The Committee on Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sports, and the Media has approved a report on the draft media law, which will be submitted to Parliament for consideration in the first reading.
The document establishes a general legal framework for media service providers, as well as their rights and obligations, taking into account recent changes in the media market.
One of the key provisions is the creation of a Registry of Media Service Providers, which will be maintained by the Ministry of Culture. Registration will be voluntary and will not be a prerequisite for conducting business, but it will serve an administrative record-keeping function and ensure public access to information about the ownership structure and primary sources of funding for media organizations.
The draft also provides for measures to protect journalistic activities and strengthen editorial independence through mechanisms aimed at preventing unjustified interference and ensuring the free practice of the journalism profession.
In addition, criteria for assessing concentration in the media services market are introduced, taking into account the impact on media pluralism and competition. Three types of concentration are defined:
– horizontal concentration—when a single entity controls multiple providers of a single type of media or a single market segment;
– vertical concentration—when control is exercised at different stages of the chain (production, distribution, advertising);
– cross-media concentration—when a single entity controls different types of media (TV, radio, print, and online media) in a single region.
The draft also aims to align national legislation with EU standards, including the Regulation on a Single Rulebook for Media Services in the Internal Market (European Media Freedom Act). The document was developed with the participation of members of parliament, civil society experts, the Ministry of Culture, and the Broadcasting Council.
