Stability and Growth Pact

The Recommendation on the Excessive Deficit Procedure in the case of Romania was adopted on Friday at the Meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), in Luxembourg, and our country's commitment is to return to a budget deficit up to 3% of GDP by 2024, according to a press release from the Ministry of Finance.

The European Council on Friday adopted a recommendation under the excessive deficit procedure for Romania that Romania should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2024 at the latest. "The Council found that an extension to the current deadline for Romania to correct its public deficit would be important in order not to compromise the economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Romania will record economic growth of between 6 and 7% in 2021, Daniel Daianu, chairman of the Fiscal Council said on Wednesday, adding that there is an economic rebound, there is public investment spending of 5.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), more than in 2020. "I believe that, indeed, the growth will be between 6 and 7% in 2021. It might as well be 7%.

Ljubljana – The Fiscal Council has noted that at least one of the two conditions enabling the government to depart from the obligation of medium-term fiscal balance under exceptional circumstances will be met next year. It has thus advised caution and again called on the government to clearly define mitigation measures and quantify their fiscal effect.

The European Union signaled Wednesday that it will not punish member countries for breaking the bloc's deficit rules to tackle the coronavirus but that it could condition their access to sorely-needed recovery funds on them following its advice on how to manage their budgets.

According to preliminary data of the National Statistical Institute the General Government Institutional Sector reported in 2019 a surplus of 2 470 million BGN or 2.1% of GDP. The surplus in Central Government sub-sector amounted 2 349 million BGN or 2.0% of GDP.

The fiscal budgetary strategy for 2020-2022, adopted by the Government on 10 December 2019 and sent to Parliament, stipulates a deficit target of 3.8 percent of the GDP in 2019, a figure which, according to the European Commission, provides prima facie evidence of the existence of an excessive deficit in Romania, according to a report adopted by the European Commission on Friday.

Romania will fall under the excessive deficit procedure, something that cannot be avoided and the earliest it can happen is in March, Minister-designate of Public Finance Florin Citu told Monday evening private TV broadcaster Realitatea Plus. "The talks are ongoing with the European Commission. (...) And, yes, Romania will enter the excessive deficit procedure.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Romania's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BBB-' with a Stable Outlook, according to a Friday release of the credit ratings and research agency. Romania's Country Ceiling was affirmed at 'BBB+', Short-Term Foreign-Currency IDR affirmed at 'F3' and Short-Term Local-Currency IDR affirmed at 'F3', according to the release.

As European Union growth slows, European commissioners signaled in written answers to EU lawmakers published on Friday their preferred measures to revive the economy, with the commissioner-designate for taxation, Paolo Gentiloni, pushing for fiscal leeway and Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis calling for a "responsible fiscal policy."