Serbian government adopts proposed amendments to two media laws

BELGRADE - The Serbian government on Thursday adopted proposed amendments to the Law on Public Media Services and the Law on Public Information.

In a statement, the government said the amendments to the Law on Public Media Services aimed to enhance the work of the services, ensure greater responsibility to their users and stabilise funding.

The amendments are to contribute to strengthening the public interest in the sphere of information, it also said.

The amendments to the Law on Public Information envision the establishment of a unified system for monitoring the co-financing of media projects to ensure greater transparency of the use of public funds.

The amendments also ensure better protection to journalists and introduce mechanisms for safeguarding their professional integrity, thereby supporting the freedom and safety of media professionals and enhancing the work of self-regulatory bodies, which contributes to greater responsibility of the media and compliance with ethical standards, the statement said.