28. 01. 2013

KOLAREVIC: NEW PUBLIC INFORMATION LAW

Belgrade, January 28, 2013 (RTV) - Assistant Culture and Media Minister Dragan Kolarevic announced the completion of the law on public information on Thursday and the beginning of public debate for mid-February.

Speaking for the RTS morning program, Kolarevic said that this law would incorporate three other laws, governing transparency and unlawful concentration of ownership in media, the work of foreign correspondents and foreign newsrooms. This is, according to him, a significant step forward in the media freedom aspect.

Kolarevic also noted that the representatives of the association of media overlooked the work of the Working group drafting the said legislation.

He emphasized the commitment of the government to withdraw from media and to transform Tanjug.

Kolarevic said that two texts of laws were currently worked on - the law on electronic media and the draft law on public service broadcasting.

"Our task is to try to find the model that would function with the people from RTS and RTV on next Thursday", Kolarevic said.

He also announced that the deadline for the legislation to enter parliamentary procedure was March.

"We must adhere to laws and media freedoms, as free media are the condition without which there is no EU accession", Kolarevic concluded.