Business operators in key sectors such as tourism, transportation and recruitment will face new legal obligations after the Senate passed a bill aimed at preventing human trafficking. The measure is important because it imposes mandatory posting of information materials in visible places, subject to fines, thus creating a new compliance responsibility for a large number of companies and public institutions, with the aim of raising awareness and facilitating reporting of this crime.
Romania’s Senate has approved a legislative initiative that will require certain companies and public institutions to display informational materials to prevent and report cases of human trafficking. Among the entities concerned are accommodation establishments, travel agencies, road passenger transport operators and labor recruitment agencies. The list is completed by public institutions with a high flow of citizens, such as airports, embassies, consular offices, ANOFM, the Labor Inspectorate and the General Inspectorate for Immigration.
Specifically, these entities will be required to place posters or standardized cards in visible places, such as hotel rooms, agency lobbies or inside means of transport. These materials will contain explanatory information and visual elements designed to help potential victims or witnesses to identify a situation of exploitation and to know the official ways to seek help. The main objective is to raise awareness and provide clear tools for reporting crimes.
The draft law also establishes a sanctions regime for non-compliance with the new obligations. Companies and institutions that fail to display the information materials risk fines ranging from around €40 to €200. The legislative initiative has now been sent to the Chamber of Deputies for debate and final vote, which is the decision-making chamber in the legislative process.