HR/EUSR Calls for Immediate Adoption of FBiH PBS Law

High Representative and EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčák, notes that the Council for Protection of Vital National Interest of the Federation Constitutional Court today decided that the proposal Law on the Public Broadcasting Service of the Federation BiH does not violate the vital national interest of Croat people and therefore calls upon the Federation BiH authorities for urgent harmonization and adoption of the Law.

Adoption of the FBiH PBS Law enables completion of the PBS legislative framework and finally opens up the opportunity for establishment of the PBS Corporation, which together with internal restructuring, would lead to the completion of the public broadcasting system reform.

The proposal Law on the public broadcasting service of the Federation BiH contains the same set of obligations as envisaged in by the state Public Broadcasting System Law, the Law on Public Broadcasting Service of BiH (BHRT) and the Law on Public Broadcasting Service of the RS (RTRS). In addition, the proponent addressed all the remarks and instructions which the Constitutional Court of the Federation BiH outlined in its Decision from July 2006.

All three public broadcasters are obliged, through their programming, to treat all three official languages and two letters equally. Besides language and the letter programming of all public services must equally represent national, regional, traditional, religious and cultural specifics of all constituent people and citizens of BiH.