Business Forum • 13 March, 2026 at 8:59 AM
The Romanian government has launched a comprehensive legislative package aimed at dismantling bureaucratic barriers for large-scale investments, streamlining environmental permits, and reforming fire safety certifications.
A central pillar of the reform is the adjustment of the threshold for mandatory screening of foreign direct investments. Previously set at €2 million, the limit has been increased to €5 million, significantly reducing the number of companies required to undergo scrutiny by the specialised commission.
Romanian PM Ilie Bolojan said: "We have clarified the sensitive sectors to reduce the scope of required approvals. Furthermore, the approval timeline has been substantially cut by eliminating the additional opinion from the Competition Council. The Commission's decision will now incorporate this, reducing the waiting period by at least two months."
The reforms also target environmental licensing, where administrative deadlines for large investments will drop from 125 days to 85 days. Digitalisation is a mandatory component, with all documentation to be submitted through a new integrated IT system to ensure transparency and deadline compliance.
Regarding fire safety (ISU) authorisations, the government is shifting to a risk-based assessment model. This change is expected to reduce the volume of required projects by 40% by exempting low-risk categories. To prevent economic stagnation caused by administrative delays, a 60-day provisional agreement will be granted if authorities fail to issue documents on time.
Bolojan added: "I believe these measures, focused on simplification and debureaucratisation, will reduce timeframes and administrative costs for firms, serving as a hook to attract further investment to Romania."
These reforms were announced alongside the approval of the 2026 national budget, which was to be voted by Parliament.