Archivists from Balkan, Eastern Balkan and South Caucasus countries have joined forces to preserve their audio visual heritage.

From 11 to 13 May chief archivists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia (including the province of Vojvodina), Romania, Armenia and Georgia gathered in the Serbian capital of Belgrade to share best practices and brainstorm on common problems.

A survey about the archiving situation in the Balkans was presented at the meeting. The survey was initiated and carried out by Croatia's HRT, with the support of RTS. Seven countries participated in the 100-question study, which provides unique data about the volume of archives, respective conditions and carriers.

The data will be used to develop a joint project to preserve the audiovisual heritage of the broadcasters in the region. Participants also took the opportunity to exchange experiences and brainstorm common problems. ORF, DR, VRT, and INA presented best practices on archiving, supported by expertise from the EBU.

The event was organized within the framework of an EBU - EU project for support of public service media in the EU accession countries. Senior Project Manager Radka Betcheva "There was a very strong cooperative spirit in the group. Participants agreed on concrete steps for cooperation. Common needs, such as work with meta data, rights and documentation were identified and the broadcasters expect assistance from the EBU.

The EBU will seek cooperation with other international organizations to help meet these needs." The meeting was generously hosted by RTS and supported by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro.