Head of Moldova's Audiovisual Council reacts to attempt of licencing of audiovisual institutions from Gagauzia

Chisinau, 27 June /MOLDPRES/ - The only authority competent with the issuance of permissive acts in the audiovisual sector is the Audiovisual Council (CA) and the replacement of the broadcasting licence by the so-called Izin permit, based on which the providers of the audiovisual services from the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (UTAG) will be able to work, creates the imminent risk of appearance of TV and radio broadcasting services which are outside the legal field. CA president Liliana Vitu has made statements to this effect, in the context of the voting, on 25 June 2024, of a draft law at the People’s Assembly (local parliament) of Gagauzia, meant to establish another mechanism of licencing the work of the audiovisual mass media in the region, according to a press release submitted by the Audiovisual Council.       

According to the CA’s head, the Comrat authorities’ initiative represents an attempt of eluding the audiovisual media services code and the rulings of the national law courts.  

„The aforementioned legal norm gets into obvious contradiction with the provisions of the Code No 174/2018 and the Law on the regulation through authorization of the entrepreneurial activity No 160/2011, which establish the conditions and procedures related to the issuance of the broadcasting licence, with the only authority competent with the issuing of permissive acts in the audiovisual sector being the Audiovisual Council of Moldova. The replacement of the broadcasting licence by the so-called Izin permit, based on which the providers of audiovisual media services from UTAG will be able to work, creates the imminent risk of appearance (or continuation of the activity) or TV and radio broadcasting services outside the legal field,’’ Liliana Vitu said.   

At the same time, the head of the Audiovisual Council noted that, ‘’under the conclusion of the civil, commercial and administrative college of the Supreme Court of Justice from 5 October 2022, the judges declared inadmissible the appeals submitted by the Governor of Gagauzia and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia against the Ruling of the Comrat Court of Appeal, through which the Law of UTA Gagauzia on the licencing of some kinds of activity, from 7 July 2000, adopted by the Gagauz People’s Assembly, was cancelled as illegal, finding out that it runs counter the hierarchically superior laws.’’ ‘’Thus, through the promotion of the aforementioned draft, they pursue the goal of eluding the rulings of the national law courts,’’ Liliana Vitu said.   

Following the case registered, CA informed the government, who has representative in the territory; the specialized commissions of the parliament; the Presidency, the Intelligence and Security Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office about the return to the draft on the agenda of the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia and the risks which it poses.  

The document, which represents a new attempt of regulating the mass media in UTAG, was voted in the first reading on 25 June. It stipulates the establishment of a new procedure of licencing of the work of the TV and radio stations from the region, which consists in getting a certain authorization.