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1. Through an ANPC Order[1], economic operators will be obliged as of July 12, 2024 to display useful information to consumers in the category of persons with disabilities in order to facilitate their access to the services made available by operators.

The Order covers economic operators that carry out public passenger transportation activities and economic operators that carry out activities in buildings or premises where ramps or other access options for persons with disabilities cannot be installed. They have not yet been provided.

Clear and correct information, in the interest of people with disabilities, will be provided through:

• Clear and accessible indications on how disabled persons can access boarding/ alighting on/off public transport, consisting of pictograms and/or illuminated signs and an audio system to warn them of where to board and alight. When to open and close doors, and the names of stations;

• external/internal audio signals announcing the stopping of means of transport at the station;

• special markings and information boards on each platform/ shelter/station, indicating the location of the door dedicated to access for disabled persons or from where they will be picked up and how boarding and alighting will be carried out;

• visible instructions (simple, concise, intuitive and understandable icons) at each platform/station/refuge onboarding and alighting disabled persons from the means of transport;

• the staff involved are obliged to provide information about the station where they are to alight, how they will be helped to board/ alight, and to provide assistance when boarding/ alighting from public transport;

• information arrangements for blind and partially-sighted persons, presented physically and/or digitally

• Within airport premises, clear and accessible indications must be displayed for all categories of disabled persons. These indications should include pictograms, illuminated signs, and an audio system to guide them on access, movement, and boarding. The information must be displayed on access doors, information boards nearby, or in waiting areas, without being restrictive.

Economic operators operating in buildings or premises where ramps or other access means cannot be installed must inform users accordingly. They must provide information, by any means, on doors or signs near the access route, about available support options. This ensures that persons with disabilities are aware of how to request and receive the necessary assistance when limited access.

2. The period of notice of dismissal shall begin to run from the day following its communication date and shall expire on the last day of the period.

Decision no. 8 of May 20, 2024 delivered by the High Court of Cassation and Justice, through the Panel for the Settlement of Appeals in the Interest of the Law, on the interpretation and uniform application of the provisions of Art. 75 para. (1) and Art. 278 para. (1) of the Labour Code, was published in the Official Gazette of Romania, no. 573 of June 19, 2024.

According to the Decision, “In the uniform interpretation and application of the provisions of Art. 75 para. (1) and Art. 278 para. (1) of the Labour Code, the period of notice starts to run from the day following the day on which the notice of notice is served and ends on the last day of the period, the provisions of Art. 181 para. (1) point 2 and para. (2) of the Code of Civil Procedure, as well as those of Article 2.553 para. (1) of the Civil Code is not applicable.”

The provisions of the Civil Procedure Code and Civil Code on time-limit calculation do not apply to dismissal notice periods. This is because they use a method of calculation that is incompatible with the specific organisation of employment relationships. These codes do not consider the practical structure and functioning of employment when determining notice period deadlines.

The appeal in the interest of the law arose due to inconsistent court rulings on calculating dismissal notice period start dates. It also addressed differences in interpreting when the notice period is considered to be completed by various courts.

3. Amendments to capital market legislation.

To meet the objectives of the “Financial Supervisory Authority Strategy 2023–2026”, within the OECD accession process, the Government acted. The Romanian Government adopted GEO no. 71 of 21 June 2024 to amend and supplement several existing normative acts. The GEO also introduces measures to prevent and combat aggressive advertising and communication techniques by unregistered financial entities.

According to this legislative act, the Financial Supervisory Authority is empowered to take measures to prevent and combat advertising and aggressive communication techniques practised by entities that are not entered in the A.S.F. Register.

Specifically, entities not authorised by the Financial Supervisory Authority, which offer financial services via websites, use manipulative and aggressive advertising techniques. These entities may be blocked, at the Authority’s request, by ICI Bucharest or electronic communications providers, under Art. IX of GEO 71/2024.

Also, another legislative amendment with a strong impact is the possibility for municipalities to draw up an issue prospectus, with the content and form established by the A.S.F. regulations, addressed to investors who want to buy local authority bonds.

Conclusion

The regulated measures aim to create a more secure investment environment by significantly increasing the level of investor protection. They have important effects on the stability, smooth functioning, competitiveness, reputation, and public image of the domestic capital market. Additionally, the measures allow citizens to become investors in local projects, enhancing public participation in the financial sector.

[1] Order no. 579 of June 4, 2024 on informing consumers who fall into the category of persons with disabilities, by economic operators, in relation to access to public passenger transport services and, respectively, in the buildings owned by them.