Update January 2000: Romania

During the past three months, the executive structures of the main regulatory bodies related to the Information society remained stable. However, important modifications took place at the top of RomTelecom, the national phone operator.The mass media shows an increasing interest to IC&T issues, as the public awareness is growing.

1. Ministries involved

The National Agency for Communications and Informatics - NACI (since December 23, 1998, by Government Order nr.973; formerly organised as Ministry of Communications) is the legal authority for telecommunications and informatics.

General Inspectorate (Department) of Communications, under NACI co-ordination.

The National Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (formerly organised as the Ministry of Research and Technology) is the legal authority for scientific and technological research and development.

2. Research institutes and centres

• National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics - ICI – Bucharest
• Institute for Computers - ITC – Bucharest
• SOFTWARE ITC SA Cluj Napoca
• National Research and Development Institute for Microtechnologies - IMT – Bucharest
• National Communications Research Institute
• National Design Institute for Telecommunications – Telerom Proiect SA – Bucharest (www.telerom.ro)
• Centre for Economy Informatics and Cybernetics - Academy of Economic Studies – Bucharest

3. Public bodies involved

Romanian Academy of Sciences – Section for the Science and Technology of Information. Founded in 1992 it has, today, 12 corresponding and full members out of a total number of 14 sections and 181 members for the entire Academy. One of the roles of the section is to encourage the domains of science and technology that are at the core of the information society

4. Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania and Bucharest Municipality (since 1990)

• keeps information about the companies registered in Romania. It is a promoter of IT not only inside the organisation, but also in the business field (electronic commerce).

5. Professional organisations:

• ATIC - Association of Information Technologies and Communications of Romania (http://www.atic.org.ro).
• ANIS – National Association of Software Enterprises (http://www.anis.ro)
• ARIES – Romanian Association for Electronic & Software Industries
• ROMINFOR - Romanian Association for Research in Communication and Information Technologies (http://www.cef.pub.ro/rominfor)

6. IS forums:

Forum for the Information Society (since March 1997, under the aegis of the Romanian Academy). The Forum for the Information Society of the Romanian Academy, playing the role of a forum of the civil society, intends to arise the interest in the Romanian society concerning the development of the information society, and to propose and stimulate by specific proposals a series of measures and actions in this direction.

7. Journalists from newspapers, specialised magazines and Radio and TV studios

From the general newspapers Adevarul or Romania Libera that host IS dedicated round tables, to the finance oriented ones like Curentul and Capital that have dedicated sections or publish their own reports, an increasing number of newspapers have IS and IT&C dedicated sections.

The public national television channels and the national Radio Broadcasting Company also hosts round tables with well known IC&T specialists and businessmen as well as policy makers.

These facts show that the public is aware of the importance of IS issues.

8. RomTelecom

The new president of the Advisory Board of RomTelecom is George KARAPLIS (Greece). The new president succeeds one month after Vlad TEPELEA (Romania), who was in charge for seven months of RomTelecom’s time as a private company, resigned from that position. The new president was elected by the General Assembly of Shareholders in Athens (Greece). Previously, George KARAPLIS a financial manager of OTE, held that position for two months. DAN NICA, a former executive of RomTelecom Galati, will occupy the position held by VLAD TEPELEA in the Advisory board. RADU SARBU, President of the State Property Fund, an important shareholder of RomTelecom, signed this nomination.