EU statement delivered by H.E. Ambassador Stanislav Raščan
The media law framework of the Kyrgyz Republic has been widely viewed as a model for the region and the broader OSCE area. The EU notes therefore with concern the adoption by the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic on 24 April of amendments to the Law on Television and Radio Broadcasting, which reinstate state control over the management of the National Television and Radio Corporation and require private broadcasters to produce at least 50% of their programming themselves.
The EU fully shares the view expressed on 13 May by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media that the proposed amendments would eliminate the independence of the public service broadcaster. The EU considers that these amendments could establish a state monopoly over electronic media. This would jeopardise the positive role the Kyrgyz Republic has played in promoting press freedom in Central Asia and would contravene relevant OSCE commitments. The EU therefore expresses the hope that the President of the Kyrgyz Republic will consider the necessity of a substantial revision of the amended bill as presented for his signature.
The EU encourages the Kyrgyz government to take full advantage of the expertise offered by the OSCE Representative on the Freedom of the Media in revising media legislation and invites the Representative to consider an early visit to the Kyrgyz Republic. The EU also stands ready to assist the Kyrgyz Republic in further modernising its media legislation.
The candidate countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, the European Free Trade Association countries and members of the European Economic Area Iceland and Norway, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this statement.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process
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