Strong coherent self-regulation is the best for the protection of media freedom, said the head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) Aivo Orav, stating that self-regulatory bodies in Montenegro must be further strengthened in order to ensure that the code of ethics is effectively implemented.
He said this at the introductory meeting of the expert mission of the EU and the Council of Europe (CoE), which was held today in Podgorica.
The expert mission, which will stay in Podgorica for a few days, was organized within the framework of the joint EU and SE project "Strengthening judicial expertise on freedom of expression and media in Southeastern Europe (JUFREX)", within which an analysis of the state of the media sector in Montenegro is planned. .
Orav said that regulating the media is like walking a tightrope because, on the one hand, we want as much freedom of expression as possible for the media, that journalists should be in a position to report freely and critically as much as possible.
According to him, this is one of the characteristics of a free and democratic society.
"Freedom of expression is a vital element in the process of European integration. With freedom comes responsibility. My question is whether the responsibility of the media in the Western Balkans is always taken seriously," said Orav.
He said that his question should not be understood in such a way that they are advocating for greater regulation of that sector, but that self-regulatory bodies should be strengthened.
"In Montenegro, they need to be further strengthened in order to ensure that the code of ethics is effectively implemented. Strong coherent self-regulation is the best way to protect media freedom," said Orav.
He assessed that the media sector has other areas and that SE representatives can consider the functioning of various bodies such as the Agency for Electronic Media and the Agency for Telecommunications and Postal Services.
Lejla Dervišagić, the head of the cooperation department from the SE Media and Internet Directorate, said that the first discussions on the analysis and research started at the end of last year at the initiative of the European Commission.
She said that all actors, especially the Government of Montenegro, recognized the importance of the project and showed their willingness to support its implementation.
"The aim of the research is to make a detailed analysis of the situation in the media sector in Montenegro", said Dervišagić.
She explained that the purpose of the research is for the conclusions and recommendations of the analysis to serve as a guide for defining and implementing national media policies.
"And then help prepare a more detailed action plan within the negotiations on Montenegro's accession to the EU", said Dervišagić and added that the starting point for the analysis will be the Council of Europe's standards related to freedom of expression and freedom of the media, as well as EU regulations.
Minister of European Integration Aleksandar Andrija Pejović assessed that this is an important mission and visit of the SE team that will be in Montenegro this week.
"They will have a total of 30 meetings with more than 80 colleagues from Montenegro, in order to get answers and provide information on what the media space looks like, what areas should be paid attention to and what steps have been taken so far in the context of European integration," said Pejović.
He believes that this is a sufficient framework for the SE team to make a good analysis that will be the first example of how the EU works in the enlargement countries.
"Montenegro is the first country where it works in this way. We were chosen because we are the most advanced in the enlargement process and to see what steps we must take in order to achieve an even better result, close chapters ten and 23 and achieve what is our joint goal, which is a mature democratic society that cherishes freedom of expression and that has ensured freedom of the media," said Pejović.
He said that what the mission will do should contribute to progress in the media market, the legislative framework of media and public service, support schemes, media transparency, self-regulation and the integrity of journalists.
"I believe that through this we will get a good analysis but also look at what has been done well and that in the next progress report for Montenegro we will have a better, clearer detailed picture in this area of political criteria, i.e. chapters ten and 23", said Pejović.
This article was created in partnership with the Monitoring of the Balkans and the Caucasus (Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso) for the needs of the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), which is co-financed by the European Commission. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of "Vijesta", and in no way can it be interpreted as the position of the European Union.
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