Responsible rather than urgent amendments to the Broadcast Act
The Association of Independent Electronic Media urges the Serbian Parliament to reject the proposal of certain members of the Parliament for urgent adoption of yet another set of amendments to the Broadcast Act.
ANEMSource: ANEMThe Association of Independent Electronic Media urges the Serbian Parliament to reject the proposal of certain members of the Parliament for urgent adoption of yet another set of amendments to the Broadcast Act.
ANEM reminds that the Broadcast Act has already been amended twice in haste, in summer 2004 and again one year later, in summer 2005. On both occasions it was insisted on urgency, while the amendments came into force the very next day after the adoption. Such practice needs to change, since it concerns a very important legislation and utterly sensitive area of conveying the freedom of expression. The amendments must be approached responsibly, with full consideration and respect of opinion of a wide spectrum of interested groups.
Certain articles of proposed amendments, which unexpectedly entered the parliamentary agenda, are entirely unacceptable, particularly the one giving the right to the Serbian Government, instead of the Parliament, to approve the financial plan of the Broadcast Agency. This would seriously challenge the independence and sovereignty of the Agency with respect to the decision-making authority. More so, the provision under which the Council may suspend its member appointed by the Parliament, without giving the Parliament the option to voice its opinion about the suspension, is also deplorable.
As this motion is initiated parallelly with the discussions of the Culture Ministry with the interested groups regarding the setup of its draft amendments to the Act, ANEM recommends to the members of the Parliament, nominators of amendments to be voted on in the Parliament, to engage in the initiated public discussion and, by consulting other interested subjects and respecting other opinions, contribute to the drafting of the amendments that would really respond to the actual needs of the broadcasting sphere in Serbia.
Saša Mirković,
ANEM Chairman
Asocijacija nezavisnih elektronskih medija
Association of Independent Electronic Media
Beograd, Marsala Birjuzova 13a, tel/fax: ++ 381 11 2622 467, 3286 355
