06. 09. 2012

New government won’t control media, minister says

Belgrade, September 6, 2012 (Tanjug, Danas, B92) - The new government will not control media and its goal is to pass a package of bills that will allow freedom and independence of the media.

This is according to Culture and Information Minister Bratislav Petković.

He said that the media laws would be in accordance with European standards.

"We will do this in cooperation with European organizations. As a minister I do not want to influence the media, I have neither legal nor moral right to do so," Petković told daily Danas.

He noted that the media strategy for a period up until 2016, which was adopted by the previous government on September 28, 2011, "represents a basis for further work" and that working versions of the prepared laws would be reconsidered before a public debate started.

"The Culture and Information Ministry continues to work on five legal projects that the previous government started. We need an expert, terminological and technical harmonization," the minister explained.

He added that the Culture Ministry would have to secure a constant and stable source of financing for public broadcasting companies as well as editorial freedom and stressed that it would be in accordance with the EU standards.

"The state has no right to interfere with the editorial policy and the new government will not do it, it will neither directly nor indirectly exert any pressure on the media," Petković pointed out.