The Committee held a two-day working meeting as part of the Council of Europe Project “Strengthening Media freedom, Internet governance and Personal data protection in Georgia.” The meeting focused on the standards of freedom of expression and professional regulation of the media, with the participation of Committee members and other MPs.
The experiences of the European Union and Council of Europe in this area are valuable for Georgia. The obligations set forth in the EUAA will be carefully evaluated, and the topic needs to be discussed as soon as possible. It is also important to observe the best practices in EU member states and ensure that our legislation adheres to EUAA obligations.
The meeting discussed freedom of expression, the EU directive on audiovisual services, and professional regulation of media in Georgia. Experts from the Council of Europe emphasized the importance of implementing decisions of the European Court of Human Rights at the national level and fulfilling commitments under the Georgia-EU Association Agreement to harmonize legislation with the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
The meeting also focused on Article 10 of the European Convention (freedom of expression) and media freedom. The requirements of the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive for professional regulation of the media were also discussed, as well as the current media professional regulation system in Georgia and its compliance with the directive.
On the second day, the meeting participants discussed hate speech and obscenity, examples of professional regulation of the media in European countries, and the model presented by the draft law on broadcasting. Council of Europe experts, representatives from the European Union program Creative Europe, and employees of the Communications Commission were also present.
The working meeting provided valuable insights and recommendations for improving media freedom and professional regulation in Georgia. It is crucial for the government to take these suggestions into consideration and work towards creating a more transparent and fair media environment.
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