Council of Europe and European Broadcasting Union reinforce cooperation to promote public service media
The Council of Europe and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have agreed to increase their cooperation to promote public service media in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
This was decided today during a meeting in Strasbourg between the Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre in the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011. This memorandum defines shared objectives and values, in particular the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law through the promotion of public service media values including freedom of speech and pluralism.
The agreement includes professional assistance in areas ranging from strategic consultancy to legal advice, news standards, accountability, programmes for minorities, archiving and digitalisation. A bilateral coordination group will discuss a joint programme of work and the allocation of responsibilities and funding.
The EBU is already implementing a wide-ranging “start-up” action plan, co-funded by the European Commission, on enabling the democratic role of public service media in the EU accession countries. Under the renewed collaboration with the Council of Europe, those activities will be extended and expanded in pursuit of goals set by the Commission in 2014-2020 Guidelines for media freedom and integrity in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Montenegro and Serbia.
The two organizations also pledged to increase their cooperation to strengthen public service media in the EU's Eastern Partnership countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
The Council of Europe plays an important role in setting standards for the legal framework of public service media, and the EBU has accumulated unique professional expertise working since 1950 both for and with broadcasters themselves. Among many principles, the two organizations share a conviction that public service media must be independent. Greater cooperation based on their respective core competences will enable them to provide assistance as efficiently as possible.
* All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nation’s Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.