The principles of independence, good governance and accountability of public service media are fundamental pillars of democratic societies. These principles are enshrined in several key Council of Europe documents, including Committee of Ministers Recommendations CM/Rec(2012)1 and CM/Rec(2018)1, which emphasise the importance of protecting public service media from political and economic pressures. It was on these very foundations that Suspilne – the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC) – was established nine years ago with the active support of the Council of Europe. Since then, the Council of Europe has remained a reliable international partner ever since.

Suspilne is one of the main beneficiaries of the Council of Europe Project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine – Phase II” (SFEM-UA – Phase II), which is implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023–2026).

In 2024, the Council of Europe supported a strategic session for the Supervisory Board and the Managing Board of Suspilne, during which three key documents were developed, refined and approved: the Concept for Sports Broadcasting; the Core Activity Priorities; and the Regulation on the Selection of the Chair and Members of the Managing Board.

In 2025, the Council of Europe continues this co-operation by providing expert and organisational support to a new strategic session, held in a hybrid format in Uzhhorod on 22–24 July.

The session began with an introductory visit to the Zakarpattia regional branch of Suspilne – Suspilne Uzhhorod. This is one of the most distinctive regional directorates of UA:PBC, known for its linguistic and cultural diversity. It broadcasts in Ukrainian, as well as in five minority languages – Hungarian, Romanian, Romani, Slovak and German – and, like all other Suspilne branches, in sign language.

Over the course of the three-day event, participants worked on two strategic documents, aimed to lay the foundations for Suspilne’s further development:

• The Core Activity Priorities of UA:PBC for 2026–2030,
• The Executive Authority Succession Plan.

Olena Demchenko, Senior Project Officer of the Council of Europe Project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine – Phase II”, stated:
“Council of Europe experts are engaged at various stages in the development of not only Suspilne's internal policies but also those related to journalistic standards. We hope that the two operational documents you are developing during this strategic session will support you not only in planning but also in effectively implementing all areas of your work.”

Mykola Chernotytskyi, Chair of the Managing Board of UA:PBC, said: “Thanks to our co-operation in recent years, we have developed strategic concepts in the fields of sports and education, and are now finalising a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) concept. Despite the difficult circumstances in the country, the Supervisory and Managing Boards have the opportunity to work closely together and define the future direction of Suspilne. Your initiatives and expertise help us build institutional capacity.”

A central component of the session was a presentation by Sophia Wistehube, an expert from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who provided an overview of European approaches to the legal framework of public service broadcasting in the context of European integration. Particular attention was paid to succession planning, supported by Ukrainian HR experts.

Svitlana Ostapa, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Suspilne, added: “The process of renewing the composition of the Supervisory Board of Suspilne has begun. Elections of new members representing the media and local self-government sectors will be held at upcoming conferences this autumn. These will be followed by elections in the fields of education and science, the rights of national minorities, rights of persons with disabilities, children and youth rights, and the creative sector. Despite this, Suspilne must continue to operate, and the existence of strategic documents ensures institutional stability.”

Suspilne Ukraine is an independent media company and the public service broadcaster of Ukraine. It includes the national television channels Suspilne Pershyi, Suspilne Kultura, Suspilne Sport, and a nationwide network of regional channels, as well as the radio stations Ukrainian Radio, Radio Promin, Radio Kultura, and Radiotochka. Suspilne maintains its status as a trusted source of information in Ukraine.

The Council of Europe Project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine – II Phase” (SFEM-UA) is implemented by the Council of Europe  Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.