Statement: Media NGOs and Other Civil Society Organizations Deprecate the Amending of the Broadcasting Code without Prior Consultation with the Civil Society and Request Postponing of the Bill Adoption in Parliament

Media NGOs deprecate the secrecy and haste of the lawmakers in drafting and registering for adoption in the first reading the bill on amending the Broadcasting Code and the Law on the Freedom of Press.

We consider unacceptable any attempts to improve a law in violation of another; in this case, the provisions of Law 239 on Transparency in Decision Making were violated.

We share the concern of the lawmakers regarding real autonomy in the national information field, as well as regarding due respect for human dignity. However, we note with greatest concern that the bill includes provisions that, once adopted, would put in danger both the freedom of press and the freedom of expression. Here we refer primarily to the proposal to supplement the Broadcasting Code with Article 6¹.

We would also like to draw the attention of the authors of the bill to the need to define precisely the criteria for determining whether (re)broadcast programs fall under paragraph (2) of Article 7¹. Otherwise, if adopted, this provision would leave plenty of room for interpretation and abuses, and would result in endless lawsuits.

Considering the extremely sensitive nature of the issues the bill touches on, we request that proper public discussions are organized and conducted, to identify solutions that would ensure consistency and the deeply democratic nature of future legal provisions; the public discussion of the amendments ought not to be mimicked by formal consultation with inactive media NGOs that are affiliated politically or serve the interests of political forces. 

Electronic Press Association
Independent Journalism Center
Independent Press Association
Center for Journalistic Investigations
Association of Independent TV Journalists
Acces-Info Center
Partnership for Development Center
Promo-Lex Association
Piligrim-Demo Youth Center
Eco-TIRAS, International Environmental Association for River Preservation
National Youth Center of Moldova
National NGO Council of Moldova
Open Government Institute
East-European Foundation
RISE Moldova
Periodical Publication Timpul de Dimineata
IDIS Viitorul
Legal Resources Center
Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT)
CONTACT, National Center for NGO Assistance and Information
Center for Health Policies and Studies
Center for Legal assistance to People with Special Needs
Foreign Policy Association
 

(The list remains open to any organizations willing to sign this Statement.)