16.05.2003
„I have the pleasure to salute this year’s World Telecommunications Day from the perspective of a new and modern institution, independent and highly specialized, the mission of which is to supervise the observance of the correct rules that govern the competitive game on the Romanian telecom market – The National Regulatory Authority for Communications
The celebration of the World Telecommunications Day on May 17 is a tradition consecrated by the International Telecommunications Union, to which our country has been a member for 137 years. Each year, this day represents a time of evaluation, but also an opportunity for commitments in the name of an industry that is vital for the world economy. 2003 was put by the ITU under the sign of a generous topic: “Helping all of the world’s people to communicate”, in the spirit of a noble attitude that has lasted for many years now: the aim to integrate the entire mankind in the category of those having access to the communications services, to the way of life that the most fortunate of us take for granted. In our country, the means by which the Romanian citizens will have better access to communications services is the complete liberalization of this market, the active support of its development and a progressive deregulation.
These actions have started to show their results. An impressive number of new companies have notified the Authority of their intention to do business in a field no longer affected by restrictions. Each day brings new such notifications to ANRC. Furthermore, consumers already can take advantage of the first offers on these markets.
These changes were made possible by a new policy in this field. It is this policy that led to the creation of The National Regulatory Authority for Communications. Our institution was created not only in order to reflect the European practice and the communitary acquis, but, first and foremost, because it was acknowledged that the telecom market requires more than a set of laws. A dynamic organism, capable of learning and adaptation was needed in order to make the letter of the law adapt to the situations of real life, and not the other way around. This pertains to a new mentality, for which it is essential that the industry should be allowed the freedom necessary to make use of its ideas and creativity.
ANRC wishes to place its actions in the continuation of this vision. Therefore, the principle the Authority has adopted is that of the minimal intervention. We will take action only in those situations a company has the possibility to obstruct its competitors, to profit from the consumers lack of choice. The meaning we give to the term “regulation” does not imply excessive constraints. On the contrary, our action should set the market mechanisms free.
We believe that the only way in which we could benefit from the dvantages of liberalization is to persevere in the same direction. Only if we do so, in the following years, the Telecommunications Day will be an occasion for celebration in a more mature, balanced and flourishing market and the entire population of Romania will have unrestricted access to high quality communication services.”