2025 Rule of Law Report – Country Chapter: Romania

In its 2025 Rule of Law Report chapter dedicated to Romania, the European Commission acknowledges the rise in opaque political advertising, which continues to affect both national and local media—sectors already heavily dependent on state funding. It also notes that the presidential elections revealed a failure to enforce standards on unmarked political content on television and online news websites.

The report highlights that the National Audiovisual Council (CNA) lacks sufficient staff and technological resources to fulfill its mandate, especially in light of the implementation of the Digital Services Act. The current sanctioning framework is described as weak, relying on a single type of penalty directed at a broad range of violations, including repeated offenses.

Moreover, the report points to the continued stagnation in efforts to strengthen the independent governance and editorial autonomy of public service media. A 2021 bill aimed at reforming public broadcasting remains stalled in the Senate.

According to the report, media ownership transparency remains limited—particularly in the case of online outlets, some of which are funded through opaque sources. In response, the government intends to establish an interministerial group to identify legal reforms needed to implement the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), including provisions on media ownership transparency.

The Commission also recognizes the persistent online and offline harassment of journalists. 

Encouragingly, the report acknowledges progress in advancing a draft law to transpose the anti-SLAPP Directive, which has involved public consultations.

Finally, the report draws attention to the lack of a representative media council and the absence of a unified code of ethics for self-regulation within Romania’s media sector—factors that undermine the sector’s negotiating power. 

The European Commission recommends that Romania intensify efforts to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for independent governance and editorial freedom in public service media, in line with European standards.