Romania

[RO] Public Information Guidelines Supplemented

IRIS 2004-3:1/32

Mariana Stoican

Journalist, Bucharest

Decision No. 274 of the Consiliului National al Audiovizualului (National Audiovisual Council, the supervisory body for electronic media in Romania ­ CNA) of 25 September 2003 on correct public information (see IRIS 2003-10: 15) was amended and completed at the end of 2003. CNA Decision No. 377 states that certain occupational groups may no longer make or present informative audiovisual programmes in the electronic media. The newly added para. 3 of Article 1 of the decision lists the following categories: a.) MPs; b.) representatives of national and local public administration; c.) representatives of the presidency; d.) political party officials; e.) people who, either independently or on behalf of a political party, have publicly announced their intention to stand in local, parliamentary or presidential elections. In accordance with Art. 91 of Audiovisual

Act No. 504/2002, any breach of these rules will be punished first by a public reprimand and, for subsequent offences, a fine of between ROL 25 million and

ROL 250 million (EUR 1 is worth approximately ROL 41,000).

One Romanian TV presenter affected by this decision is the Chairman of the Senate Committee for Culture and Media, who produces a talk show on a private TV channel. The person concerned believes this decision infringes his right to carry out his occupation freely and has appealed to the Curtea de Apel Bucuresti (Bucharest Appeal Court) to quash the decision. He has also claimed the symbolic sum of ROL 2 in moral damages (" Daune morale ").