Croatia

[HR] The Draft Law on Electronic Media

IRIS 2009-6:1/21

Nives Zvonarić

Ministry of Culture, Zagreb, Croatia

In 2008 the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia established a Working Group for the Transposition of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive into Croatian Media Legislation. The Working Group has concluded a series of meetings and their proposal for a draft law is now in public discussion. The proposed Draft Law on Electronic Media of 29 April 2009 regulates in particular:

- the specific terms used in the Law,

- the general principles of the activities and the provision of audio and audiovisual media services,

- the promotion and protection of the interests of the Republic of Croatia,

- the general issues regarding all audio and audiovisual media services,

- the conditions for the activities and the provision of on-demand audio and audiovisual media services,

- TV and/or radio media services,

- the protection of media pluralism and diversity,

- the position and scope of work of the Agency for Electronic Media and of the Council for Electronic Media,

- the procedure for granting concessions for the provision of TV and radio media services,

- the procedure for granting authorisations for programme transmission via satellite, Internet and cable networks,

- electronic publications,

- the restriction and termination of media service provider activities,

- the provisions on offences and

- the interim and final provisions.

The proposed Draft Law lays down the necessary framework for the provision of TV audiovisual media services (linear audiovisual media services) and on-demand audiovisual media services (non-linear audiovisual media services), as well as for the satellite, Internet and cable transmission of programmes.

The Draft Law should be adopted by the end of 2009.