Following a lengthy process which started in 2012 aiming to reform the Romanian insolvency framework as part of a wider judicial reformation program, the New Insolvency Law (Law no. 85/2014 regarding the prevention of insolvency and the insolvency proceedings) entered into force on 28 July 2014.
In 2014, Romania adopted a new insolvency law, which brings together under one piece of legislation all the procedures applicable to companies, groups of companies, credit institutions, insurance and reinsurance companies, as well as insolvency prevention and cross-border insolvency proceedings. Despite repeated legislative attempts, to date Romania does not have a legal framework for the insolvency of natural persons.
After many versions and years of discussions between stakeholders, the Romanian Parliament has finally passed a law establishing the procedure of insolvency of natural persons – the law was published in the Official Gazette on 26 June 2015 ("Personal Insolvency Law") and will become fully effective in six months.
On 26 August 2015, the Board of the Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority (“FSA”) analysed the status of the Romanian insurance undertaking ASTRA SA, considering the report of the special administrator, KPMG Advisory.
According to the FSA, on 30 June 2015, ASTRA SA had: (i) a negative available solvency margin of approximately RON 871 million (approximately EUR 197 million), (ii) a liquidity ratio of 0.03, and (iii) a capital shortage of approximately RON 968 million (approximately EUR 220 million).
Law no. 151 on insolvency procedures for individuals[1] (the “Law”) is expected to enter into force on 26 December 2015. The Law was published on 18 June 2015, but its entry into force was deferred by six months in order to allow the establishment of a new public body to manage insolvency claims, as well as the enactment by the Government of the regulations for the implementation of the Law.
The New Civil Procedure Code (NCPC) came into force on 15 February 2013 and is applicable to all enforcement proceedings that commenced after this date.
Creditors may begin forced execution if they have an enforceable title. During such proceedings several incidents may occur, which may result in either the impossibility or the delay to the full protection of the creditor’s rights.
Statute of limitations
The New Civil Procedure Code (NCPC) came into force on 15 February 2013 and is applicable to all enforcement proceedings that commenced after this date.
a) Introduction
The Romanian Government has enacted Government Emergency Ordinance no. 46/2013 on financial crisis and insolvency procedure of administrative units (counties, municipalities and communes) (“GEO no. 46/2013”), which entered into force on 24 May 2013. Such enactment was an obligation undertaken by Romania towards the International Monetary Fund as part of a Stand-By Arrangement dating from 2012.
The Romanian Government recently adopted a Government Emergency Ordinance regulating the insolvency of the countrys territorial administrative units (the 'Ordinance').1 The measure, which was supposed to have been enacted in 2006, as contemplated under the local public administration law, was prompted mainly by the staggering amount of debt amassed by many territorial administrative units, as well as Romanias commitments to its international creditors, including the International Monetary Fund.
In the case, the insolvency proceedings had not been used for the purposes provided by Law 85/2006 on insolvency proceedings (Law 85) but for other purposes.