Media Study - Medija centar Beograd

The Council of Europe dedicates significant attention to standards regarding the organization and functioning of
public service media. In terms of commercial media, the attention is primarily focused on content regulatory policy
as well as on media concentrations:
In the 2004 Recommendation on Public Service Broadcasting, the Parliamentary Assembly stressed that public
service programmes are under threat by political and economic interests, by increasing competition from
commercial media, by media concentrations and by financial difficulties. Public service media are also faced with
the challenge of globalization and the new technologies. The recommendation recognizes that the merit of public
services is to operate independently of those holding economic and political power. The same document
underlines that the coexistence of public and commercial media has largely contributed to innovating and
diversifying the supply of content and has had a positive impact on quality. It also urges further clarification of the
issue of public service broadcasting financing following jurisprudence of the European Courts.
For these reasons, the Assembly encourages Member States to establish an appropriate legal, institutional and
financial framework for the regulation of public service broadcasting. In this respect, the Group of Specialists on
Public Service Media in the Information Society issued in 2008 a report on how member stated should ensure legal,
financial, technical and other appropriate conditions required to enable public service media to discharge their
remit. For instance, it was recommended to develop education and training programmes, adapted to the digital
media environment, for journalists.
In 2007, the Committee of Ministers adopted a Recommendation on Measures to Promote the Public Service Value
of the Internet.
The Committee of Ministers adopted in 2000 the Recommendation Rec (2000)23 on the independence and
functions of regulatory authorities for the broadcasting sector and the annex which includes the guidelines
concerning the independence and functions of regulatory authorities for the broadcasting sector. The Committee
of Ministers adopted in 2008 a Declaration on the Independence and Functions of Regulatory Authorities for the
Broadcasting Sector. It outlines the principles of effectiveness, transparency and accountability of independent
broadcasting regulatory authorities.
The conclusions of the Regional seminar on the Program-monitoring Functions of National Regulatory Authorities
emphasized that broadcasting regulatory authorities should have adequate and proportionate powers to ensure
public access to networks and services, set standards, promote quality and ensure a sustainable, technologically
up-to-date industry. Regulatory authorities should be closely involved in the development and implementation of
national audiovisual and broadcasting policies and legislation.
In 2003, the Committee of Ministers adopted a Recommendation on Measures to Promote the Democratic and
Social Contribution of Digital Broadcasting. The Committee stresses the particular importance of respecting the
principles of the Recommendation on measures to promote media pluralism, in particular those concerning media
ownership rules, access to platforms and content diversity.
In 2008, The Committee of Ministers adopted a Declaration on the Allocation and Management of the Digital
Dividend and the Public Interest.
In 2002, the Committee of Ministers issued in the field of copyrights a Recommendation on Measures to Enhance
the Protection of the Neighbouring Rights of Broadcasting Organizations. This document lists a set of rights that
should be granted to broadcasting organizations in order to increase the level of protection of neighbouring rights.
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