The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC) launch the fourth in a new series of Media Capture Monitoring Reports for 2025, this time putting the focus on Romania.

The report reviews developments regarding media capture in Romania in 2025 and the country’s compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) since the EU Commission’s regulation entered into full force in August.

It concludes that Romania has yet to implement any elements of EMFA. Although the Ministry of Culture initiated some consultations with other institutional stakeholders and some non-governmental organizations, no official draft legislation has been put forward so far.

In light of this lack of concrete progress, this report provides detailed recommendations on a variety of measures and policies necessary to address media capture in Romania and create a free, pluralistic and democratic media ecosystem, in line with EMFA provisions.

This report is part of a broader series covering seven other EU countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Spain.

IPI and MJRC will also publish an overview report, summarizing major developments across the EU in the past year. The next reports will be published in the coming weeks

These reports are intended as a vital resource for media rights organizations, civil society groups, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to monitoring and fostering media freedom across the EU.