Non-governmental organizations – Media Center, Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN-CG), Human Rights Action (HRA), Montenegro Media Institute (IMCG) and Centre for Civic Education (CGO) – have filed today a request to the Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro, Andrija Mandić, requesting a reasoned explanation for the annulment of the Public Call for the appointment of two members of the Council for Audiovisual Media Services.
The Public Call, issued on 10 December 2024, invited NGOs in the media sector to nominate one member to the Council, and the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (CANU) and the Montenegrin PEN Centre to nominate another member. The deadline for submitting applications was set at 45 days and expired on 24 January 2025. However, on the final day of the deadline, Mandić annulled the call for publicly unknown reasons.
The Public Call required NGOs to submit extensive documentation to demonstrate their activities in the media sector over the past three years. Such a last-minute decision undermines trust in democratic governance and the rule of law.
The Law on Audiovisual Media Services, along with two other media laws, was adopted in June 2024 after three years of preparation as part of the so-called IBAR laws and their adoption and implementation were a precondition for receiving a positive IBAR report. Furthermore, meeting the benchmarks for the provisional closure of Chapter 10 – Information Society and Media. Second closing benchmark for Chapter 10 relates to the functional and independent operation of the regulatory body for electronic media, the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services.
We remind the public that Mandić’s inaction previously delayed the implementation of the Law on Audiovisual Media Services, as the Public Call was issued almost six months late, and only after insisting from the EU Delegation. The consequences of his actions, as well as those of the Parliamentary Committee on Administrative Affairs, are evident in the current situation where the Agency’s Council operates with only three of its five members. All three members must be present at every session and vote unanimously for decisions to be adopted; otherwise, the Agency cannot carry out its legally prescribed responsibilities. Initiating a new procedure for appointing two members of the Council will take at least two months, during which the Agency will remain non-functional.
We also warn the public that Chapter 10, which was recently provisionally closed, could be reopened if the obstruction of media law implementation continues. The attitude towards implementing laws and professionalizing institutions reflects Montenegro’s commitment to EU accession. This case clearly highlights who the veto players in this process are.
Politically motivated engineering, prompted by the realization that appointing credible representatives from NGOs, CANU, or the Montenegrin PEN Centre would diminish political influence over the Agency, is not a valid way to implement the Law. We believe this will be adequately recognized by the interested domestic and international public.
Goran Đurović, Media Center
Milka Tadić Mijović, Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN-CG)
Tea Gorjanc Prelević, Human Rights Action (HRA)
Olivera Nikolić, Montenegro Media Institute (IMCG)
Daliborka Uljarević, Centre for Civic Education (CCE/CGO)