On October 22, 2023, Romania enacted a new law aimed at providing priority access to pregnant women and persons accompanying children under the age of 5. Officially published in the Monitorul Oficial no. 994 on October 19 2023, and entered into force 3 days latter, the new piece of legislation serves as a legislative acknowledgment of the “bunele maniere” (good manners) principle, thereby formalizing courtesy in public and private spaces. Here’s what you need to know.
The Priority Principle
According to Articles 1 and 2 of the law, pregnant women and those accompanying young children will now have priority at cash registers and service counters in both public and private institutions. This priority is granted unless these entities have dedicated counters for these specific groups.
Visibility Matters
Article 3 mandates that both public and private entities display visible signs near their counters to inform the public about this priority access.
Parking Provisions
Article 4 outlines the parking arrangements. For entities with more than 10 parking spaces, at least 4% of the total parking area, but not fewer than two spaces, must be allocated for the priority groups. Entities with fewer than 10 spaces are exempt from this rule.
Complaint Procedures
According to Article 5, anyone witnessing a violation of this law can report it to the authorities.
Penalties
Fines for non-compliance range from 200 to 1,000 lei (40 EUR – 200 EUR) for violating Articles 1-3 and from 2,000 to 10,000 lei (400 EUR – 2000 EUR) for failing to comply with the parking provisions. Certain exemptions apply for emergency service personnel.
Implementation Timeline
The law entred into force on October 22, 2023. However, entities have 6 months from the enactment of the law to implement the parking provisions as per Article 8.