Search results : 22

In October 2017 and March 2018, the Georgian Parliament adopted a de-facto new Constitution of Georgia. Among numerous changes, the text provides for some significant changes in the foundations of media regulation in the country. In particular, the current Article 24 of the Constitution, that proclaims freedom of information, freedom of mass media, a ban on censorship and a ban on the state or individuals monopolising the mass media or communication means, has been transformed into new Article 17 (“Freedom of thought, information, mass media and Internet”). It contains a new paragraph that promulgates,...

On 12 July 2013, the Georgian Parliament overturned the presidential veto on the bill providing amendments to the law on broadcasting, which envisages measures for more financial transparency of broadcasters, reforming the rule of composition of public TV’s board of trustees and transforming Adjara TV’s status into that of a public broadcaster. The presidential objections concerning the bill, originally passed by the Parliament on 31 May 2013, mainly concerned a provision that envisages giving the legislature the right to disband the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s (GPB) board of trustees in the...

On 20 March 2013, the European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy published a joint communication on European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The ENP was revised in 2011 in order to “provide more support for partner countries building deep and sustainable democracy”. The Joint Communication is accompanied by twelve national reports on neighbouring countries in the southern Mediterranean area (Morocco, Tunisia, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt) and to the east (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). The Communication...

A number of important amendments were recently introduced into the Statute of Georgia “On Broadcasting” of 23 December 2004 (see IRIS 2005-7/24). The first set of changes was adopted by parliament on 8 April 2011 and promulgated on 2 May 2011 (Statute No. 4525). Article 37 of the broadcasting law is amended to prohibit a broadcasting license from being held by a legal entity registered in an off-shore zone, and/or a legal entity, whose share/stock is directly or indirectly owned by a person registered in an off-shore zone. The Statute also adds Article 37-1 that obliges applicants for a license...

On 17 March 2011, Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, presented the regular report to the OSCE Permanent Council, the organisation’s main decision-making body. The report consists of overviews of issues raised in the participating countries, activities of the Representative in the last reporting period and planned activities for the next reporting period. A large part of the report consists of the analysis of issues raised in 56 of the OSCE participating States. The report touches upon several issues concerning media freedom, inter alia, media pluralism, editorial...