ROMANIA REFORMS ADVERTISING LAWS TO PROTECT MEDIA FREEDOM Government adopts reform proposals developed in consultation with civil society Bucharest, May 19, 2005�Romania took an important step toward greater transparency of government advertising through public spending reforms announced yesterday. The amendments, developed in consultation with media freedom groups, are designed to curb official interference with editorial independence by actual or threatened withdrawal of public advertising. In recent years, Romanian officials have frequently used their control of public advertising funds to influence media coverage. The relative paucity of private sector advertising and the use of bogus public advertising as hidden subsidies for favored media have added to the problem. �The amendments are an important first step,� said Ioana Avadani, executive director of the Bucharest-based Center for Independent Journalism, a leading advocate of the present reforms. �Now we need to ensure that they are properly implemented, and that officials at all levels give up the habit of using public advertising as private sticks and carrots.� The Justice Initiative and the Center for Independent Journalism have documented the scope of financial censorship practices, and developed recommendations for reform. These efforts helped bring the issue to the public�s attention, and culminated in a legislative proposal that was adopted by a working group of government representatives, free _expression_ groups, media associations, and other stakeholders. �Romania is leading the way in tackling financial censorship,� said James A. Goldston, executive director of the Justice Initiative. �While more remains to be done, it is an example that other countries in the region and elsewhere would do well to follow.� The amendments were adopted by the government through �emergency� legislation, subject to future parliamentary approval. They introduce a number of key changes to advertising spending laws:
While recognizing the importance of these reforms, Romanian civil society groups have urged the government to increase the transparency of public procurement across the board, including by improving freedom of information and procurement laws. Contacts: Center for Independent Journalism: Ioana Avadani, +40 723 508 278; Cristian Ghinea, +40 723 340 016 Open Society Justice Initiative: Darian Pavli, +1 646 247 4504 ___________________
The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational program of the Open Society Institute (OSI), pursues law reform activities grounded in the protection of human rights, and contributes to the development of legal capacity for open societies worldwide. The Justice Initiative combines litigation, legal advocacy, technical assistance, and the dissemination of knowledge to secure advances in five priority areas: national criminal justice, international justice, freedom of information and _expression_, equality and citizenship, and anticorruption. Its offices are in Abuja, Budapest, and New York.
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