 € millions
- Civil service
- 770 € millions
- Urban Planning Code
- 972 € millions
- Heating decarbonisation
- 972 € millions
Parliament recalled from recess
The government can no longer use emergency ordinances or assume responsibility to pass laws, so the only path is through Parliament. Bolojan said the legislature will be convened in extraordinary sessions in the second half of July. Consultations with the European Commission are to conclude by the end of this week, after which the draft laws will be sent to parliamentary groups and the leadership of both chambers.
By the end of this week, we will conclude all consultations with the European Commission. We will submit the legislative proposals to the parliamentary groups, party leaders and the leaderships of the two Chambers, so that, in the second half of July, they can be discussed and adopted.
Political backdrop
The urgency is heightened by Romania's political instability. Bolojan's government was dismissed in May through a no-confidence motion, leaving him as interim premier. President Nicușor Dan held consultations at Cotroceni Palace to designate a new prime minister, but no candidate secured a majority. Eugen Tomac resigned his mandate before a parliamentary vote, and a subsequent government led by Veștea failed with only 189 votes in favour, short of the 233 needed.
- Romania's PNRR targets and reforms are set.
- Bolojan government dismissed via no-confidence motion.
- Fourth payment request approved; Romania receives €2.25 billion.
- Bolojan announces six laws needed and plans for extraordinary parliamentary session.
- Consultations with the European Commission expected to conclude.
- Parliamentary debate and adoption of the six laws targeted for second half of July.
- Deadline for completing PNRR projects.
What's at stake
PNRR projects must be completed by 31 August. If the six laws are not adopted in time, Romania risks losing access to the remaining grants. The interim minister of European Funds, Dragoș Pîslaru, has stressed that the fifth and sixth payment requests depend on these reforms. The funds are tied to concrete infrastructure and public-sector modernisation that would otherwise stall.
