New Rules, New Risks: Advertising Limits Under The New Romanian Audiovisual Code

1. The entry into force of the new Audiovisual Code

Generally speaking, the new Audiovisual Code brings some quality-of-life changes and legal texts meant to align the Romanian framework to European standards and to the current reality of media services, particularly in relation to Directive (EU) 2018/1808 on mass-media audiovisual services.

In order to have a clearer picture about the enforcement of the Audiovisual Code, it is important to note that the new legislative piece entered into force on August 7, 2025, 30 days after its publication in the Official Gazette. However, for two particular provisions (concerning advertising limitations, which will be analysed herein), the CNA chose to provide a 90-days grace period, meaning that the provisions in Article 109 paragraph (7) and Article 153 paragraph (1) will only become enforceable on October 6, 2025. Furthermore, although the Audiovisual Code benefited from a public transparency phase and this generous grace