The CDMSI in place and active

On 1 January 2012, the Steering Committee on Media and new Communication Services (CDMC) was replaced by the new Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI).

This change should enable the Council of Europe to keep pace with the changes occurring in the media and the information society. It will thus embrace the forward looking dimension of the new notion of media, adopted by the Committee of Ministers, in its standard setting work, still pursuing the multistakeholder approach adopted by the CDMC.

The CDMSI met for the 1st time in Strasbourg, from 27 to 30 March 2012. It elected its Bureau and immediately started mapping out the work that will enable it to deliver its mandate.

Read more: the stocktaking report of the CDMC works, which clearly paves the way for future works and the CDMSI mandate

[10/04/12] Council of Europe adopts recommendations to protect human rights on search engines and social platforms

Freedom of expression, access to information, freedom of association and the right to private life must be safeguarded.  See full article here.

[16/02/12] Public service media: the Council of Europe calls for renovated governance

In a Declaration and a Recommendation adopted by its Committee of Ministers on 16.02.2012, the Council of Europe urged its member states to renovate the governance framework of public service media in order to adapt to the new communication environment, where the relationship with the public is based on transparency, openness and dialogue.

Some of these media, the recommendation states, still need to complete the transition from state broadcasters - with strong links to, and control by, government - to genuine public service media.

The Recommendation contains a set of guiding principles that public service media organisations should apply in order to update their system of governance: independence, accountability, effective management, responsiveness, responsibility, transparency and openness.