Media-focused NGOs submitted an appeal today to the Delegation of the European Union, urging its engagement in the implementation of media laws and the appointment of members to the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS). Specifically, the NGOs called on the Head of the EU Delegation, Johan Sattler, to remind Montenegrin authorities – through dialogue with European Commission and EEAS officials – of their commitments and to raise the possibility of re-opening Chapter 10 (Information Society and Media) if the Parliament of Montenegro continues to delay law implementation and fails to appoint the AVMS Council members promptly.
The NGOs reminded Ambassador Sattler that the Parliament of Montenegro has already failed three times to complete the procedure for appointing two Council members, emphasizing their conviction that this is a deliberate obstruction by the ruling majority, as the Law on Audiovisual Media Services has been in force for more than a year.
In June 2024, as part of efforts to obtain a positive IBAR, media laws were adopted with active civil society involvement and praise, opposition support, and unanimous backing from the parliamentary majority. Consequently, Chapter 10 was provisionally closed at the end of last year. However, the Speaker of the Parliament has repeatedly failed to ensure their implementation. The first public call for Council members was issued only in December 2024 – six months after the legal deadline – and was annulled in January 2025 due to a “technical error.” The second call was obstructed by the Administrative Committee on legally unsubstantiated grounds. Despite repeated calls from the EU and civil society, the third call in May 2025 also failed, as the parliamentary majority abstained in the plenary vote, thereby blocking the appointment of candidates from civil society and the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU), even though they fully met legal requirements.
This months-long obstruction has left the Council operating with only three out of five members. As a result, all second-instance decisions must be adopted unanimous, which severely limits the body’s effectiveness and keeps it under undue pressure. This undermines the Agency’s mandate, including its ability to respond to cases such as the banning the rebroadcast of harmful content from Serbia that promotes hate speech, denies Montenegrin identity, or incites discrimination against minorities.
The NGOs also pointed out to the Head of the EU Delegation in Montenegro that in early October 2025, the Speaker of Parliament will have a legal obligation to issue a new public call for one more Council member from the academic community. Any further delays would deepen the dysfunctionality and institutional paralysis of the Agency’s Council.
Chapter 10 was provisionally closed with the clear expectation that the law would be fully implemented and that the AVMS Agency would become fully operational. This has not happened. Such persistent inaction not only violates Montenegro’s obligations in the EU accession process but also undermines public trust and the credibility of the enlargement process itself.
Therefore, the NGOs appeal to the European Commission and the EEAS to clearly and decisively communicate, through the EU Delegation in Montenegro, to the Speaker of Parliament, the Government, and the parliamentary majority that continued obstruction carries the risk of reopening Chapter 10. A timely and unequivocal EU reminder would serve as a strong incentive to uphold the law, preserve media independence, and restore confidence in Montenegro’s European path.
Goran Đurović, Media Center
Olivera Nikolić, Montenegrin Media Institute (MMI)
Daliborka Uljarević, Centre for Civic Education (CCE)
Milka Tadić Mijović, Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIN-CG)
Mila Radulović, Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro
Mustafa Canka, NGO “Ul Info”
Zdravko Janjušević, Bijelo Polje Democratic Centre
Željko Đukić, NGO Multimedial Montenegro
Nataša Nelević, NOVA – Centre for Feminist Culture
Muamera Muslić, NGO Đakomo Adriatic
Boris Nedović, Centre for the North
Radomir Petrić, Sua Sponte Bar