Government says new law implementing European Media Freedom Act will safeguard press freedom – but opposition claims it fails to address political pressure on journalists.
Croatia’s parliament on Friday adopted a law on implementation of the European Media Freedom Act, EMFA, aligning the legal order with new standards of media protection aimed at ensuring independence from political influence.
Seventy-eight MPs supported the act, while 57 voted against. Until now, the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic had 77 MPs. An independent MP, Dario Zurovec, also backed the law, increasing the parliamentary majority to 78, two more than the required majority.
The EU regulation, binding on all EU member states since 8 August last year, establishes a common framework for all types of media services on the EU market while aiming to safeguard media independence and pluralism.
The law establishes a new, stronger regulatory body with expanded competencies, unifying regulatory oversight for the entire media sector. A new Agency for Media replaces the current Agency for Electronic Media, which will continue to oversee the granting and withdrawal of concessions for radio and TV frequencies.
Provisions on the transparency of ownership, sources of financing and the obligations of public bodies or entities when publishing advertising, as well as when allocating funds for the production and broadcasting of programmes, are prescribed in greater detail.
The law also obliges media providers to clearly label any content generated by artificial intelligence, AI.
“We are only at the beginning of a process of regulating artificial intelligence,” Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek told the debate.
Opposition Social Democratic Party, SDP, and Mozemo! (We Can!) MPs submitted eight amendments, which the government rejected.
“Through the implementation of the EMFA and through Croatian media legislation, the independence of the media from political influence is ensured,” Obuljen Korzinek insisted. “When we look at the plurality of media in Croatia and the fact that no political option is satisfied at all, I would say that we have a plural media scene and that we should preserve it as such,” she added.
She condemned attacks, incitement, disinformation, pressure and hate speech on social networks directed at journalists. “It is the responsibility of all of us to oppose this and stand up clearly against it,” she said.
Referring to the European Commission’s report on the rule of law and media pluralism, MP Mirela Ahmetovic from the SDP noted that Croatia had fallen from 48th to 60th place, into the “difficult situation” category, asserting that there is no media independence in Croatia.
The opposition also claimed the bill implementing the EMFA fails to address political pressure on journalists, unsafe working conditions, strategic lawsuits known as SLAPPs, media ownership concentration and non-transparent advertising by state-owned companies.
Ahmetovic said the bill “meets only the bare minimum” required for alignment with EU legislation, missing an opportunity to strengthen media independence and pluralism.
Source: BalkanInsight
