Moldovan SP thanks experts involved in improvement of mass media legislation

Chisinau, 14 December /MOLDPRES/ – Parliament Speaker, Andrian Candu, congratulated the members of the Working Group on Better Media Legislation with the results of the partnership between the Legislature and the media experts today at the Summit Conference of the Joint European Union and the Council of Europe: Promoting freedom and pluralism of mass media in Moldova, hosted by the Parliament of Moldova, the parliament’s communication and public relations department has reported.

Andrian Candu mentioned that, for the first time, important laws for the development of mass media were passed within a short period of time. "Our goal was to make a platform for cooperation with media outlets, relevant NGOs and international organisations that advocate for freedom of expression. We have set an ambitious agenda and we have succeeded, through a professional approach, in improving legislation. Next, we will have to focus on identifying mechanisms capable of regulating online mass media and ensuring information security. A priority remains to improve access to information and encourage domestic mass media products, including through tax incentives," said SP.

Four laws, elaborated on the platform of the working group, were adopted in final reading:

• The Audiovisual Media Services Code of Moldova,

• The national conception of mass media development in Moldova,

• The Law on attracting foreign investments in the field of film production and other audiovisual works,

• The concept of informational security of Moldova.

In the first reading the Law on Advertising was adopted, as well as the draft amending and completing several laws, including the Law on Access to Information, the Law on Freedom of Expression, the Law on Personal Data Protection, etc. There were registered two other projects in Parliament.

The conference was attended by journalists, project authors, national experts, MPs, representatives of diplomatic missions. Today, participants in the event exchanged good practices and highlighted new needs for press development in Moldova.

The Working Group on Better Media Legislation was set up by the Parliament Speaker on 13 June 2017, with the support of the Joint Project of the European Union and the Council of Europe: Promoting mass media freedom and pluralism by financial support of Freedom House, Internews, US Embassy.