Preliminary assessment of the second payment request of Romania

Related Measure: Introduction of work cards and formalisation of work in Number: 387 domestic work Name of the Milestone: Entry into force of legislation, and its implementing rules, for the domestic workers voucher system Qualitative Indicator: Provision in the law indicating the entry into force of Time: Q1 2022 the law for implementing labour voucher system Context:

The measure aims at reducing undeclared work through its formalisation in the field of domestic work, while encouraging inactive persons to enter employment.

Milestone #387 requires the entry into force of the law establishing the labour voucher system for domestic workers who are recorder as unemployed or inactive in order to integrate them into a formalised employment status with related social security and health insurance coverage. Milestone #387 is the first step of the implementation of this reform. It is followed by four targets: two targets due in Q4 2024 and two targets due in Q1 2026. These subsequent targets cover a number of beneficiaries hiring domestic workers through the vouchers system (targets #388 and #389), and a number of service providers/domestic workers providing services by means of work cards through the labour voucher system (targets #390 and #391).

In addition, milestone #387 is the basis for investment 3 under the same component and for milestone #397 under this component, requiring the operationalisation of the digital platform for the voucher system in Q4 2023.

The reform has a final expected date for implementation by 30 March 2026. Evidence provided:

In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following evidence was provided:

  i)       Cover note duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive elements) was
           satisfactorily fulfilled;
  ii)      Copy of the Law No. 111 of 21 April 2022 on the regulation of the activity of the domestic
           service provider, published in the Official Journal No. 402 on 27 April 2022; the law enters
           into force on 1 January 2024;
 iii)      Copy of the Government Decision No. 822 of 23 June 2022 approving the Implementing
           Rules of Law No. 111/2022, published in the Official Journal No. 631 on 27 June 2022; the
           government decision enters into force on 1 January 2024.

Analysis:

The justification and substantiating evidence provided by the Romanian authorities covers all constitutive elements of the milestone.

1) Entry into force of the law for the establishment of the labour voucher system to boost formal employment of domestic workers who are currently recorded as unemployed or inactive

Article 19 of the Law No. 111/2022 provides that it enters into force partially on 30 April 2022, while the law is to enter into force in its entirety on 1 January 2024. Article 13(1) of the Law is the article that entered into force on 30 April 2022, and concerns the setting up of the electronic platform for

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