This guide examines the legal and regulatory framework that governs the use of “self-financing” (i.e., income-generating, commercial) activities of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Romania and provides an assessment of the relevant law and its practical effects in order to identify areas
where the law might be improved. In Chapter 1, the guide explains the importance of understanding the regulatory environment as it relates to self-financing, defines the concept of CSO self-financing, and explains the methodology used by NESsT in researching and assessing the legal framework in Romania. Chapter 2 outlines a generally-accepted typology initially developed by the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) for evaluating the legal framework that regulates CSO self-financing. Chapter 3 presents the current regulatory framework and its application
in Romania.

The chapter illustrates that CSO self-financing activities are permitted in Romania if they are mission-related; otherwise a separate legal structure is necessary to conduct commercial activities. Finally,in Chapter 4, five criteria are applied to critique the Romanian legal framework, assess its current strengths and weaknesses, and make recommendations for improvement.