Recent Initiatives:  

• On Sept 28, Ionuț Sas, Chair of the AmCham Education TF shared key-messages related to AmCham’s advocacy agenda on education during a dedicated live conference organized by CursdeGuvernare.ro, including: 

  • the need to increase the focus on abilities required to navigate a digital world (creative thinking, critical thinking, analysis, self-paced learning, self-motivation)
  • the need to update the educational model to stimulate creativity and encourage teachers to create educational content
  • the implementation of the blended learning model in Romania, as a response to structural challenges of the education system and a catalyst for the modernization and sustainable development of education in Romania

Ionuț also highlighted some of the challenges of the education system in Romania: the low share of teachers and students with digital abilities, the poor performance of the education system as shown by PISA testing over the past years, the limited administrative capacity to implement large-scale reforms and expressed AmCham’s willingness to contribute to and support the modernization of education through target interventions, working with students and teachers and facilitating the collaboration between the education system and the private sector. To watch the conference visit and highlights from the presentations, visit https://cursdeguvernare.ro/conferinta-cursdeguvernare-educatia-si-schimbarea-paradigmei-economice.html. 

• On Sept 22,  the AmCham Meet the Mayor series resumed with a meaningful discussion with Mihai Jurca, #Oradea City Manager, who shared with participating members very promising perspectives on the development of the city, especially regarding projects aimed at attracting investments. These include: 
• The development of industrial parks in Oradea and the metropolitan area
• Increasing accessibility to stimualte growth, through air connection with Bucharest and other EU cities
• Incentives to attract investments (building and land tax exemptions), focus on consolidating a start-up community in the tech industry, implementation of smart city solution
•  Real Estate developments focused on increasing office space in Oradea
•  Invesments in the cargo terminal.

• AmCham Romania was a supporting partner of the Sept 16 & 17 e-TAXCON21 conference organized by AmCham Moldova. The conference recording can be watched here:  Day 1: RO // EN // Day 2: RO // EN. 

• On September 9, 2021, the AmCham Structural Funds, Public Procurement and PPP Committee published a position paper on the challenges posed by the increase in prices of building materials. The document outlines the impact on the market, consequences for the economy and some proposed solutions. Over the summer, AmCham was in contact with the relevant stakeholders to monitor the situation and design advocacy initiatives in support of timely and adequate solutions. On August 4, 2021, representatives of the AmCham Corporate Governance Committee participated in a public consultation on the results of the 2016-2020 National Anti-corruption Strategy, organized by the Ministry of Justice and OECD.  

• On Sept 7, leading recommendations on the agenda of the AmCham Energy Committee have been shared by Committee Chair Alexandru-Valeriu Binig during the second panel of the 2021 Romanian Energy Symposium (SIREN), focused on government programs and investment policies in the context of the energy transition in Romania, organized by the World Energy Council and the Romanian National Committee. The intervention focused on the governance of the energy sector with a focus on the Energy and Offshore Laws, the alignment with EU legislation and the state-aid framework.

• On July 26, 2021, AmCham Education Task Force, representatives participated in an online meeting with Ligia Deca, Presidential Advisor for Education and Research, via the CDR Education TF. The topics discussed included remedial education, the career in education and the digitization of the education system in Romania. 

Position Papers:  

• Digital Economy Committee: Position Paper regarding the Digitalization of Local Public Administration, Sept 27 
• Real Estate TF: Letter to MADR on the methodological norms of Law 264/2020, Sept 24 
• Real Estate TF: Letter to MLPA regarding the drafting of a Urban Code, Sept 24 
• Digital Economy Committee: Position Paper regarding the Development and Implementation of the Government Cloud, Sept 22 
• Capital Markets & Financial Services Committee: Proposed amendments to the draft law implementing Regulation 2020/1503, Sept 13 
• Structural Funds, Public Procurement and PPP: Proposed solutions in the context of the increased prices of building materials, Sept 9 
• Trade Legislation TF: Amendment proposals regarding EGO 99/2000 regarding sale of goods, via CDR, Aug 25 
• Energy Committee: Preliminary Proposals & Comments regarding the EU Proposal for a CBAM Regulation, Aug 25 
• Competition and State-Aid Committee: Observation to the draft EGO implementing the Regulation 452/2019 (FDI Regulation), Aug 19 
• Capital Markets & Financial Services Committee: Amendment Proposals on the current draft of the Restructuring and Insolvency Law, July 14 

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Upcoming Initiatives:  

• October 4, 2021, 10:00, Athenee Palace Hilton, Enescu Room - Business Breakfast with the Romanian Competition Council on State Aid. Our main speaker, Competition Council President, Bogdan Chiritoiu will touch on the state aid component of the approved National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNNR) as well as discuss the current state aid schemes and look to the future of state aid within the current environmental shifting paradigm. 

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Call for Input

AmCham is sharing for members' review & feedback, a draft memorandum with measures for debirocratization in view of supporting the business environment, launched in public consultation by the Ministry of Economy (annexes are also available here).

In order to draft a point of view on behalf of AmCham, we look forward to receiving your comments and/or further proposals by Thursday, September 30, EOB . Kindly please submit your input using the attached template to Raluca Manea, Public Policy & External Relations Coordinator - rmanea@amcham.ro. 

Special Focus: 

All you need to know about the approval of Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan: 

Yesterday, September 27, 2021, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Bucharest to announce the approval of Romania’s NRRP. Romania will receive 29.2 billion Euros to fund reforms and investment projects to be delivered by 2026.  Of these, 14.2 billion Euros represent grants and 14.9 billion Euros represent loans. 

Of the total amount Romania will receive, 41% is allocated to reforms and investments that support climate objectives and 21% is allocated to reforms and investments in support of digital objectives. 

Key figures: 

• 3.9 billion Euros for railway modernization,
• 1.8 billion Euros for urban mobility,
• 855 million Euros for clean energy production,
• 2.7 billion Euros for energy efficiency of buildings,
• 1.1 billion Euros for biodiversity and environmental protection,
• 1.5 billion Euros for the digitalization of the public administration,
• 470 million Euros for the digitalization of healthcare 
• 881 million Euros for the digitalization of education.

>> The full factsheet is available here. 

Romania’s Plan will now have to be approved by the European Council and the European Parliament. At the end of the process, Romania will receive its first installment of approx. 2 billion Euros in pre-financing to start the implementation of the proposed reforms and projects. 

AmCham Romania will continue to monitor the process and will intensify the dialogue with the authorities to advocate for the efficient and timely implementation of the Plan, to support Romania’s sustainable development and the modernization process of public systems.