23. 01. 2013

MEDIA FREEDOM A PREREQUISITE FOR EU

Belgrade, January 23, 2013 (B92) - Free media and media pluralism must be a precondition for EU membership, the expert group of the European Commission noted in the report on media freedoms in Europe.

According to EurActiv Srbija web portal, the report "Free media and media pluralism as a support to the democracy", a group of experts urge the EU to take all necessary steps in guaranteeing freedom of media beyond the EU borders.

"EU should not protect media freedom only within EU countries, but also outside their borders, especially where there is a clear idea of liability such as trade and enlargement process", it was stated in the report.

The report recommends that the freedom of media and pluralism thereof should have "a significant role" in assessing the development of a country entering the EU. "Free and pluralistic media environment must be a prerequisite for membership to EU", the expert group noted.

The report also says that the financing of media organizations from public sources should be done in a transparent, objective and identified criteria.

The public ownership in media should be regulated by strict rules that would limit the influence of the government and guarantee the oversight of an independent body that would include the participation of all interested parties and stakeholders, says in the report of the EC.

In order to eliminate risks that jeopardize media freedoms, the report suggests several measures. Each member should have independent media council with competences to pronounce punishments to media, oblige media to apologize or take away the status of journalist.

The expert group was appointed by the EC back in 2011, while the main author of the report is the former Latvia's president Vaira Vike-Freiberga.