TIRANA, Dec 17 /ATA/- “We have been working with Prime Minister Edi Rama and the government of Albania until the last minute to improve the draft laws on media, and bring them in line with international standards and OSCE commitments,” Harlem Désir, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said on Tuesday afternoon.
“Many improvements in the latest version published today compared to previous draft laws: registration obligations have been eliminated; general safeguards regarding international standards introduced (article 4); strict limits to content take-down have been introduced (article 132),” Désir said in a statement via Twitter.
“Regulation of the right to reply has been adapted to the needs of electronic publications and restricted to avoid misuse (art 53/1); new attribution to AKEP has been eliminated,” the OSCE Representative noted.
“Work will continue to reduce the level of the fines, and on the adoption of a future sub-legal instrument, in order to guarantee that no disproportionate fines can be imposed to electronic publication service providers,” the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media added.
“My Office will monitor closely the application of the law which must, in no way, impede freedom of expression and media freedom. AMA should apply the law in a truly independent manner,” Désir concluded his statement.
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