The Government has decided that the financing of cinema should be adapted to the current needs of the industry

The Government has approved the amendment to the Ordinance on Cinematography, establishing measures to finance this industry. According to the Executive: "The amendments and additions introduced by the emergency ordinance aim to provide sustainable support to the national cinematographic industry, reduce bureaucracy and create a fair competitive environment in the field of cinematography, by correlating national legislation with European legislation, respectively updating the norms in the field of cinematography to the realities of the national and European cinematographic sector, based on the proposals and substantiations of the National Center of Cinematography". According to the cited source, the regulatory act simplifies the administrative process, and the method of financing cinematography is adapted to the current needs of the industry: "Financing through direct repayable credit is abandoned and the solution of non-repayable subsidies is adopted as a form of support for film development and production, according to European practices. Non-repayable support offers greater stability for film producers and can stimulate the development of film projects. Thus, this measure contributes to eliminating competitive gaps between Romanian producers and those from other EU countries and to the sustainable growth of our film industry". Another measure provided for in the regulatory act, the Executive shows, consists of "differentiating the financing sections through project competitions, by introducing a section dedicated to minority co-productions of feature fiction films, which also facilitates the fulfillment of reciprocity obligations with other states". "The new provisions clarify the types of projects eligible for each competition section, and in order to ensure the transparency of the selection process, the secrecy of scripts is eliminated, in accordance with European practices. The winning projects of the cinematographic project competition for which, on the date of entry into force of the ordinance, no financing contracts have been concluded, may benefit from automatic support for artistic quality and automatic support for public success, according to Government Ordinance no. 39/2005 on cinematography, in force on the date of the launch of the cinematographic project competition," the cited source further specifies. The normative act also redefines the financial support granted to producers for co-produced films with Romanian participation, including for public success and artistic quality, depending on the Romanian participation in co-productions, in order to ensure a fair distribution of resources in the cinematographic sector. According to the emergency ordinance, in order to promote Romanian films or films made with Romanian participation, the National Center of Cinematography, the Romanian Broadcasting Company and the Romanian Television Company will establish, based on a protocol, the modalities and the space granted in the program schedule. The normative act introduces a "new method by which authorized legal entities (the advertising agent, the intermediary company purchasing advertising minutes or the economic operator purchasing advertising minutes) can directly finance the production of films and television series, both documentary and fiction", the Government states. They can allocate up to 1% of the value of advertising minutes, at the request of television stations, after notification sent to the National Center of Cinematography. The emergency ordinance also provides for a series of transitional provisions to ensure the transition to the new financing systems and rules. Until the emergency ordinance enters into force, the provisions of the normative acts adopted pursuant to Government Ordinance no. 39/2005 on cinematography.