News about Legislation

The protection of fundamental rights, combating hate speech and bias crimes, as well as the implementation of the Roadmap for the Rule of Law were discussed in Brussels during the 10th meeting of the EU-Moldova Sub-Committee on Justice, Freedom and Security.

The government will consider on Wednesday, May 20, a draft law on security of petroleum product supplies, which envisages the creation of a national system of emergency stocks of gasoline, diesel fuel and liquefied gas. The initiative aims to reduce the country’s vulnerability in case of import disruptions or regional supply crises.

Moldova intends to strengthen its participation in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The Ministry of Interior has drafted a new bill that will clearly define the procedure for interaction with EU countries in case of disasters.

New rules for the elimination of tobacco products marked with excise stamps have come into force. They concern cases when the procedure is carried out abroad.

Proposals to limit or even completely ban bus traffic with Belarus are being heard more and more often in Lithuania. The reason was the fear of possible recruitment and use of foreigners by the Belarusian authorities for propaganda purposes.

The National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova, sectoral trade unions of the public sector and the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM) participated in consultations on the reform of the wage system in the public sector.

Surplus unutilized military surplus assets of the state could be sold, donated, exchanged or leased. This is stipulated in the draft law on the definition of unused surplus military assets and procedures for transferring the right of ownership or the right to use them. The draft has been developed by the Ministry of Defense and is now being considered in parliamentary committees.

Measuring instruments validated in the European Union will be recognized in Moldova as well. The Commission for Agriculture and Food Industry will consider next week a draft law amending the rules in the field of metrology and accreditation to bring the Moldovan system in line with European standards. The draft was previously approved by parliament in the first reading.

Acting Prime Minister Peter Magyar said that Viktor Orbán would allegedly be left without the severance pay he was entitled to. The former prime minister denied these statements and said that the money he was entitled to under the law had already been allocated for charity – the money was given to the Good Samaritan orphanage in Transcarpathia, where the Hungarian national minority lives. He wrote about it on his Facebook page.

Donald Trump has spent much of his second term as president of the United States proposing to erect monuments to himself: a 76-foot triumphal arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery; a gilded, giant ballroom at the White House; a planned renovation of the Kennedy Center (renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center); and a broader effort to remake the Washington, D.C. landscape to suit his aesthetic preferences.

The authorities are discussing a bill that would allow construction work carried out illegally or with serious violations to be stopped immediately, without waiting for the completion of legal proceedings.

Moldova will establish mandatory national gasoline and diesel fuel reserves as part of a new emergency reserve system designed to ensure supply in the event of crises or disruptions in fuel imports.

The Moldovan authorities continue to draft laws “for the future” and develop mechanisms that will become applicable only when the country joins the EU. A new draft will allow Moldovan embassies and consulates to issue temporary travel documents to EU citizens abroad without passports.

The meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe ended on Friday in Chisinau. The European leaders’ agenda centered, among other things, on migration management issues. Among the decisions, the adoption of a new interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights, which could facilitate the expulsion of migrants, stood out.

The compatibility with an adequate competitive environment and the effectiveness of state aid will be checked according to new rules. Since May, a new Instruction on the evaluation of state aid according to European standards has been in force in Moldova. The Competition Council draws the attention of providers and beneficiaries of state aid, whatever form it may take.

Reuters reports that Amazon.com Inc is facing a class action lawsuit from consumers seeking refunds for overcharges on the company’s goods. The inflated prices resulted from the imposition of duties that the U.S. Supreme Court later recognized were illegally imposed by President Donald Trump.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree simplifying the acquisition of Russian citizenship for residents of Transnistria. The document was published on the official legal information portal of the Russian Federation.

The reform of local public administration cannot be postponed any longer, 2026 is the only appropriate period for its adoption, “the next train is in 2031”. This statement was made by the Speaker of Parliament Igor Grosu at the “Civic Assembly” on Saturday, May 16.

In the process of reforming the administrative-territorial structure in Moldova, there is a risk that some small settlements may find themselves in a less favorable position and actually become “forgotten”. Liliana Iaconi, chairwoman of the parliamentary commission for public administration and regional development, told Logos Press in an interview.

Personal property of citizens moving to Moldova from an EU country will be exempt from import duties. The new rules will come into effect at the moment of Moldova’s accession to the EU.