Parteneriatul civil în România: blocaj legislativ și obligații europene
Civil Partnerships in Romania: Legislative Deadlock and European Obligations

Summary/Abstract: Over the past 18 years, several legislative initiatives aimed at introducing civil partnerships have been submitted to the Romanian Parliament, none of which have been adopted. During the same period, European and constitutional jurisprudence has undergone significant development, consolidating Romania’s obligation to ensure a form of legal recognition and protection for families composed of same-sex partners. This article provides a chronological analysis of legislative proposals on civil partnerships submitted to the Romanian Parliament since 2008. It examines the main features of these initiatives, including the procedures for registering partnerships, the legal rights granted to partners, the limitations of the proposed regulatory frameworks, as well as the parliamentary trajectory and current status of each initiative. The analysis shows that all legislative proposals have aimed to establish a legal institution distinct from marriage and have not included provisions allowing same-sex couples to adopt children. At the same time, these initiatives have sought to confer significant patrimonial, succession, and social rights. The article argues that, despite the repeated introduction of legislative initiatives and the consolidation of European and constitutional jurisprudence, Romania has yet to adopt legislation on civil partnerships or any equivalent form of legal protection, primarily due to a lack of political will. This situation raises serious concerns regarding Romania’s compliance with its obligations under the right to respect for private and family life, as well as, more broadly, with the requirements of the rule of law and the protection of human rights.

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