Under the joint EU/CoE Programme “Reinforcing Judicial Expertise on Freedom of Expression and the Media in South-East Europe (JUFREX) the Council of Europe has organised a Regional conference for media regulatory authorities, held on 5 and 6 July 2018, in Ohrid.

Two comparative studies on best European practices developed under JUFREX were presented. One focused on co-regulation and the other on media literacy. The latter specifically concerned the role of Regulatory Authorities for Electronic Media in relation to Council of Europe standards established through the Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)1 on media pluralism and transparency of media ownership (par. 5, Media Literacy and Education).

Other topics on the agenda were media diversity, pluralism funds, CoE recommendation on the roles and responsibility of internet intermediaries and preparation of the next regional publication on protection of minors. The event ensured exchange of experiences and proposed possible improvements applicable in daily practice of media regulatory bodies in South-East Europe.

The conference also identified additional topics of interest for media regulatory authorities and recognised Council of Europe support as a useful tool for improvements in the media sector across the region. The publication on media regulatory authorities and protection of minors will be prepared through the joint efforts of all media regulatory authorities for electronic media taking part in the JUFREX programme. The aim of the publication is to contribute to a wider understanding of the importance of provisions related to protection of minors, to offer a starting point in terms of providing recommendations and mechanisms for this issue, and to facilitate further efforts and initiatives. The publication will be finalised and printed by the end of March 2019.