EC, media freedom deteriorated

“The challenges for freedom of speech and media include the political interferences, which time after time are manifested through the legal system; economic pressure; usage of crime and corruption for influencing media; and the insufficient protection of the journalists against violent attacks. The economic challenges are related with the lack of transparency and property concentration; the lack of honest competition and market regulators’ independence. All these conditions impose serious limits to free expression by media that are critical to the government and they discourage investigative journalists. The media and the journalists are often obliged to implement auto-censorship”, the document says.

This document underlines the Copenhagen political criterion as a very important element for guaranteeing the freedom of speech in media and that is required from every government that aims to approach its country to the EU.

“It is essential for enlargement countries to guarantee open media, for guaranteeing the necessary conditions and professional standards to independent journalists”, the document says.

In May, the European Commission organized a special conference with journalists from Balkan and Turkey for hearing their opinion and experiences for the political pressures. The conclusions of this conference, as the document writes, “feed the Commission’s work in this area”, hence this institution is committed in front of the member countries that not only it will guarantee freedom of speech, but it will also assign the priorities in this area, for conditioning their implementation and negotiations for the EU membership.

“The Commission will closely monitor the developments as part of the existing agreements and structured dialogue in the enlargement countries. It will further integrate these issues within the membership negotiations, especially for the judicial system and basic rights. It will identify the priorities and will encourage the government’s efforts for achieving the EU standards in the freedom of speech. For this reason, the cooperation will be increased with the necessary partners and international organizations in these countries – especially the Council of Europe and OSCE. The dialogue will continue with the journalists and their associations”, the document continues.

Besides the freedom of speech, the EU enlargement policies for 2011-2012 will focus on the rule of law; increase of regional cooperation and reconciliation in Balkan; stable economic recovery; adaptation with the Strategy Europe 2020; and extending the transport and energy networks.

Prepared by: ARTA TOZAJ

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