The House plenary is set to vote today on the new legislative framework governing the operation of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues across the country. The reform – long considered overdue – naturally faces resistance, as various interests are affected.
The bill, submitted by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and titled “The Establishment and Operation of Leisure Venues Law of 2026”, abolishes burdensome and outdated provisions that hinder business activity and investment. It seeks to improve service delivery in the hospitality sector, remove procedures that add no value and reduce administrative burdens caused by excessive and unnecessary requirements.
The new opening hours
The most significant change – jointly shaped by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and MPs on the Commerce Committee – is the introduction of unified opening hours throughout the year. Under the proposal, both “Food and Leisure” establishments (restaurants, taverns, beer halls) and “Entertainment” venues (music‑dance clubs, discotheques) will be allowed to remain open until 3.30am the following day.
The bill also empowers the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, acting on the recommendation of the Deputy Minister of Tourism, to extend operating hours for “Entertainment” venues by decree, allowing them to operate until 5am.
What changes
If approved, the bill introduces, among others, the following changes:
1. Simplification and modernisation of the legal framework, dividing venues into two main categories – food & leisure, and entertainment – with differentiated operating hours depending on the establishment and its surrounding area.
2. Abolition of outdated requirements, such as mandatory approval of architectural plans, overlapping demands from various authorities, approval of price lists, uniform operating hours for dance venues and taverns in residential areas, and categorisation based on offered products or building features.
3. Elimination of unnecessary infrastructure criteria for leisure venues. The requirement to have a kitchen is removed when health authorities certify safe storage and handling of raw materials. Mandatory qualifications for venue managers are also abolished.
4. Transfer of licensing authority from the Director‑General of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to the respective municipal or community council, depending on location.
5. Introduction of administrative fines and court orders for the immediate suspension of operations, especially where safety or public‑health issues arise.
6. Scaled fines for violations of operating licences, along with provisions for sealing and unsealing premises by court order.
7. Exemptions for leisure venues operating within hotels or tourist accommodations and leased to third parties; banquet halls are exempt from the requirement to display a price list.
8. Unification of licences, merging municipal or community leisure‑venue licences with the operating licence prescribed by the new law, where both are required.
9. Inspection powers for the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to carry out any checks deemed necessary to ensure compliance with tourism strategy and to impose corrective measures, informing the competent authority accordingly.
Operating licences
The bill stipulates that the operating‑licence fee will cover the entire duration of the licence’s validity.
It also provides an 18‑month transitional period for new establishments to operate under certain conditions while obtaining the required certificates – giving businesses time to adapt.
Existing unlicensed premises will be able to obtain a special operating licence so they can regularise their status. Furthermore, the requirement to submit a letter from the Department of Labour Inspection confirming a written risk assessment has been removed from the list of documents needed to obtain an operating licence.