16 Jan Report on the REM Council Selection Process Published: Urgent Action Needed to Safeguard the Independence of the Media Regulator
January 16, 2025
Civic Initiatives have published a comprehensive report on the ongoing process for selecting members of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), highlighting serious procedural irregularities, political pressures, and discrepancies in the qualifications of candidates and their proposers.
The report, based on a detailed analysis of documents reviewed by Civic Initiatives, sheds light on key issues that could undermine the credibility and independence of REM. As a regulatory body, REM is responsible for ensuring the independence of RTS and RTV, allocating national frequencies, and overseeing the operations of broadcasters that receive them (such as Pink, TV Happy, TV Prva, and TV B92).
Key Findings:
- Out of 34 candidates, 17 fail to meet the legal criteria for membership in the REM Council.
- Of the 121 proposers, 32 do not meet the legal requirements, further undermining the legitimacy of the process.
- Procedural flaws include inconsistent eligibility checks for candidates and the refusal of the Committee on Culture and Information to address these irregularities.
- The Ministry of Culture and Information issued a legal opinion on the final day of the competition, which was legally unfounded and politically motivated.
“This is a wake-up call for everyone who values the independence and professionalism of media in Serbia. REM serves as a critical guardian of professional standards in electronic media, but the current selection process reveals the authorities’ intent to maintain control over its operations. Immediate public response is needed to ensure the fairness and legality of this process,” stated Maja Stojanović, Executive Director of Civic Initiatives.
Over 90 legitimate organizations, actor associations, academics, journalists, and institutions participated in proposing candidates. If the National Assembly selects candidates from these proposers, it could secure a two-thirds majority in REM, leading to greater independence and professionalism in public broadcasters and the revocation of national frequencies from broadcasters that promote violence and hate speech.
In the coming days, Civic Initiatives will publish specific stories about the most problematic aspects of the process, including irregularities in specific nominations, political pressure on proposers, and systemic failures in the application of the law.
We call on the relevant institutions to take immediate action, ensure the legality of the process, and disqualify candidates and proposers who fail to meet the legal criteria. We also urge experts and the public to engage and demand a transparent and fair selection process for members of the REM Council.
You can download the full report by clicking the button below:
REPORT