Romania

[RO] The Audiovisual Law modification promulgated

IRIS 2019-5:1/22

Eugen Cojocariu

Radio Romania International

On 20 March 2019, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, promulgated the Law on the modification and completion of Audiovisual Law No. 504/2002 (see latest IRIS 2018-6/30, IRIS 2018-8/36, IRIS 2018-10/22, IRIS 2019-1/3, IRIS 2019-2/21 and IRIS 2019-4/29).

The new Law No. 52/2019 had been adopted by the Senate (upper chamber of the Romanian Parliament) on 18 February 2019 and by the Chamber of Deputies on 21 November 2018.

The law establishes the obligation to provide information on the telephone number "Telverde for Victims of Domestic Violence" in television and radio programmes addressing the issue of domestic violence.

Informing victims of domestic violence about the existence of the Telverde telephone number for victims of domestic violence is, in the case of radio broadcasters, done by reading the text 'In case of emergency, call the Telverde number for victims of domestic violence' accompanied by a note with the Telverde telephone number. In the case of television services, a text about the Telverde service is displayed statically and legibly throughout the programme.

The law was adopted to increase the level of awareness among victims of domestic violence of the existence of this Telverde for Victims of Domestic Violence. Although Romania has had this dedicated telephone line since November 2015, the use rate has been extremely low. The phone line is not only for those who have been abused, but also for people who want information and who wish to speak to someone. The call centre is made up of specialists and experts on preventing and combating domestic violence.