European Union Concerned About Media Concentration. Prime Minister Filip: “We Want Media Pluralism”

The third meeting of the Association Council, which took place at the end of last week in Brussels, analyzed the progress in implementation of the Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union, in force since July 1, 2016. Among other things, the meeting also discussed the problems faced by the media in Moldova.

In the joint declaration, the EU expressed its concern about the situation in the media sector, in particular in relation to the concentration of ownership in the media and their polarization.

In the context of harmonizing the media legislation with the standards of the EU, the Council of Europe and the OSCE, Moldovan authorities were recommended to take into account the expertise of the Council of Europe and the OSCE when performing amendments to the Broadcasting Code, to protect media pluralism and independent mass media.

“We want media pluralism, and I’d like to use this opportunity to invite international media to invest in Moldova,” said Prime Minister Pavel Filip after the reunion, at the joint press conference held together with Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.