Activity Details (ID# 8263)

Activity Synopsis

The objective of the mission was to review two drafts Law concerning the public service broadcasting sector. The purpose of this review was to ensure that the drafts complied with the Council of Europe standards in the area of broadcasting, as defined in particular in the European Convention on Transfrontier Television and Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers concerning the guarantee of the independence of public service broadcasting. 

The extensive working sessions held on 3 June with the working group made it possible to review in detail all the provisions of the draft Laws. The most important issue discussed in this context concerned the specific structure established by the draft Law on the Public Broadcasting System. The need for consistency between the System Law and the Service Law was particularly underlined. In addition, the discussions focused on the ways of securing an appropriate level of funding in order for the RTV services to discharge their remits properly. Finally, specific amendments ensuring a proper alignment of the draft Laws with the European Convention on Transfrontier Television were suggested. These later should facilitate Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ratification of the Convention. 

In the light of the comments made by the Council of Europe experts, a Joint Council of Europe / European Commission summary report was prepared and forwarded to the drafters. 

Members of the working group established under the Ministry of Communication and Transportation, Parliamentarians, representatives of the public broadcasters, representatives of the EU Delegation representatives of the Office of the High Representative, representatives of the Communications Regulatory Agency 

Ms Sandra Bašić-Hrvatin, Chairperson of the Slovenian Radio & TV Commission, Ljubljana
Ms Carolyn Morrison, former Head of International Broadcasting Policy Branch, Department for Culture, Media and Sport London
 

Mario Oetheimer, Media Division, Directorate General of Human Rights – DG II, Radmila Stojadinovic, Council of Europe Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina