Head of EBU Regulatory Legal Services Richard Burnley at the Media Law Academy in Sarajevo.
(Photo: Zoran Kanlich)

The European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) commitment to improving the public service media landscape through sound legal frameworks was underlined today (3 September) at the opening of the second edition of the Media Law Academy in South East Europe, taking place for three days in Sarajevo.

Head of EBU Regulatory Legal Services Richard Burnley, in his opening speech to delegates, said that only good laws and sound administration could guarantee freedom of speech. He added that the EBU is involved in advising on new media laws at the national and EU level and is ready to offer legal expertise in establishing new laws in Serbia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Two EBU legal experts, Richard Burnley and Anne Catherine Berg, will lead one of the modules at the Media Law Academy and facilitate a professional debate on international standards on editorial and political independence of PSB. Former Vice President of the EBU Boris Bergant will moderate a panel debate on public service broadcasting.

The second edition of the Media Law Academy lasts until 5 September, where media lawyers, media professionals and government representatives will discuss media pluralism, public service broadcasting and freedom of expression on the Internet.

The EBU Partnership Programme supports participation of three media professionals from Albania and Serbia within the framework of an EBU-EU project for support of Public Service Media in EU accession countries.

More information on the Academy on Media Law in South East Europe is available at www.rcc.int.