It has recently been noted that social actors show a growing interest in concluding collective agreements at various levels, the justification being manifold: this either represents a way to retain employees, or it is an attempt to align to market practices, etc.

The EU support for renewables, fostered from the outset by climate change and environmental/health as well as energy independence concerns, has prompted across the years a booming renewable business. Then the war in Ukraine broke out and the ensuing energy crisis raised a structural question mark on how EU could best react to these challenges and what role would the renewables play in the process.

On 13 December 2022, Law No. 357/2022 (“Law 357/2022”) on the approval of Emergency Ordinance No. 119/2022 amending Emergency Ordinance No. 27/2022 (“GEO 27/2022”) on measures applicable to final customers in the electricity and natural gas market in the period between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023, as well as for amending certain regulatory acts in the energy field (“GEO 119/2022”) was published in the Official Gazette of Romania no. 1198. Law 357/2022 entered into force on 16 December 2022, except for certain provisions which will enter into force at a later date. Below is a selection of some of the more relevant provisions set forth under Law 357/2022.

Bucharest is currently going down a rocky road insofar as urban regulations are concerned, which have gone through a real odyssey, from being judicially and administratively suspended, to some of them ending up by being finally cancelled by the administrative litigation courts.

On 6 December 2022, Government Emergency Ordinance no. 163/2022 ("GEO 163/2022" or the “Ordinance”) for supplementing the legal framework on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and for amending and supplementing certain regulatory acts, was published in Official Gazette of Romania No. 1165, entering into force on the same date.

With the war in Ukraine raging for more than six months, law firms across the region have reported increased workloads in corporate and M&A, tax, employment, immigration law, and inquiries on the sanctions regimes in relevant jurisdictions, noting that companies from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus are variously looking for a new home. Whether to avoid sanctions or escape the war, those companies consider a variety of factors in determining where to go.

On 1 September 2022, Emergency Ordinance No. 119/2022 (“GEO 119/2022”) amending Emergency Ordinance No. 27/2022 on measures applicable to final customers in the electricity and natural gas market in the period between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023, as well as for amending certain regulatory acts in the energy field (“GEO 27/2022”) was published in the Official Gazette of Romania no. 864 and entered into force on the same date. Below is a selection of the provisions set forth under GEO 119/2022.

Bondoc & Asociatii, working with White & Case, has advised the Stabilus Group on a long-term EUR 450 million credit facilities financing.

Against the background of energy transition and of the states’ need to ensure their energy security in the current geopolitical context, offshore renewable energy technologies have gained increased attention. Today, they have been included in renewable energy policies both in the European Union ("EU") and in the EU Member States, whether we are talking about wave energy, tidal energy, energy produced by floating photovoltaic panels, floating wind turbines and wind turbines attached to the seabed.

Grid connection in Romania is mainly regulated by ANRE Order no. 59/2013 approving the public grid connection regulation (the “Connection Regulation”), which has already been amended twice in 2022 (under ANRE Orders no. 17/2022 and 81/2022) and will soon be amended for a third time. Hence, the legal regime governing grid connection is quite a carousel of changes and reshapes.

More than two years after the expiry of the deadline for the transposition of Directive (EU) 2018/1972 establishing the European Electronic Communications Code ("Electronic Communications Code"), Romania has adopted for this purpose the Law no. 198/2022 amending certain regulatory acts in the electronic communications sector and for the establishment of measures meant to facilitate the development of electronic communications networks ("Transposition Law").

Against the background of a continuous transformation of the realities surrounding us, the European Union institutions have been noted to show an effervescence in their actions meant to cover the gap between reality and the legislative framework. This gap has grown with the evolution of digital technologies. Thus, the legislative framework has proven insufficient for an adequate protection, for example, of content published or shared in any way in the online environment.

The EU has committed itself under the European Green Deal to decarbonizing the European economy and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. To this end, an accelerated transition from fossil fuels as a primary energy source to renewable energy will be required. The integration of intermittent and variable renewable energy sources (e.g., wind and solar) into the power system requires greater flexibility in supply and demand in order to stabilize the power grid, prevent extreme price fluctuations and maintain security of supply and electricity price affordability. Short-term energy storage and multi-month seasonal storage is one of the ways to achieve the goal of such greater flexibility.

On 31 December 2021, Emergency Ordinance no. 143/2021 amending Electricity and Natural Gas Law no. 123/2012 and amending certain regulatory acts (“GEO 143/2021”) was published in the Official Gazette of Romania no. 1259 and entered into force. GEO 143/2021 is intended to transpose into national law Directive (EU) 2019/944 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU (“Directive 944/2019”).

On 25 May 2022, Law no. 157/2022 („Law 157/2022”) amending Law no. 256/2018 on certain measures necessary for the implementation of oil operations by offshore oil perimeter owners (“Offshore Law”) was published in the Official Gazette of Romania no. 516 and entered into force on the same date.

Relatively recently, the legislative process has once more turned its attention to the former Draft Law amending Law no. 186/2013 on the establishment and operation of industrial parks (DL-x no. 250/2014) adopted by the Senate on 28 April 2014 and by the Chamber of Deputies, as decisional chamber, on 4 May 2022 ("Amending Law"). The Amending Law will enter into force after promulgation by the Romanian President, who, nevertheless, has the prerogative of sending it back to the Parliament for re-examination.

The past months have brought some important decisions from European data protection authorities (“DPA”) with respect to the use of cookies and the transfer of personal data outside the EEA, especially to the USA. This article aims to highlight the context and content of the decisions in question. 

Bondoc si Asociatii has advised the Bucharest Municipality on the private placement and admission to trading of 55,500 bonds with a total issuance nominal value of RON 555 million. The issuance was intermediated by a syndicate of BRD Groupe Societe Generale and Raiffeisen Bank. Dentons advised the banks.