The EBU Secretary General, Jean Stock, accompanied by the EBU
Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Werner Rumphorst, was in
Bucharest on 20-21 May 2003 to promote the concept of the
independent public funding of public service
broadcasting.
Invited for that purpose by the Directors General of ROR, Dragos
Seuleanu, and TVR, Valentin Nicolau, they met with the Romanian
President Ion Iliescu and with representatives of the Romanian
Senate, in addition to appearing on a television programme
especially devoted to this theme.
They pointed out that the public funding of public broadcasting
via an obligatory periodic payment by the population has a long and
successful history throughout Europe. It is compatible with
European competition law and constitutes one of the cornerstones of
public broadcasting's independence.
