23. 07. 2013

EU URGES PRIVATIZATION OF MEDIA

Belgrade, July 23, 2013 (Vecernje Novosti) - Myriam Ferran, chief of relations with Serbia EC General Directorate for Enlargement, under the instructions of Stefan Fule said that Europe was expecting tangible progress in transparency of ownership in media and withdrawal of the state from media ownership.

Serbia has been warned for exceeding the deadlines provided in the Media Strategy. The Law on public information, which was drafted three years ago and that needs to regulate this field, is still waiting "for a green light" from Brussels to enter the parliamentary procedure. Its application, however, as many estimate, will mean death sentence for many Serbian media.

"Privatization of the remaining state-owned media is unacceptable in a manner conducted so far. The existing model is bad and the majority of privatized media has been shut down, or the privatization contract has been annulled", Nino Brajovic from UNS said. "These tangible results Europe wants to see now would be detriment to media and Europe will thus take part in closing down of these media. There is no need to rush things up, since the solutions contained in the Law are nevertheless bad."

The position of ANEM, UNS and Local Press is that the state must withdraw from its ownership in media, but also that it is necessary to create a model that will provide for the survival of media.