Romanian Aid Foundation and Asociatia Neemia

Information review date: 31/Jan/2024

 

Goods brought into Romania from the UK are now regarded as imports from outside of the European Union and are subject to ‘third country’ rules. The list below has been amended after consultation with the Romanian authorities and represents our current understanding of the regulations. The information given below is liable to change as we gain experience of working within the new rules.

Summary of changes

No food, No bric-a-brac, No soft toys, No new hand-knitted items.
No electrical items, computers, etc.
All items must be complete and in a clean and serviceable condition
All items, including the contents of personal gift boxes, will be subject to inspection and acceptance by our packing teams, and may be fumigated as appropriate. Failure to comply can jeopardise the whole load.
See the notes below for more details.

Please do not send prescription medicines. These drugs are potentially dangerous if misused. AN does not have the expertise or the legal authority to distribute them safely and local pharmacies cannot accept them. Disposal becomes a serious problem and they are a waste of precious load space.
Non-prescription medicines, vitamins, energy drinks and unused items such as bandages or syringes are no longer acceptable.
Please also refer to the exclusions list at the foot of this page.

Special Notes

Food
The import of foodstuffs now requires certification of origin and instructions for preparation in Romanian; this is impractical for small donations so we can no longer accept individual donations of food. Large donations where the documentation is available can be accepted, strictly by prior agreement.
New Hand-knitted Items
Revised customs regulations stipulate that these items are regarded as new and therefore subject to rules relating to labelling and quality control; RoAF does not have the facilities to verify the necessary compliance so we can no longer accept them as aid items.
Toys
Toys containing small parts or sharp edges are a risk to children during unsupervised play and cannot be accepted. Soft toys may carry an infection risk and are prohibited. Imported toys, including home-made items, now need to carry a ‘CE’ conformity label, and items with instructions must include a Romanian translation of those instructions. These rules make it impractical for RoAF to continue to send toys. Only larger items which are suitable for educational uses under supervision can be accepted.
Tools
Customs guidance is that these cannot be sent as job-lots; the different types of tools should be declared separately. This is impractical and as the need for household tools has now largely been satisfied we can no longer accept them.
Electrical Items
Safety rules and liability implications mean that we can no longer accept these items.
Hygiene items including soap, toothpaste, sanitiser
These items now require a Romanian translation of the ingredients information on each item, which is impractical in our context. These items should not be sent.
Personal Gift Boxes
Personal gift boxes continue to be popular with the recipients and help to raise the level of interest on the part of the donors. Boxes for designated recipients can continue to be accepted, subject to these guidelines, and on the understanding that they too may be opened and inspected before onward transmittal. These boxes should be marked with the name of the recipient, a short summary of contents, the packed weight and a means whereby our team can identify and, if necessary, contact the donor.

Summary of Priority Items

The list of priority items has been amended in accordance with our understanding of the new customs regulations.
The following items can be received for packing, or delivered directly to our warehouses. Deliveries received at the warehouse will also be subject to inspection prior to dispatch.

Item	Condition or Quality	Comments
Clothing: All types of clothing for children and adults, excluding second-hand socks and underwear.	Would you wear it yourself? We have no facilities for washing or repairing garments.
Footwear	Clean and in fully serviceable condition.	No more than 25% visible wear.
Bedding, including duvets, pillows and blankets.	In good condition, clean and free from stains.	If possible, duvets and pillows should be compressed before packing, to take up less space.
Household linen including curtains, towels, table cloths.	Clean and in good condition.	Matched sets should be packed as one item.
Sanitary products: incontinence pads, nappies, flannels	New, unopened, in original packaging.

 
The following items should be delivered direct to our warehouses, preferably by prior arrangement:

Item	Condition or Quality	Comments
Beds, cots, children’s beds and bunks.	Clean and in good condition. Limited demand for double beds but convertible bed-settees are very popular.	Dismantled beds should have all parts labelled and their fixing attached. Mattresses cannot be accepted.
Stationery: Paper, Pens, Pencils, Colouring books, Crayons	Suitable for giving directly to schools.	These items are useful because teachers may otherwise have to provide them from their own resources.
Educational materials, school equipment, common sports equipment	Items suitable for use in schools, after-school clubs, sporting activities, etc	Only items for group use can be accepted, small toys for unsupervised play cannot be accepted.
Household Goods, Kitchen equipment	Cooking utensils, saucepans and crockery only. All to be in good condition. Ensure that all breakables are adequately packed.	No other household items or bric-a-brac. No electrical items No plastic cutlery
Bicycles for adults and children, tricycles, scooters	Clean and in good condition. Items requiring repairs cannot be accepted	Spare parts – chains, brake parts, bike locks, etc, are also useful.
Furniture: Tables, dining chairs, desks, stacking chairs.	Clean, complete and in good condition. No woodworm or structural damage!	No requirement for easy chairs, suites, wardrobes. Pre-assembled flat-pack furniture cannot be accepted
Push chairs, baby buggies	Complete, clean and in good condition.	Include any covers, wind shields, etc.
Mobility Aids, wheelchairs, crutches, ‘Zimmer’ frames. (No electric buggies)	Complete, clean and in good condition. Wheelchairs must be complete with cushions, handles, arm rests and foot rests.	Wheelchairs must be from a recognised manufacturer so that we can obtain a certificate of conformity to EU rules.

 
This list is not definitive. Please contact your local co-ordinators who will be able to advise on priorities, space constraints, and transport arrangements.

 

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