Select committees in Parliament approve decree to extend state of emergency

The Legal, Defence and Health Committees of the two chambers of Parliament gave, on Wednesday, approval reports for the decree of President Klaus Iohannis to extend the state of emergency by 30 days. Furthermore, the Economic Policy, European Affairs, Labor, Transportation and Education Committees also gave approval report for the decree. The MPs made a series of proposals and recommendations on the document, which will be sent to the President and Government. The draft decision to approve the measures adopted by the President of Romania that regard the extension of the state of emergency on the entire territory of Romania, which will be subjected to a vote in Parliament in Thursday's meeting, was drawn up by the joint legal committees. The draft saw the introduction of several articles which provide, among others, that "during the state of emergency the restriction of the exercise of some rights and liberties be done only through normative acts with the status of laws," and only for "the prevention and combating of the COVID-19 epidemic, motivated thoroughly and with strict respect of the exigencies of art. 53, paragraph (2) of the Romanian Constitution (e.n. - Said paragraph is as follows: "Such restriction shall only be ordered if necessary in a democratic society. The measure shall be proportional to the situation having caused it, applied without discrimination, and without infringing on the existence of such right or freedom.") During the state of emergency, periodically, each 7 days or any time necessary, the Government will present to Parliament a report comprising the measures adopted or foreseen for the prevention and combating of the COVID-19 epidemic and the reasons determining the measures. Within 30 days since the end of the state of emergency, the Government will present to Parliament a full report, the draft decision also provides. Within 60 days since the ending of the state of emergency, the Court of Accounts will conduct a control on the manner of managing public resources in this period and will present to Parliament a report containing their findings, conclusions and proposals, in the conditions provided by the Constitution of Romania, the draft also shows. Parliament will have, on Thursday, starting with 12:00 hrs, a joint sitting to debate and subject to approval the decree to extend by 30 days the state of emergency on Romanian territory. The plenary sitting will take place online.AGERPRES(RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Maria Voican)