Francizor.ro / English
Romanian Franchise Association (ARF)
Founded in 2006. A public-utility association that manages the National Franchise Register.
ARF publishes Francizor.ro, a professional knowledge library on franchising in Romania. Francizor.ro is not a marketplace, and ARF is not a state authority.
Accurate and complete information before any franchise commitment.
ARF's mission, as published on francizor.ro (francizor.ro/despre) (in Romanian)
- 2006
- Year ARF was founded
- 632/2015
- Government Decision granting public-utility status
- RNF
- Managed exclusively by ARF under Order no. 1478/2019
- 52/1997
- Government Ordinance on franchising, amended by Law no. 179/2019
About the Romanian Franchise Association
The Romanian Franchise Association (ARF) was founded in 2006. Through Francizor.ro it publishes articles, guides, legal analyses and decision tools on franchising in Romania, for franchisors, franchisees and prospective investors.
Legal status and institutional recognition
ARF holds public-utility status, granted by Government Decision no. 632/2015, as shown in the list of legal entities with public-utility status published by the General Secretariat of the Government. Law no. 179/2019 also refers to ARF as a public-utility association.
National Franchise Register
The National Franchise Register (RNF)
Legal basis
Law no. 179/2019 (art. III) provides that ARF establishes the National Franchise Register, where franchisors may register their disclosure document on request and free of charge.
Management
Under Order no. 1478/2019, the RNF is an electronic register, and responsibility for managing it rests exclusively with ARF.
What registration means
Registration in the RNF provides information. It is not an authorisation, a certification of a franchise or an investment recommendation.
rnf.ro Full RNF guide (in Romanian)
Franchise law in Romania
Franchise law in Romania
Government Ordinance no. 52/1997
The basic act on the legal regime of franchising, including the pre-contractual information the franchisor must provide (the disclosure document).
Law no. 179/2019
Amends the Ordinance and provides for the National Franchise Register.
The pilot-unit requirement
Before launching a franchise network, the franchisor must have operated the business concept effectively for at least one year in at least one pilot unit (OG 52/1997, art. 2(4)).
Legal framework of franchising (in Romanian)
Professional standards and ethics
Education and professional training
ARF contributes franchise expertise to specialised training programmes presented under the European Franchise Academy® brand, an EU trade mark (no. 019168323) registered on 20 July 2025 and held by OPEN MIND, BETTER FUTURE SRL, a legal entity separate from ARF. The programmes are currently in preparation; details will be published when they become available.
Education and training (in Romanian)
Events, projects and international cooperation
Events
Between 2010 and 2012, ARF organised three editions of the International Franchise and Branding Exhibition (IFBE). ARF has announced that it is organising the 2026 Franchise Convention and runs the Francizor Awards, its professional recognition programme.
Events (in Romanian)Fran Vision HUB
According to francizor.ro, ARF is one of the founding organisations of Fran Vision HUB, a virtual business incubator administered by OPEN MIND, BETTER FUTURE SRL, a legal entity separate from ARF.
Fran Vision HUB (in Romanian)
International dialogue
In June 2026, ARF took part in the international franchise industry dialogue held in Zagreb.
International dialogue (in Romanian)Verifiable
Official sources
- Government Ordinance no. 52/1997 — Romanian Legislative Portal
- Law no. 179/2019 — Romanian Legislative Portal
- Order no. 1478/2019 — Romanian Legislative Portal
- List of legal entities with public-utility status — General Secretariat of the Government
- EU trade mark no. 019168323 — EUIPO
Membership, partnership and contact
ARF membership is voluntary and involves an application, a review and a decision. It is not a state authorisation or an investment recommendation.
For questions, partnerships and collaboration: info@francizor.ro
Linked pages on Francizor.ro are in Romanian.