Montenegro's progress in areas such as media regulation and the fight against disinformation is extremely important for Europe's future, it was concluded at the meeting between the new ambassador of the European Union in Montenegro, Johan Satler, and the Minister of Culture and Media, Tamara Vuković.
It was announced from the Ministry of Culture and Media (MKM) that Vujović congratulated Satler on his appointment, and emphasized that his rich experience will further strengthen the European path of Montenegro, highlighting the obtaining of IBAR as a key milestone in European integration.
"In just eight months, the new government managed to unblock the process of European integration thanks to the creation of a European consensus in society, as well as the responsible work of the Government and the Assembly, as well as great diplomatic efforts. We are ready to continue reforms, especially in the area of media legislation, which are key to harmonization with the standards of the European Union. The new legal solutions are aimed at strengthening freedom and professionalism in journalism, the fight against hate speech and misinformation, and the promotion of media pluralism," said Vujović.
In this context, as she added, the Ministry launched an initiative to amend the Criminal Code, with the aim of stricter sanctioning of hate speech, recognizing its destructive nature and serious consequences for social harmony and human rights.
"This initiative aims to contribute to the protection of all citizens from the negative effects of hate speech, both in the media and on social networks and other digital platforms. In accordance with the new media laws, significant changes have been introduced that further strengthen transparency and responsibility in the media sector. The new laws introduce stricter criteria for the media, such as mandatory registration, self-regulation, and clear rules for protecting information sources and sanctioning the spread of hate speech," said Vujović.
As part of harmonization with European standards, Montenegro, as she said, implements key European acts such as EMFA and DSA, with the aim of improving media freedom, responsibility of digital platforms and protection of citizens' rights in the digital environment.
"Also, the interlocutors agreed that culture plays a key role in the construction of European values and identity, and that the improvement of the cultural sector is one of the Ministry's priorities," the statement of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism reads.
Vujović pointed out that culture is an important basis for connecting people, promoting tolerance and mutual understanding.
"The European Union strongly supports Montenegro's efforts to strengthen the cultural scene and improve cultural policies, which directly contributes to the strengthening of social cohesion, Vujović pointed out.
The press release states that there are positive examples of the participation of Montenegrin institutions in cross-border cooperation projects, especially the IPA segment, within which the latest project is the reconstruction of the Španjola fortress.
Satler pointed out that he will support Montenegro even more strongly in its reform efforts to ensure that Montenegro achieves all the necessary goals for joining the European Union.
At the end of the meeting, Vujović thanked for the continuous cooperation in the past period with international partners, especially the Council of Europe and the European Commission, with the aim of creating modern and comprehensive media legislation, and emphasized Montenegro's commitment to continuing reforms on the way to the European Union.
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