​Due to the delay in issuing the electronic identity card at the national level, the government wants to amend the legislation so that Romanians can also use identity cards issued after December 31, 2023 as travel documents in EU member states, as well as in third countries that recognize them as such .

Electronic identity cardPhoto: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea
  • “In order not to limit the right to free movement until the introduction of the electronic identity card into circulation at the national level, it is necessary to allow the use of identity cards issued after December 31, 2023, as travel documents in the member states of the European Union. of the Union, as well as in third countries that recognize them as such.”, This is stated in the draft of the emergency decree, which will be included in the agenda of the government on Thursday.

SEE PROJECT OUG AND KEY NOTE

The urgency of adopting this order is due to the fact that the National Printing Office has not completed procurement for the issuance of electronic ID cards, and the current legislation provides that only ID cards issued before December 31, 2023 can be used as travel documents. document in the EU.

The national expansion of the issuance of electronic identity cards will take place during 2024, the Government notes.

As part of the pilot project in Cluj, 11,170 electronic identity cards were issued

The latest figures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs show that in a pilot project launched in August 2021 in Cluj County, 11,170 electronic identity cards were issued by November 1, 2023.

This is stated in the response of the Ministry of Interior from December 4 to the request of the deputy of the Republic of Belarus, who is interested in the status of issuing electronic ID cards at the national level.

In short, the MAI responds that it cannot estimate when the issuance of electronic identity cards will begin due to problems with tenders initiated by the National Printing Office.

HotNews.ro already wrote that all these unknowns are related to public procurement procedures conducted by the National Printing Office, in which there are various delays, both with the delivery of microcircuits and with the lost lawsuit in court.

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