Policy frameworks
Romania has addressed in part the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children (BIK) in national public policies. The BIK strategy has been incorporated into a number of separate broader policies rather than ones which directly address BIK-related issues. A relevant policy framework includes the National Law of Education (1/20019) which includes development of digital competencies in curricula for children ages 10-18. This was developed taking into account the Europe 2020 Digital Agenda and Recommendation 2006/962/EC on key competences for lifelong learning. However, no specific reference to BIK is given. Law 196/2003 regarding the prevention and combating of pornography was updated in 2014 to take account of web streaming of online child sexual abuse.
Policy design
Policy design is concentrated within one to three ministries. There is currently no formal coordinating body or entity to manage and oversee policy development. Neither is there a mechanism to facilitate inter-departmental or inter-agency cooperation on BIK-related issues. Policy design is led at governmental level in relation to education policies and legislation and law enforcement against child sexual abuse and exploitation. There is limited policy development in other areas. A number of sources of data collection have informed policy development including the one off Net Children Go Mobile and the Friends 2.0 study, undertaken in 2016-2017 and which, while not national, provides quantitative and qualitative data representative of the large cities of Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca.
Policy actors
The Safer Internet Centre (SIC) plays a leading role in awareness raising and empowerment activities. Delivery of BIK-related activities in education are jointly shared with the public agency, the Institute for Science Education, responsible for school curricula. In the area of positive content, the Safer Internet Centre has organised competitions aimed at school children in collaboration with the Ministry of Education reaching over 239 schools and involving 24,000 participants in activities held at local level by pupils and teachers. With regard to youth participation in the policy process, Save the Children Romania (NGO) organises an annual consultation event called "Children's National Forum". Children from all over the country are brought together for three days in order to be consulted on relevant issues. The conclusions of the consultation are communicated by the children themselves to decision makers from ministries and parliament. The 17th edition of the event was held in 2017 and has included in the past consultations regarding cyberbullying and online safety.
Breadth of activities
Breadth of activities outlines progress made in Member States delivering initiatives at the national level. Using the full range of recommendations contained in the BIK strategy, the following tables highlight which actions are supported and whether they have increased, stayed the same or decreased in prominence in the last three years for each of the BIK pillars.