SEEMO objavio novo izdanje Priruènika o medijima jugoistoène Europe

06.03.2006.

Vienna, 3 March 2006

PRESS RELEASE: SEEMO Announces Publication of the SEE Media Handbook
2005/2006

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), is glad to announce the publication of its new edition of the annual South East Europe Media Handbook 2005/2006.

After previous editions, SEEMO has prepared the new South East Europe Media Handbook 2005/2006. Once again, this handbook will provide important information on the media situation in countries in South East Europe, media laws and regulations, press freedom violations in 2005 and a list of selected media in the region. The third edition will contain 750 pages of information on the media in the English language.

The reports in this year's Media Handbook cover: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia (Republic of Macedonia - FYROM), Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro / Kosovo, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General and handbook editor, highlighted the problems in the region in his introduction: "Political leaders in South East Europe must understand that free working conditions for the media are essential for the democratic development of a country. It means that the pressure that still comes from some governments and political parties must become a thing of the past. In 2005 there were again examples of ministers or high-level government employees threatening editors and journalists.
Sometimes governments tried to "discipline" the media through economic measures. Providing journalists in the region with the possibility to work under secure conditions is very important. Police and judges in South East Europe are still very slow in helping journalists when they receive threats from criminals or  organised crime. For the majority of cases in which journalists were murdered in the region in past years, the killers have still not been found. It is intolerable that journalists and editors are assassinated or injured simply for carrying out their professional duties.
No journalist should ever again be sentenced to jail for what she or he reports. Officials should open their doors to journalists and provide free and easy access to information, while at the same time respecting the right of journalists to protect their sources of information."
Dr. Ursula Plassnik, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria said of the handbook: "The publication of this year's handbook is especially welcome, given that it coincides with Austria's Presidency of the EU in the first six months of 2006. Austria has always attached particular importance to the countries addressed in SEEMO's Media Handbook and will also put a special focus on them during the EU Presidency.  The Media
Handbook dedicates several chapters to countries already members of the European Union... Two countries - Bulgaria and Romania - already signed their accession treaties and are scheduled to join the EU on 1 January 2007, if outstanding reforms are appropriately completed. Accession negotiations with Croatia and with Turkey have started in October 2005 and will be continued during the Austrian Presidency. This clearly demonstrates that
many former lines of separation already were able to be overcome. In many of these countries the European perspective has been an important incentive for democratic and economic reforms. Special attention during the Austrian EU
Presidency will be dedicated to the Western Balkans: The countries of this region have made important and encouraging progress towards EU integration in the last few years. A number of difficult political issues still have to be resolved, however. For this reason, the fundamental aim during the Austrian EU Presidency will be further rapprochement of this region with the EU. In this context we will be holding a meeting of foreign ministers involving the Western Balkan states in March 2006 to review the progress made and to renew and strengthen the European perspective of these countries. Finally, in the first six months of 2006 Ukraine and Moldova will
be among the particular focuses of the European Neighbourhood Policy specifically designed to establish a zone of peace and economic prosperity on the basis of shared values around the EU. Like in the Western Balkans, stability and prosperity in these countries are of the greatest interest to the European Union."
Speaking about the importance of the SEEMO handbook, Dr. Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, said, "It is a simple fact that it is hard to find reliable information on the media in South Eastern Europe. The South East Europe Media Handbook bridges this gap...  It is of highest evidence that understanding the media in this part of Europe helps us to better comprehend the dynamics of the political and social development."

SEEMO would also like to use this opportunity to invite journalists and media experts to send us any information concerning media and press freedom violations in South East Europe, which we could use for preparation of the SEE Media Handbook 2006/2007.

For further information please send an e-mail to: info@seemo.org



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