Freedom of Expression and Media in the Western Balkans and Turkey

The European Commission in its 2010-2011 enlargement strategy set out its concerns about restrictions to freedom of expression and media in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental pillar of good governance and accountability in democratic societies, which also requires responsibility of media professionals.

The European Union expects candidate countries and potential candidates to implement such a core democratic principle and to enable a varied, pluralistic debate in the public space.

PROGRAMME

8h30 - Registration and coffee

9h00 - Opening

Welcome:
- Michael Leigh, Director General for Enlargement
- Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament
- Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission
- Gergely Prőhle, Deputy Secretary of State for EU-bilateral, Press and Cultural issues, Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy

10h00 - Session 1
Freedom of expression and media in today's Western Balkans and Turkey

Moderator:
John Lloyd, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford

Keynote speaker:
Veran Matić, Chairman of the board of directors and Editor-in-Chief, B92, Belgrade

Panellists:
- Jean-François Julliard, Secretary-General, Reporters without Borders
- Remzi Lani, Director, Albanian Media Institute
- Željko Ivanovic, CEO of Vijesti newspaper, Podgorica

11h30 - Coffee

12:00 - Session 2
How to improve the situation?

Moderator:
Brankica Petković, Media Programme Director, Ljubljana Peace Institute

Keynote speaker:
Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

Panellists:
- Agron Bajrami, Editor-in-Chief of KOHA Ditore, Priština
- Ljiljana Zurovac, Executive Director, Press Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Renate Schroeder, Director, European Federation of Journalists

13h30 - Lunch

15h00 - Session 3
The role of Public Service Broadcasters in a changing media environment

Moderator:
Dušan Reljić, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Keynote speaker:
William Horsley, Media Freedom Representative, Association of European Journalists

Panellists:
- Carl-Eugen Eberle, Chairman of the International Press Institute; Director of Legal Affairs, ZDF
- Josip Popovac, Acting Chairman of the Croatian Radiotelevision HRT; Chairman of the Association of Public Service Media in Southeastern Europe
- Yaman Akdeniz, Associate Professor in Law, Istanbul Bilgi University
- Sašo Ordanoski, former Editor-in-Chief of MRTV;former managing director of Alsat-M, Skopje

16h30 - Coffee

17h00 - Session 4
Debate with the audience - the way forward

Moderator:
Katinka Barysch, Deputy Director, Centre for European Reform

Comments from:
- Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy
- Veran Matić, Chairman of the board of directors and Editor-in-Chief, B92, Belgrade
- Dunja Mijatović, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
- William Horsley, Media Freedom Representative, Association of European Journalists

Conclusions:
Michael Leigh, Director General for Enlargement

INFO:
European Commission - DG Enlargement
Rue de la Loi 200 / Wetstraat 200 - Bruxelles/Brussels
elarg-webmaster@ec.europa.eu
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/speakup-conference/index_en.htm