14. 12. 2012

PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW ON LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

Public discussion on the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Local Self-government was open until December 15, 2012. ANEM took part in the discussion, in cooperation with its partners from the Media Coalition (NUNS, UNS, NDNV and Local Press), with joint written Recommendations that were submitted on December 14, 2012 to the competent Ministry of Regional Development and Local Self-government.

In its Recommendations, the Media Coalition indicated that there was a need to amend the Draft Law, namely some parts of the applicable Law, as some of the provisions in the current Law were in conflict with the adopted strategic documents in the field of public information and relevant laws in this area.

Citing specific provisions of applicable media laws and the Media Strategy, the Coalition indicated that they provided for undisputed strategic decision and legal support to the request regarding the withdrawal of the state from ownership in media (especially electronic), while the Strategy stipulated a clear and explicit imposing of rules on state aid control in the field of public information, as well as the application of the Law on State Aid Control in the area of public information as of January 1, 2012, in keeping with the EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement. It also emphasized the necessity to establish the principle that would ensure the regulation of all issues relating to the functioning of the media with media laws, since it was proven in the practice as a bad solution that the provisions pertaining to media were contained in a number of mutually not harmonized laws, which seriously deteriorates the principle of unity of the legal order.

Based on the above, the Media Coalition recommended the deletion of provisions from the current Law on Local Self-government that provided local self-governments with the possibility to establish radio and TV stations in miniority languages, whereas the law should prescribe that local self-governments ought to meet their obligation, to take care of public information of local interest and ensure conditions for public information in Serbian as well as languages of national minorities used in their municipality, in accordance with the regulations governing public information and state aid control.

See Recommendations here (available only in Serbian)