Media law, interest groups hearings on 13 Feb

In this discussion there will be the main interested operators, state institutions and copyright organizations and associations.

Some of the interest groups have already submitted their comments at the Commission, which has approved the schedule for the days to come.

Law provides higher cost for technology

The draft law for the audio-visual media has been discussed by the members of the Media Commission and Education, who asked to reflect on it not only the suggestions of the Council of Europe and OSCE experts, but also that of the interest groups.

“The matters that you raised here are very important, especially for the digital broadcasts, which are related not only with Albania. With that we have to act on a regional point of view, and this is a very important issue. Hence, it is important for the interest groups to be part of the hearing session. The problem is that we already decided once that you will make the project and we will discuss it at the Commission, before taking a decision”, Leskaj declared.

MP Mark Marku declared that there have been discussions with the groups of interest, but the draft-law has changed a lot. It would be very good having the meeting with the interest groups, by giving them the necessary time and by involving everyone that has presented the request for being part of the discussion.

MP Alfred Dalipi asked for the law to foresee the transitory periods, in which many subjects have been operating.

“Some of them have not been treated. There are many operators who are in that period of time, the transitory period, which is very important for the law. In this period, the passage from one technology to another has costs that are paid by the consumer. In all European countries that have passed from the analog to the digital system, the law has also provided the transitory period, which we haven’t foreseen. It would be better to call the operators who have preceded the law by passing to the digital system before we passed an integral law, because we would damage the interests of the business and those of the citizens”, Dalipi declared.

A very important point is the EU expert recommendation for the way how the Audio-Visual Media Authority members will be chosen. Article 9 of this draft-law says that the Commission preserves the balance of the three candidates supported by the majority, three others supported by the opposition, and one candidate elected through consensus. If there will be no consensus for the last candidate, they will cast lots. The four candidates will be approved through a plenary session.

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