President Iohannis promulgates laws on information campaigns amid COVID-19 pandemic

On Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis promulgated two laws on the organisation and conduct of public information campaigns amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency Ordinance 63/2020 regulates the creation of a legal framework regarding the broadcasting for a fee by the government on television and radio programmes, print media, online media service providers and advertising providers, public information campaigns on measures to prevent and contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and on how to resume economic and social activities. Emergency Ordinance 86/2020 amending Emergency Ordinance 63/2020 provides for the extension of the period of these campaigns.

Under Emergency Ordinance 63, from May 15, 2020, the government broadcasts, for a fee, on television and radio programmes, print media, online media service providers and advertising providers located in Romania, public information campaigns on measures to prevent and contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and on how to resume economic and social activities after the cessation of the state of emergency.

The public information campaigns are carried out by the government of Romania and managed by the General Secretariat of the Government and the Authority for the Digitisation of Romania.

The law says the government of Romania will carry out and submit for broadcasting at least three public information campaigns per month until December 31, 2020.

In the case of public information campaigns carried out on television and radio programmes, print media, online media, in a language other than Romanian, they will be provided in that language by the Romanian government.

The information campaigns will contain non-commercial materials for the promotion of the following Romanian industries: tourism, IT, agriculture and animal husbandry, automotive, which will be broadcast in Romanian and online in most widely spoken languages such as English, French and German.