Activity Details (ID# 12069)

Activity Synopsis

The general objective of the expertise mission was to present the Council of Europe’s experts’ latest comments on the draft Montenegrin Law on Free Access to Information and to recommend possible changes which the Montenegrin Ministry of Culture and Media could take into account with a view to improving the current Draft Law. 

The expert meeting was professionally organised and run, and was well attended. The Council of Europe experts’ comments on the Draft Law had been made available to the participants before the meeting.

As the CoE’s comments were known in advance, the drafters were able to propose options and to discuss these options with the CoE expert so as to bring the draft Law in compliance with existing standards in this field.

The target group was fully reached.

Following the meeting with the Minister of Culture and Media that was held after the event, it was agreed that the necessary changes have to be made urgently so that this Law could be approved and adopted according to normal governmental and parliamentary procedures.

The Draft was approved by the Government on 30 June. It is included in the Agenda of the Parliament for adoption at its Session scheduled for 12 July.
 

Monitoring of its implementation is necessary in order to ensure timely and appropriate expert intervention, should further improvements need to be suggested. 

Deputy Minister of Culture, representatives of the Ministry of Culture, representatives of the OSCE, members of the Working Group, representatives of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice, media professionals, Association of Independent Electronic Media and other media and human rights NGOs 

Ms Helena Jäderblom, Council of Europe expert
Ms Helen Gardiner, OSCE
 

Mr Vladimir Ristovski, Directorate General of Political Affairs