Parliament approved in the first reading a bill aimed at adjusting the regulatory framework in the defence sector in order to institutionalize the Defence Staff. The amendments are intended to align national legislation with international standards in military planning, command and control, TRIBUNA reports.

The bill optimizes the chain of command and control by institutionalizing the Defence Staff as a distinct central structure, clearly separating operational military leadership from administrative and logistical responsibilities, which remain with the Ministry of Defence. This is intended to eliminate the risk of parallel decision-making between the two institutions, particularly in crisis situations.

Other amendments directly concern military personnel. Those who have become eligible for a pension will be able to sign contracts of up to five years, compared with the general two-year term provided by the Labour Code. The measure is intended to retain experienced personnel without affecting employment opportunities for young officers graduating from the Military Academy. Military personnel discharged upon reaching the age limit, who receive a pension and live alone in service housing, will no longer be subject to eviction.

Contract military personnel discharged upon reaching the age limit and entitled to a pension will be exempt from paying the outstanding value of military equipment. The exemption will not apply repeatedly to those who, after becoming eligible for it, sign a new military service contract.

At the same time, the period for imposing disciplinary sanctions on military personnel will be extended from six to 12 months from the date of the violation, bringing the rules in line with practices in the civil service.

The bill also proposes restructuring the State Commission for Recruitment by removing the head of the Civil Service Centre and including representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to improve logistical support and territorial oversight, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Education and Research, to identify young people eligible for military service and support their civic education.

Other amendments concern the standardization of terminology and the updating of certain institutional compositions so that they correspond to the actual structure of public authorities and reflect the current functions of the Defence Staff.

The bill was drafted by the Ministry of Defence to adjust defence legislation following the entry into force of the new Law on the National Defence System on August 25, 2025, as well as two related laws: the Law on Crisis Management, which entered into force on September 1, 2025, and the Law on National Security, which entered into force on October 4, 2025.

The bill will be considered by Parliament in the second reading.