Moldovan cabinet approves draft law on non-commercial organizations

Chisinau, 28 March /MOLDPRES/ - The cabinet of ministers today approved and submitted to parliament for consideration a draft law on non-commercial organizations. The new law gives possibility to all private people and legal entities to voluntarily set up non-commercial organizations. At the same time, the document regulates, unitarily and in equal conditions, the creation, registration, reorganization and ceasing of the work of public associations, foundations and private institutions.    

The registration of the non-commercial organization and making amendments to their constituent acts will be made by the Public Services Agency. The term of registration of non-commercial organizations are shortened from 30 to 15 days. At the same time, the period on which the constituent acts can be submitted to the state registration body is increased from 30 days to three months.

Under the draft, at least two private persons or legal entities are needed to create a public association. Another amendment proposed is the clear establishment under law of the types of activities which can be carried out by the public associations.

The draft provides additional guarantees to the freedom of association and limits possibility of state’s intervention in the work of a non-commercial organization. The draft law does not limit possibility of non-commercial organizations to be financed from abroad.  

The law does not apply to the organizations which have not been registered, public institutions, political parties, trade unions, employers, religious cults and their component parts, as well as to other legal entities of public and private law, the way of foundation and functioning of which is regulated by other special laws.   

At the same time, if the statute, headquarters, composition of the management and control bodies change, in a period of three months after the adoption of these changes, the non-commercial organizations will have to inform the registration structure. Also, the informing about the result of the work will become compulsory.   

The law on non-commercial organizations will replace the law on public associations and the one on foundations, adopted in 1996-1999, and which are obsolete.  

According to the register of non-commercial organizations, there are about 150 private institutions in Moldova. Many of them have a single founder and will not have to be reorganized. Over 8,860 public associations, foundations, institutions and unions of legal entities are recorded in the register of non-commercial organizations in all.  

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor A. Raileanu)