18 representatives of public authorities and regulating institutions, of media-specialized NGOs and media, as well as companies, have set up a public-private working group (PPWG) to strengthen Moldovan media, in accordance with the Threshold Country Program of the US Millennium Challenges Corporation. The necessity and the objectives of the group were discussed Tuesday, at its first sitting, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the executive manager of the Independent Press Association, Petru Macovei, the PWG pursues to develop and strengthen a transparent dialog among public and private structures to enhance the media's capacity to monitor the public policies, especially regarding corruption and access to information. Through dialog, the PPWG is expected to develop recommendations to create a favorable environment for Moldovan media. The group will try to suggest improvements related to the taxing frame foe written media and to creating conditions of access to public money to all the media organizations. They also plan to introduce advertising limits in written media. At the first sitting, they have discussed on the draft Law on the freedom of expression, now considered by parliamentarians. In the opinion of lawyer Eugen Rabca, an expert with the Independent Press Association, that draft is necessary as it is expected to ease the application of the standards of the European Court of Human Rights' rulings concerning the freedom of speech. “The draft establishes the guarantees necessary to protect other rights. Through adequate balancing, one can reach European standards in the relation between the press and the Government,” Eugen Rabca said. The PPWG to fortify the media has been created on the basis of a project financed by the Educational Development Academy. Its next sitting is planned for July 18.