Slovenia

[SI] Referendum on New Broadcasting Law

IRIS 2005-9:1/35

Alexander Scheuer

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

In mid-July 2005, the Slovenian Parliament adopted the Act on Radiotelevision Slovenia (RTV Act). The voting led to a second approval of the Act which became necessary after the upper house, the National Council, vetoed the previous decision of the assembly.

However, the Act did not come into force immediately. Instead, Members of Parliament belonging to the opposition formally requested a referendum which was scheduled for 25 September 2005. The citizens of Slovenia were requested to state whether they agree with the implementation of the Act as adopted by Parliament. The provisional result of the referendum shows a very thin majority (50,21 %) for the Act.

In addition, the Council of Europe has been asked to conduct an expert mission. Such mission is aimed at providing an expert opinion on draft laws and, in particular, to give guidance as to the compatibility of planned legislative action with the stipulations of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms as well as with the body of related legal instruments of that international organisation. From now on, one will primarily rely on the European Convention on Transfrontier Television and the numerous recommendations of the Council of Europe in the field of broadcasting and journalistic freedoms. In particular, it will be interesting to assess the new act in the light of Recommendation R (96) 10 on the guarantee of the independence of public service broadcasting.