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04. 11. 2013

KIRBY AND EBRD URGE DISCUSSIONS ON MEDIA LAWS

Belgrade, November 4, 2013 (Blic) - Article 109 of the Draft Law on Electronic Media is not aligned with the EU practice and could negatively affect the investment of the United States into Serbia, Jean Marc Peterschmitt, EBRD Director for Central and SE Europe and Michale Kirby, US Ambassador to Serbia pointed in their official letters sent to Culture and Media Minister Ivan Tasovac and Trade and Telecommunications Minister Rasim Ljajic.

Peterschmitt and Kirby demanded that the contentious article of the Draft Law be discussed, saying that the article, pertaining to protection of pluralism in media, might affect the functioning of operators working on issuing licenses for media services.

Kirby expressed his interest in greater economic collaboration and US investments, thus called on the discussion on the said Article 109.

The State Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Telecommunications Stefan Lazarevic told the daily "Blic" that the Ministry would discuss the article once the final version of the Draft Law was provided to them. Lazarevic also said that the Law on Electronic Media should be aligned with the EU regulation.

The disputable Article 109 of the Draft Law says the operators are prohibited from providing general media services or media service specialized in providing informative program content, as well as that their founders are in connection with the provider of such service.