02. 04. 2008

MINISTRY OF CULTURE: EU INTEGRATION PROCESS SHOULD LEAD TO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SERBIAN MEDIA SPHERE

Belgrade, April 2, 2008 (Danas) – One of the prerequisites for successful Serbian advancement on the road toward EU membership, is the harmonization of domestic legislature with European standards. Regarding media laws, a serious problem arose in December when a set of local self-government laws were adopted, according to which municipalities are allowed to found media outlets despite the fact that the laws on broadcasting and public information explicitly forbid it.

Marija Cosic from the Ministry of Culture, which also regulates the media, says for Danas that the Law on Broadcasting and the Law on Public Information were harmonized with EU legislature. However, she explains, the problem lies in the fact that these laws were changed several times, "each time for the worse".

- In the meantime, EU has adopted numerous regulations. For example, the Directive on Cross-Border Television has been revised at the end of the last year and now it is called the Directive on Cross-Border Audio-Visual Media Services, which means that now we need to modify our laws, says Cosic, adding that the laws on the capital city and local self-government are in conflict with the laws on broadcasting and public information, which additionally complicates the harmonization of the EU legislature with ours.

Signing of the Association and Stabilization Agreement would mean further harmonization of legal provisions and, more than anything else, the application of European standards. In the earliest phase it will cover the economy, market and trade, but later will encompass all areas of the country and society, including the media.

Marija Cosic states that the Government of Serbia has established a new structure of institutions for the process of joining EU. The Coordination Body was formed, which includes ministers whose ministries are most relevant for European integrations, as well as the Coordination Body's Expert Group together with 35 subgroups which comprise the main mechanism of the entire EU integration process.

Within a subgroup, the Ministry of Culture is responsible for information society and the media. The subgroup includes various institutions like the Ministry of Telecommunications, Republic Telecommunications Agency, Republic Broadcasting Agency, Republic Institute of Information Science and others, says Cosic. She explains that, at the moment, all structures of the government are working on the document entitled 'The National Program for Integration of Serbia with the EU', "which aims at creating a strategic plan of joining Serbia with the EU".

"The National Program is an all-encompassing document which includes all other documents and action plans necessary for this process.

This is a foundation for the preparation of the next phase of achieving candidate status for the EU membership. Also, the NPI clearly defines the obligations of all participants in the process of joining EU."

- While preparing the National Program for Integration, our state institutions have used Croatian, Macedonian and Slovakian model, adds Cosic.

Last November, the European Commission has issued a report on the situation in Serbia, which states that the Commission is especially concerned about the situation in the electronic media. Assistant minister of culture, Dragan Janjic, says for Danas that this estimate will remain the same for some time in the future.

- The formation of the Serbian public service broadcaster and the beginning of media privatization were rated favorably, but the unclear situation in the area of privatization, with some media outlets privatized and others not, will be criticized by the European Commission.

Regarding the time that will pass until the Association and Stabilization Agreement is signed, he explains that Serbian laws regulating the media scene have to be harmonized with EU laws, and that it is necessary to provide conditions for normal market competition in the media field. He points out that the media must be independent from the state budget in the highest possible extent.

- A large portion of the work would have already been done if the privatization had been completed, warns Dragan Janjic. He criticizes the provision of the Law on Local Self-Government which allows municipalities to own media outlets. If Serbia signs the Association and Stabilization Agreement, he explains, it will be obliged to adhere to European standards. "If we don't harmonize our regulations with the EU, it will not be possible to sign the Agreement."

Janjic adds that the signing of the Agreement would have positive effects on the economy, which would also mean the strengthening of the media market.

Provisions of the Stabilization and Association Agreement regarding the electronic media

"In the audio-visual area, the EU works in two directions of cooperation, stimulating the growth of the industry, especially digital TV and the multimedia, while in the first field, the 1989 Television Without Frontiers Directive has created a legal framework for broadcasting of programme on the territory of the EU, which defines joint rules for broadcasting, advertising, and protection of minorities, and requires, if possible, 50 percent of the programme to be produced in the EU.

The EU and Serbia will cooperate on the advancement of audio-visual industry in Europe and stimulation of TV and cinematographic coproduction. Serbia will have to harmonize the policy of cross-border TV content broadcasting with the EU policy, with regard to the intellectual property rights over the satellite or cable programmes. It will also need to harmonize its laws with the legal framework of the EU", it is specified in the Association and Stabilization Agreement.