Development of the Romanian audiovisual sector
Romania’s application to join the European Union in 1995 was followed by ten years of strenuous efforts to make its regulatory environment comply with the acquis communitaire (the term ‘acquis communautaire’, often abbreviated as aquis, is used in European Union law to refer to the total body of EU law accumulated thus far). Substantial compliance with the legislative requirements of the acquis’s Chapter 20, titled ‘Culture and Audiovisual’, was certified in the 2004 Regular Report, but implementation of the legislation remained imperfect in Romania. This project sought to address the gap.
The project aims to share relevant experience from other EU member states and increase the capacity of the CNA in Romania. Towards this, a series of training sessions, study tours and conferences were organised and a public awareness campaign was broadcast on TV.
CNA’s public awareness campaign on Romanian TV highlighted the need to protect children against inappropriate programming (for example, violence on television).
The following studies are also commissioned:
- Habits and attitudes of TV and radio audiences
- Children’s exposure to TV and radio programmes
- The influence of media on electoral behaviour
- The influence of advertising on children
In addition, two conferences on media ethics and participation in European Parliamentary elections were organised. There was also a series of training sessions for journalists and CNA staff interested harmonisation of regulations with EU best practices.
The project benefited the managers and staff of CNA, as well as journalists, who had the opportunity to increase their awareness of European regulatory issues. The general public was also informed about child protection issues relating to exposure to inappropriate TV and radio programming. Moreover, Internews Europe organised four new research studies for media professionals.
Several study visits were organised for CNA staff and board members. They included visits to media institutions and regulators in Brussels, Budapest, London and Paris. The CNA website was restructured. The new text for the website was translated into both Romanian and English. CNA staff also had the opportunity to participate in English language and computer training courses. They were also trained in maintaining and updating a dynamic website.




















