18. 05. 2006

FREQUENCY TENDER UNFAIR

STRASBOURG, May 18, 2006 – The member of the European Parliament Doris Pack said the manner of allocation of national frequencies in Serbia was unfair. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Delegation for Relations with SEE expressed her regret and disappointment with the first competition for frequency allocation to commercial television stations in Serbia after the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, since “the tender was not at all fair, transparent and under the provisions of the law in many aspects”. Pack also said she was disappointed that the competition had not been equal for all applicants and that the final decision had been exclusively made according to BA’s personal appraisal and discretion. “Electronic media, freedom of speech and press, and equal odds in the competition are crucial facets in a functional democracy, especially young democracy that aims to the European integration. I sincerely hope that Serbia will demonstrate its firm readiness to adapt to the fundamental political criteria of the European Union. We will continue to closely follow the developments of this state of affairs”, said Pack.