27. 06. 2011

Strategy not possible without changing the laws

The European Commission's experts warn that applying of the Serbian Media Strategy is not possible without amending or re-enacting of around ten media laws.

Belgrade, June 27, 2011 (B92) - Media laws in Serbia are mutually contradictory, warn the experts of the European Commission.

Instead of proposing solutions for this burning issue, the participants discussed the privatization of the media founded by cities and municipalities in Serbia.

Within an extremely short period of only several months, on the initiative of the Ministry of Culture, the working group was formed, consisted of the representatives of several media associations.

The main assignment of the working group was to create the Media Strategy. This document is the necessary precondition for objective and professional work of the media. The Government has been promising its adoption and enforcement for ten years.

At the EU's insistence, this document is supposed to be adopted in Serbia by autumn. Still, its enforcement would not be possible until numerous obsolete laws are changed.

Instead of changing the regulations, the participants discussed the privatization of town/cities' media, i.e. the media outlets having been financed by the local self-governments' budgets for full ten years, which is contradictory to Public Information Law.

Freedom of public speech and poor financial position of media were among the topics not even mentioned at today's public debated. Several similar events will be held until autumn, after which the Serbian Parliament should adopt the Media Strategy document.