Nadine Gogu, executive director of the Independent Journalism Center, considers 2016 was a difficult year for journalists and media outlets because no big changes occurred even if they have spoken a lot about the necessity of intervening on particular segments, including as regards the legal framework, IPN reports.

“Nothing happened in 2016 to change the state of affairs to the better. I also refer to the Broadcasting Code, which was included in the Government’s work program of the last few years and continues to be listed as a priority. But this was adopted only in the first reading and then the process stopped. We call it the new Broadcasting Code, but it is actually an older code, drafted six years ago. Since then, as a result of a number of discussions, including within the competent parliamentary commission, amendment proposals were formulated over the new code. But the process stopped after it was passed in the first reading and we expected it will be adopted in the final reading in autumn, given that there were elections. But nothing will be done this year already,” Nadine Gogu stated in an interview for Radio Free Europe.

She voiced hope that the new code will be carried next year, but is yet skeptical as she sees there are particular groups of interest that do not want this to be adopted in the current form. According to Gogu, the problem of concentration of media ownership also remained unsolved. Particular ideas and bills were submitted by MPs, but they unexplainably insisted on formulas that run counter to the European standards because they contain terms that envision banning particular foreign channels on Moldova’s territory.

Nadine Gogu said the MPs could have reformulated the provisions to give more powers to the Broadcasting Coordination Council so that this takes measures in relation to the channels that violate the local legislation. In the Baltic States for example, when some of the retransmitted foreign channels go against the local legislation, they are deprived of license and of the right to be retransmitted for a period.

In another development, Gogu said she is sure that the next country report on the freedom of the press in Moldova will look worse than the previous ones because no big changes occurred on particular segments where these were expected, such as the access to information, media conglomeration and improvement of the legislation. No appropriate conditions were created to support the press, which needs the assistance of the state to exist. There are a number of things that affect the country rating.