Romania's audiovisual regulator to undergo digitalisation on European funding of over RON 100 million

Romania's National Audiovisual Council (CNA) announced on Tuesday the signing of a funding agreement involving European funds of over RON 100 million for its digitalisation.

According to CNA, the document was signed during a ceremony at the headquarters of the Authority for Romania's Digital transformation by Valentin-Alexandru Jucan, CNA deputy chairman, and Ana Maria Busoniu, director general of the Intermediate Body for the Promotion of the Information Society, on behalf of the Managing Authority of the Ministry of European Investment and Projects.

"Signing a funding agreement for the project 'Digitalisation for Efficiency and Better Audiovisual Communication (DECA)' is a new stage for CNA as a modern body up to European standards, transparent and efficient, to the benefit of the general public and the media industry," according to e CNA press release.

According to CNA, the project has a total funding of RON 102,446,484 under the Smart Growth, Digitalisation and Financial Instruments Programme 2021-2027.

"Signing the agreement is not just an administrative gesture. It is the beginning of a real transformation: CNA becomes a first-rate digital authority, ready to serve the public promptly, transparently and professionally. We want to thank the team of professionals at the Authority for the Digital Transformation of Romania for their support to the development of this complex project," Jucan is quoted as saying in the CNA release.

The DECA project provides for the digitalisation of public services offered by the CNA. "By implementing an ERP IT solution, CNA will offer modern online services to the public and the media industry. That means easier access to forms, applications, licences or notifications - directly from home, without unnecessary trips and without bureaucracy."

Also, by automating internal and external processes, the council is said to significantly reduce response times and be able to quickly solve requests from the public or media companies.

"Interaction between CNA, the public and the industry will become fast and efficient. Citizens will be able to submit complaints, access information and receive answers in real time. CNA will become truly present in the lives of those it defends."

According to CNA, decisions will no longer be perceived as "closed" or "difficult to understand", all internal processes will be digitalised and transparent. The public will be able to follow the route of decisions and understand on what basis they are taken and what effects they have.

"The council will have modern tools for data collection and analysis, essential for combatting disinformation, protecting minors and monitoring pluralism. The CNA policies will be built on concrete bases, not on assumptions."

The DECA project has a duration of 36 months, and it is scheduled to end in July 2028.

"It is for the first time in its history when CNA draws funding of such magnitude. It is also the moment when the council unequivocally is taking up a new role in society: that of an active watchdog of the audiovisual space, a partner of the public and a modern authority, capable of responding to informational threats, defending democratic values and building a sound, fair and safe media environment," according to CNA.