The Implementation of the EU Association Agreement has Backlogs in the Part Related to the Media: Experts Gave only 14 out of 28 Points Possible

The fifth Monitoring Report of the Association of Independent Press (API) on the implementation of media commitments undertaken by the Moldovan authorities under the Action Plan on Implementing the RM-EU Association Agreement, shows that this process needs to be sped up. The authors of the report, media experts Ion Bunduchi and Aneta Gonta highlighted the main backlogs the the authorities have to this end. The report covers the period March – May 2018.

Experts have analysed the actions of the authorities from two standpoints – quantitative and qualitative. Altogether, the report shows that the qualitative and quantitative analysis gathered 14 points out of 28 possible. According to API Executive Director, Petru Macovei, this indicator reflects that the implementation of the National Action Plan needs to be sped up and that half work has been done in this respect. The expert’s take is that the Moldovan authorities lack a strategic vision for the development of the media. ‘The actions that exist are sporadic, some of them are adopted even under the pressure of both external and internal factors. Every one is working at tremendous speed. Unfortunately, a strategic vision of development doesn’t exist’, Petru Macovei mentioned.

The quantitative analysis of the implementation of the NAP gathered 8 points out of 12 possible, one point more as compared with the previous reporting period (December 2017 – February 2018). Expert Aneta Gonta, who carried out the quantitative analysis, concluded that things have not progressed substantially in this respect. ‘If the analysis did not included the actions from the previous period, and those unplanned but necessary, the extent of the implementation would’ve been even lower’, Gonta said.
The meeting of the members of the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) with the representatives of the Council of Observers of the GRT public broadcaster was one of the actions the experts highlighted as relevant but unplanned.

As far as qualitative analysis is concerced, Ion Bunduchi has also mentioned that the report gathered 6 points. The media expert pointed out that some of the actions were qualified as partially implemented, since important documents, such as the Media Services Code, has yet to be adopted in final reading, while another document, such as the Regulation on the Organisation of the Tender for the Selection of a Company Measuring the Broadcasters’ Ratings is just at the concept phase.

Ion Bunduchi also referred to the fact that the sanctions BCC has applied during the new electoral campaign neither had an expected impact nor were they proportionate, since one faced harsh fines and others, who have committed different violations, although they said they wouldn’t reflect the campaign, received only public warnings. BCC member, Olga Barbalata, explained that certain documents, for the development of which the authority is responsible, are analyzed by other relevant institutions with their own report. 

API has announced that it will develop another monitoring report on this subject.