27. 08. 2003

Minister “surprised” at aid freeze for media watchdog

BELGRADE, August 27 2003 – The decision of the European Agency for Reconstruction to freeze 300,000 euros earmarked for Serbia’s Broadcast Agency Council had come as a surprise, Culture and Media Minister Branislav Lecic told B92 today. Lecic said there had been no mention of suspending the assistance at a meeting with the European Commission and the OSCE last month. “Now suddenly this looks like some kind of blackmail. It seems that the battlefield has moved from home to abroad, with certain political circles had applied pressure for this decision to suspend aid,” said Lecic. Lecic condemned what he described as powerful lobbies exerting influence at a European level in their own interests. “I personally think that this is not a sound policy, the policy of all those who think they can give their own government a slap on the wrist through Europe in this way,” he said. The decision by the European Commission and the European Agency for Reconstruction is the first time that Europe has suspended aid to Serbia since the popular uprising of October, 2000. The programming and coordination director of the Agency, Hasso Molineus, told Radio B92 that the European Union must be certain in every case of financial assistance that the funds would be applied in line with democratic procedures and the rule of law. “In this particular case those procedures were not honoured and we are unable to support a process which has certain flaws, and this is why we are temporarily freezing these funds,” said Molineus. “The main message is: if you have rules and procedures, please honour them,” he added. Lecic, meanwhile, was unconcerned by the freezing, saying that the Broadcast Council Agency would be funded from frequency licence fees and that operating costs would be covered from the state budget until that revenue began to come in.