Improving the legal framework for public sector advertising and other non-project types of media financing

Current legislative framework for media financing (based on the set of media laws adopted in 2014) envisages prevalence of competitive project based funding of the programmes that should contribute to the fulfilment of public interest, from the budget. Other types of media financing (e.g. sponsorships, procurement of services etc.) are allowed as well, but are only partially regulated. This regulation is neither comprehensive nor sufficient to prevent improper influence over the work of the media, to maintain their equal position on the market nor to prevent various types of abuses of public resources. The last media reform efforts (2014) failed to address this issue.

The overall goal of this project is to improve the legal environment for advertising, sponsorships and other non-project based media financing of public sector in Serbia.

Expected results of this project are as follows:

1. a) to draft a proposal of a comprehensive legal act that would regulate key issues of advertising, sponsorships and other non-project based media financing of public sector in Serbia, that would fit with the rest of the legal system in Serbia (or propose necessary changes in other laws and regulations) and within the general framework of the new (soon to be adopted) Media Strategy;
2. b) to discuss thedraft proposal with all relevant stakeholders (government institutions, media associations and media operating at central and local levels, media experts, advertisers and their associations, academia, interested international organizations) and promote proposed solutions through individual meetings and outreach meetings in Belgrade and three other regional centres in Serbia.

The project will include following activities: 1) Analysingof current strategic and legal framework; 2) Analysing of best international practices and key international documents; 3) Identification and analysing of existing studies and researches; 4) Identification of key stakeholders; 5) Establishing of the expert working group; 6) Drafting of legislative proposal by the group; 7) Meetings with individual stakeholders and outreach activities aimed to promote draft proposal and to collect input; 8) Finalization of legislative proposal; 9) Submission of legislative proposal; 10) Public outreach activities (press statements, social networks etc.)