Democratic MP Sergiu Sarbu, who is one of the authors of the bill to amend the Broadcasting Code, on a social networking site wrote that on April 2 he will request the competent parliamentary commission to remove the articles about the journalists’ work from the bill. If there is will, a debate can be later staged on the issue even if these provisions were sufficiently explained and are based on the European practice.

“I think this subject should not be mingled with issues that are rather technical in character, while the method of regulating the work of journalists should be agreed as a result of consultations with them and with civil society,” said Sergiu Sarbu.

The Liberal-Democratic and Democratic MPs registered a bill to amend the Broadcasting Code whose major goal is to protect the national broadcasting area and to ensure the information security of Moldova. The bill strengthens the Broadcasting Coordination Council’s powers to ensure the information security of the state by preventing deviations that can endanger the national security and Moldova’s existence. It also bans external propaganda by news and political programs, increases the share of national products and of products broadcast in the official language and bans the public broadcasters from airing commercial publicity.