Update July 2000: Romania

1. Summary

During the past three months, the executive structures of the main regulatory bodies related to the Information society remained stable. The mass media shows an increasing interest to IC&T issues, as the public awareness is growing.

1.1 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.
  Mrs. Ioana Slavescu, Director for Strategy and Development in Communications is the new vice-president of the National Agency for Communications and Informatics
• The National Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (formerly organised as Ministry of Research and Technology) is the legal authority for scientific and technological research and development.
• The National Education Ministry
  Ms. Anca Voicu (new entrant) is the new Director of the Information Department.
• Ministry of Industry and Commerce
  Ioan Catona (new entrant), Deputy Director, Institute of Management and Informatics, coordinator of project for correlates information to create debt compensation circuits between over 5000 Romanian companies.
  Ph.D. Ioan Haiduc (new entrant), Deputy General Director, General Directorate for Promotion and Foreign Trade Administration

1.2 Research institutes and centres

• National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics - ICI – Bucharest
  Mrs. Ileana Trandafir (new entrant), Deputy Director
• 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
• FEMIRC Centre – Innovation Relay Centre.

1.3 Public bodies involved

Romanian Academy of Sciences – Section for the Science and Technology of Information. Founded in 1992 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

1.4. Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania and Bucharest Municipality (since 1990) – keeps informations about the companies registered in Romania. Is a promoter of IT not only inside the organisation, but also in the business field (electronic commerce).

Iolanda Mihalache (new entrant), Deputy Director, TIPS (Trade and Technological Information Promotion System) Romania

1.5. Bucharest Stock Exchange (since 1995). Is a promoter of IT not only inside the organisation, but also in the business field.
Stere Farmache (new entrant), General Director

1.6. 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 (http://www.aries.ro)
• ROMINFOR - Romanian Association for Research in Communication and Information Technologies (http://www.cef.pub.ro/rominfor)
• APRCC – Romanian Cable Communication Professionals Association (Asociatia Romana pentru Comunicatii prin Cablu Profesionale)
• INFOREC – Romanian Association for Promotion of Higher Education of Economic Informatics (Asociatia pentru promovarea învatamântului superior de informatica economica)
• ARCA – Romanian Association for Audiovisuals Communications (Asociatia Romana de Comunicatii Audiovizuale)
• National Association of Romanian Expoters and Importers-Foreign Trade Promotion Centre SA
• Mrs.Ileana Petrache (new entrant), Deputy Director, Informational Systems Department

1.7 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.

1.8 Journalists from newspapers, specialised magazines and Radio and TV studios

From the general newspapers Adevarul or Romania Libera that hosts IS dedicated round tables, to the financial oriented ones like Curentul and Capital that have dedicated sections or publish their own reports, an increasingly 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.

TVR2 si ProTv (http://www.protv.ro) television shows specialised on IT, but the transmission hour has not enough audience.

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

1.9. Expert group involved in development of Romanian Information Society

In April the Commission 2: Information Society-coordinated by prof. Dan Dascalu beginning the activity to establish an Information Society strategy for development of Romania. This non-governmental commission bring together members of Romanian Academy, members of professional associations (ATIC, ANIS, ARIES, APRCC), Chamber of Commerce, Romanian Association of Banks, representatives of political parties, of Ministries involved in IS, of SME's, other specialists. All information about minute meetings, documents and full list of specialists are available (in Romanian) on the web (www.imt.ro/socinfo2000).

Many specialists of NACI, coordinated by prof. Segiu Iliescu work in Commission 10: Telecommunication and Information Technologies for draft a strategy . The information of the specialists and the Commission are at www.rnc.ro/strategie2000