In the Official Gazette with the number 720 of July 18, 2022, was published the Emergency Ordinance ( OUG) no.113 of July 15, 2022, on some measures necessary for the implementation of the European Aid Fund for the most disadvantaged people, the settlement of some expenses related to the support of refugees from Ukraine, as well as the granting of grants from non-reimbursable external funds for investments aimed at IMMs’ re-technologization.
Chapter I of this Emergency Ordinance establishes some measures necessary for the implementation of the European Aid Fund for the most disadvantaged people, in order to support the most disadvantaged categories of mother-child couples who benefit from material support based on electronic social vouchers for newborns granted from non-reimbursable external funds, some measures for their distribution, as well as the legal framework regarding the eligibility of expenses incurred by beneficiaries in the following operations:
- providing support for newborns based on electronic social vouchers;
- technical assistance.
Within the meaning of Chapter I of this Emergency Ordinance, the following terms and expressions have the following meanings:
a) POAD – Operational Programme “Aid to the most deprived persons”, financed from the European Aid Fund for the most deprived persons in Romania CCI 2014RO05FMOP001, approved by Commission Implementing Decision C (2015) 7.016 final of 16 October 2015, amended by Commission Implementing Decision C (2017) 1.086 of 20 February 2017, Decision C (2020) 347 final of 21 January 2020 amending Implementing Decision C (2014) 9.102;
b) basic material deprivation, P2.2 – basic material deprivation, i.e. lack of newborn kits – assistance consisting of the provision of newborn care products on the basis of electronic social vouchers for newborns distributed free of charge to the final recipients referred to in Article 3;
c) final recipient – the most disadvantaged person or persons receiving assistance and support under the POAD within the meaning of the categories listed in Article 3;
d) beneficiary – the Ministry of European Investment and Projects, through the specialized structure – responsible for the initiation and implementation of the operations provided for in Article 1 regarding the measure of granting newborn care products based on electronic social vouchers for newborns and technical assistance, as well as the authorities with responsibilities in the management, control and implementation of the operational programme regarding the implementation of technical assistance operations, provided for in Annex no. 1;
e) partner organisation – the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the General Directorate for Relations with the Prefect’s Institutions, the Prefect’s Institution and the local public administration authorities;
f) electronic social voucher for newborns – electronic value ticket, which is granted to the final recipients for expenses incurred to cover the basic material precariousness – lack of newborn care products;
g) affiliated establishments – establishments marketing products for newborn care, i.e. affiliated establishments which conclude with the issuing establishment selected by the beneficiary service contracts/protocols/conventions/agreements or any other document regulating the rights and obligations of the parties, as referred to in point h), and which accept, as a means of payment, electronic social vouchers for newborns;
h) newborn care products – products specific to the newborn’s outfit, necessary for the newborn’s care, namely: diapers, newborn toiletries, newborn clothing, sanitary and medical items for the mother and the newborn;
i) auxiliary measures – activities provided in addition to the provision of electronic social vouchers for newborns to alleviate social exclusion, i.e. newborn care guidance: breastfeeding counselling, health education, first aid education for newborns, education on personal hygiene and housing, facilitating access to health services, referral to social services, nutritional recommendations for babies;
j) the most disadvantaged mothers, who gave birth from 2022 onwards – mothers entitled to a guaranteed minimum income or who are part of families receiving family support allowance, including single mothers, who are temporarily in critical life situations, i.e. victims of disasters, victims of military aggression, victims of domestic violence, dependent persons and/or who are in particularly vulnerable situations, mothers who do not have identity documents and who, for this reason, cannot benefit from civil rights, mothers who are minors;
k) mothers with disabilities – mothers who hold a certificate of disability issued by the Commission for the Evaluation of Adults with Disabilities or, where applicable, a decision of disability issued by the Higher Commission for the Evaluation of Adults with Disabilities, valid at the time of drawing up the list of final recipients;
l) newborn child – a child up to the age of 3 months. The three-month period runs from the birth of the child according to its identification by the local public administration authorities and the inclusion of the newborn in the monthly updated lists.