Moldovan parliament to improve media legislation till late 2017

Chisinau, 17 May /MOLDPRES/ - A working group for the improvement of the audiovisual legislation has been set up and, till late 2017, proposals on the amendment of the legislation are to be presented. Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu made statements to this effect at a news conference today, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.   

The working group includes representatives of media institutions, international institutions and media NGOs. The goals set forth by Andrian Candu for this draft are: improving access to information, fighting propaganda, encouraging the native products, including through providing tax facilities, regulations for the online media and information security.    

The working group for the improvement of the audiovisual legislation was created at an initiative by the parliament speaker, with the support of the Council of Europe.

In early next June, the working group members will be summoned to the first meeting, during which the priorities and activity rules will be set.

The initiative on setting up a permanent working group for elaborating the media legislative framework was launched by Parliament Speaker on 30 March 2017. Discussions on the need to adjust the media legislation to challenges from the information space, as well as to the tendencies of technical modernization, by preserving pluralism and freedom of expression, were tackled for the first time at an international conference organized by the parliament speaker in Chisinau in July 2016.  

Hereafter, we present the composition of the working group, created based on petitions received from the civil society, international organizations and media institutions:    

The head of the working group:

Andrian Candu, Moldova’s Parliament Speaker

The co-heads of the working group:

Vladimir Hotineanu, head of the parliamentary commission for culture, research, youth, sport and mass media
Tatiana Puiu - Freedom House

Members of the working group:

Cepoi Corina – Internews
Râbca Eugeniu –Electronic Press Association (APEL), expert in law
Bunduchi Ion - Electronic Press Association (APEL), expert in audiovisual
State Vasile – Electronic Press Association (APEL), expert in audiovisual
Sandu Sanda – Information and Documentation Centre on NATO from Moldova (CID NATO), programme manager
Macovei Petru – Public Association Independent Press Association, executive director
Țîra Dumitru – Realitatea (Reality) press group, director general
Postovanu Oleg – Public Association Jurists for Human Rights, expert in human rights
Gogu Nadine – Centre for Independent Journalism, executive director
Pavelescu Dorin – Casa Media Plus, manager 
Jelihovschi Petru – General Media Group Corp, manager 
Corghencea Artur – PRO TV, director of the News Department 
Bordeianu Olga – National Public Broadcasting Institution Teleradio Moldova, head
Munteanu Veaceslav – The office of lawyer ”Veaceslav Munteanu”, lawyer 
Sergheev Evghenii - TV Comunicații Grup SRL (Communications Group Ltd)  
Lazur Dumitru – Representative of the Council of Europe

The MPs of Commission for Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sport and Mass Media  
The members of the Audiovisual Coordination Council.