Vladimir Hotineanu, Member of Parliament: “Adopting a New Broadcasting Code is Now a Real Priority”

The second reading of the new draft Broadcasting Code and of the draft law on amending and supplementing the Law on the access to information will be a priority for Media Parliamentary Committee in the autumn session. This fact was confirmed by the Chairman of this Committee, member of Parliament, Vladimir Hotineanu.
 
“We intend to submit the draft Broadcasting Code for second reading in early November at the latest, or even in October. Now, we need to meet the drafters in order to assess the degree of acceptability and discuss about the insertion of the proposed amendments into the document. As far as we, the Parliamentary Committee, are concerned, we have completed all the technical work. Now, the priority consists in adopting the new Broadcasting Code, after several years of work on it: we have held a lot of public hearings, consultations, etc.”, Vladimir Hotineanu stated for Media Azi.

During their autumn session, the deputies will also debate in the second reading on the draft law on amending and supplementing the Law on the access to information which was voted in the first reading on 28^th of July. The document was drafted by the experts of the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) and was registered as a legislative initiative by a group of deputies - Vladimir Hotineanu, Mihaela Spatari, Aliona Goța, Ştefan Creangă, Ion Balan and George Mocanu. Andrei Guceac, senior consultant in the Committee for Legal Affairs, Appointments and Immunities, considers that, before the second reading, the drafters shall make all the required changes, in accordance with the proposed amendments, taking into account that the first reading generated “very many discussions on this draft law”. Member of Parliament Vladimir Hotineanu, one of the draft authors, asserted that the amendments will be examined within a reasonable time limit and that this draft law will be a priority for Media Parliamentary Committee in the autumn session.

The new Broadcasting Code was voted in the first reading on 1^st of July. Subsequently, on 7^th of July, the deputies voted in the first reading the draft laws - no. 125 (PL) and no. 218 (PD) - proposing amendments to the Broadcasting Code in force. Certain members of Parliament expressed discontentment with the fact that the above-mentioned draft laws were subject to debates and voting after the first reading debates and voting of the new draft Broadcasting Code, while the authors of these legislative initiatives argued that the proposed changes will be included as amendments into the new draft Code during the second reading. “If the new draft Broadcasting Code is voted in the second reading, these two draft laws will be withdrawn”, Vladimir Hotineanu pointed out.