Termenul legal începe la data comunicării.

Not exactly. In legal Romanian, termen often means a time limit, deadline, or period allowed by law.

So termenul legal is usually best understood as:

• the legal time limit
• the statutory period
• sometimes the legal deadline, depending on context

A native English speaker may see termen and think of English term, but in many legal contexts Romanian termen is closer to time limit than to the general English word term.

Because -ul is the Romanian definite article attached to the end of a masculine/neuter noun.

• termen = a term / a time limit
• termenul = the term / the time limit

Romanian usually puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English does.

So:

• termenul legal = the legal time limit

Because in Romanian, adjectives often come after the noun.

So:

• termen legal = legal time limit
• termenul legal = the legal time limit

This is the normal order in Romanian. English usually says legal time limit, but Romanian naturally says time limit legal in that order.

Începe means begins or starts.

It is the:

• 3rd person singular
• present tense of the verb a începe = to begin / to start

It is in the singular because the subject is singular:

• termenul legal = the legal time limit

So:

• Termenul legal începe... = The legal time limit begins...

Also, Romanian often uses the present tense in legal language to state general rules, just like English does:

• The period begins...
• The law applies...

Here la data is a standard formal/legal expression meaning on the date of or as of the date of.

Literally:

• la = at / on
• data = the date

So:

• la data comunicării = on the date of notification/service/communication

In ordinary English, we might not translate it word for word. Depending on context, more natural translations could be:

• from the date of notification
• on the date of service
• as of the date of communication

Legal Romanian often uses la data... in a fixed, formal way.

Because data is the definite form of dată.

• dată = a date
• data = the date

This is a normal Romanian noun change. The final ă often becomes a when the definite article is added.

So:

• dată → data
• o dată = a date / one time
• data = the date

In this sentence, Romanian needs the definite form:

• la data comunicării = on the date of the communication/notification

Grammatically, it comes from comunicare, which does mean communication. But in legal language, it often has a more specific meaning.

Depending on the context, comunicarea can mean:

• notification
• service of a document
• formal delivery of a decision, notice, or court document

So in a legal sentence like this, comunicării often does not mean casual everyday communication. It usually refers to the official act of making a document known to someone.

That is why translations such as these are often more accurate:

• the date of notification
• the date of service
• the date the document was communicated

Because Romanian is using the genitive here: the date of the communication/notification.

Base noun:

• comunicare = communication / notification

Definite form:

• comunicarea = the communication / the notification

Genitive/dative definite form:

• comunicării = of the communication / to the communication

So:

• data comunicării = the date of the communication/notification

This is a very common Romanian structure:

• data deciziei = the date of the decision
• momentul semnării = the moment of signing
• termenul depunerii = the deadline for filing / of the filing

Because Romanian usually expresses of the through the genitive form of the noun, not with a separate word like English.

English:

• the date of the communication

Romanian:

• data comunicării

So the ending -ii in comunicării is doing work similar to English of the.

This is one reason Romanian can look very compact to English speakers: information that English expresses with separate words is often built into the noun ending.

Yes, in some contexts you may see de la data comunicării, and it can sound even closer to English from the date of notification/service.

Compare:

• începe la data comunicării = begins on the date of notification
• începe de la data comunicării = begins from the date of notification

In practice, both can appear in legal Romanian, but la data comunicării is a very common formal phrasing. The exact choice can depend on drafting style and on the nuance the text wants.

The given sentence is a very standard, natural legal formulation, but Romanian could express the same idea in other ways.

For example:

• Termenul legal începe la data comunicării.
• Termenul legal curge de la data comunicării.
• Termenul începe să curgă de la data comunicării.

These are similar, but not identical in tone:

• începe = begins / starts
• curge in legal language = runs or starts running

So the original sentence is perfectly normal, but legal Romanian often has several fixed ways to express when a deadline starts.

Even if the literal meaning is clear, the most natural legal-English rendering may not be word-for-word.

A literal breakdown is:

• Termenul legal = the legal time limit
• începe = begins
• la data comunicării = on the date of notification/service

Natural legal-English versions might be:

• The legal time limit begins on the date of notification.
• The statutory period begins on the date of service.
• The legal period starts from the date the decision is communicated.

The best choice depends on what exactly is being communicated in the wider context.