Broadcasting of the ‘OTV’ programme unimpeded by the Romanian authorities

OTV Srl is an Italian company with registered office at via Germanico 107, Rome, Italy, and is authorised to broadcast the ‘OTV’ programme via satellite by decision of the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority of 30 September 2013. Since OTV Srl began broadcasting the programme via satellite in October, the Romanian authorities have displayed an arbitrary and hostile attitude, attempting to prevent the programme from being broadcast in Romania, even though OTV Srl fulfils all the requirements of domestic and EU legislation for satellite broadcasting, including in Romania.

The Romanian government has sent letters directly to the satellite communications management companies that violate the rights and prerogatives arising from the legitimate Italian authorisations held by OTV Srl, seeking to prevent the ‘OTV’ programme from being broadcast in Romania. The Romanian government body CNA (National Audiovisual Council) has also tried to prevent the programme from being broadcast in Romania by issuing spurious resolutions that cannot be enforced against a foreign company because they raise issues that are only relevant to Romanian legal and political entities.

Since OTV Srl is an Italian company, the measures taken to date by the Romanian authorities are plainly unlawful, spurious and arbitrary, and violate both the rights of OTV Srl and EU legislation on freedom of expression and information. The attitude taken by the Romanian authorities is an unlawful attempt to restrict the fundamental and founding rights of the EU, as well as indirectly to censor an Italian company acting in full compliance with EU legislation.

In view of the above, what steps does the Commission intend to take to allow the ‘OTV’ programme to be broadcast unimpeded by the Romanian authorities?

OJ C 265, 13/08/2014

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