DNPCG and UZOR sent the MPs and the Government an initiative for the adoption of a set of media laws

The Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro (DPNCG) announced that together with the Association for Responsible and Sustainable Development (UZOR) they sent the MPs and the Government of Montenegro an initiative to adopt a set of media laws in the form of a proposal, which received a positive opinion from the European Commission.

"DPNCG and UZOR, in cooperation with the Hanns Seidel Foundation, directs the initiative to adopt a set of media laws according to the legal texts that received a positive opinion from the European Commission, but also to start preparing and passing the Montenegrin Act on Media Freedom in the shortest time possible in accordance with the European Act on Freedom of the Media, which was adopted by the European Parliament on March 13, 2024," the DNPCG statement reads.

According to them, bearing in mind that Montenegro is in the constant process of harmonizing legislation with European standards, as well as that the issue of adopting a set of media laws continues to cause great division among various interested parties, "we appreciate that by adopting a set of media laws in a text that has been positively evaluated by the European Commission improves the state of media freedom, independence and transparency of the media, but even if it is stated, it is necessary to further improve it, through the adoption of the Montenegrin Act on Media Freedom, which would represent a counterpart to the European Act on Media Freedom, i.e. which would be in line with the same to the greatest extent ."

"The European Act on Freedom of the Media established a new set of rules for the protection of pluralism and independence of the media in the European Union. This act includes measures to protect against political interference in editorial decisions and from supervision, and focuses on the independence and stable financing of public media, as well as on transparency of media ownership and distribution of state advertising. It also establishes measures for the protection of editors' independence and disclosure of conflicts of interest. This would be a step towards the establishment of mechanisms for free and professional media, whose key role in society is also discussed in the decision to be adopted in the European Parliament The European Act on Freedom of the Media," it added.

The DNPCG points out that by adopting the Montenegrin Act on Media Freedom in accordance with the European Act on Media Freedom, Montenegro would undertake to, among other things:

"They respect the editorial freedom and independence of media service providers and ensure the confidentiality and protection of journalistic sources, including protection from unnecessary interference and the use of surveillance technologies; through transparent procedures for appointing and dismissing directors and heads of management, they guarantee the independence of public services, and thus prevent the use of public media in political purposes; ensures transparency of media ownership - that is, all information about the real owners, including data on the share of state ownership, must be in the public register, so that citizens know who controls the media and whose interests can influence their reporting; the media must report all funds received from state advertising, state financial support including that from third countries; prevent large internet platforms, such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, from arbitrarily limiting or deleting the content of independent media, including mechanisms to prevent this," they said.

The Montenegrin act on media freedom, as the DNPCG said, would represent an additional step towards EU membership and a proactive approach of the Government of Montenegro on the European path in the field of media freedom, "emphasizing that independent media services represent an economically important sector and at the same time enable access to different views and reliable sources of information for citizens and the business sector, thus fulfilling the function of a "public watchdog" and an important factor in creating public opinion."

"DPNCG and UZOR in cooperation with the Hanns Seidel Foundation with the support of the European Commission will fully provide all kinds of support during the preparation of the Montenegrin Act on Media Freedom because professional media is one of the priority goals of our work and the project "Effective Prevention and Protection of Journalists in Montenegro". which we are implementing with the financial support of the European Union," they concluded.