The pace of implementing the nation al plan of action in the media sector, undertaken as part of the Moldova – EU Association Agreement, needs to be accelerated. The document should also be reviewed and supplemented so that it covers the whole media sector, says the first minoring report by the Association of Independent Press (API), IPN reports.

Media expert of the monitoring team Ion Bunduchi said the measures planned to be taken in the field of the media in 2014-2016 were insufficient and weren’t in full compliance with the provisions of the Association Agreement. Many of the planned actions were irrelevant and were carried out partially. The monopolization of the plan of action on the audiovisual sector and filling of this with commitments that are already mandatory for the Broadcasting Coordination Council, in proportion of over 50%, make the actions be partially relevant to fully irrelevant.

Media expert Aneta Gonta said the way in which the measures were carried out in March – May 2017 shows that the implementation pace of the national plan of action should be accelerated. Two steps are to be taken during three months – working out of the national mass media development strategy and amendment and supplementation of the Audiovisual Code. This does not testify to a firm commitment to accelerate the implementation of the Association Agreement’s provisions concerning the media.

Another measure, regarding the access of persons with hearing and visual impairments to program services, is irrelevant given that such a decision taken by the Broadcasting Coordination Council on May 17, 2016, was published in the Official Gazette in June 2016.

API executive director Petru Macovei said the presented report is the first of a series of monitoring reports on the implementation of the national plan of action in the media sector that will be compiled during a year. The results will be presented quarterly.