National Day of Fighting Against Illicit Trade
Silver Award for Excellence 2019
Public Affairs, Advocacy, Lobby
Association for Combating Illicit Trade “Viitorul” (ACTIV) & The Public Advisors
Romania is one of the countries in the European Union most affected by the illicit trade. In countries where stopping this phenomenon was a zero priority for the Government, it drastically diminished with a positive impact on the state budget.
We needed members of the Parliament to begin to do something about this situation. Raising awareness on a topic means to put it on the public agenda. What better way than to establish a National Day of the Fight Against Illicit Trade? But this could only be obtained if Senators and Deputies would vote in favour of a new law.
Information is power!
In order to gain support of such a legislative initiative we had to inform legislators on the phenomenon and gain them on board. This is why ACTIV held many national conferences dedicated to members of Parliament, Government and Press presenting illicit trade effects on people and business environment.
Reverse engineering engagement
Furthermore, we had to get them on board, to make sure that we will have majority to vote for the National Day. This is why we begun The National Caravan of the Fight Against Illicit Trade, a series of regional events held in border counties.
ACTIV put at the same table Senators and Deputies from each region and all political parties with prefects, county councillor presidents, mayors, county police inspectorates, heads of school inspectorates, representatives of the chambers of commerce and industry, representatives of the business environment, local police.
Debates resulted in sets of requirements and conclusions about how to better fight illicit trade. They were symbolically assumed by all authorities’ representatives present under the form of public documents: The Pact for Combating Illicit Trade
The signage was done in front of local press and even though it held no legal obligation, it morally bounded senators and deputies to support more legislative initiatives on this topic. Thus, 25 parliamentarians from various political parties signed the pact and took attitude in public in combating this phenomenon.
The Day!
The law that declares The National Day of Fighting Against Illicit Trade was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies on April 10 2019.
On the 8th of May 2019, the President Klaus Iohannis has promulgated the law that establish officially the 21st of April as „National Day of the Fight Against Illicit Trade”.