The January 27 meeting of the Committee started with the consideration of the draft Strategy on the development of legislation on free speech and activity of mass media organizations in compliance with European standards. This document, which was elaborated by a workgroup of the Committee, touches the development of the media market, provision of pluralism in this field, counteraction to information aggression, protection of journalists and mass media outlets' rights, etc. The participants in the meeting expressed their remarks as to the terms of the draft strategy implementation. After the specification of all disputable issues, the Committee members will return to document's final adoption.
Besides, the Committee considered the draft law No. 1119 "On amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine" (as to preventing seizure of mass media outlets). The draft law offers to eliminate legislative gaps that create conditions for external influence on this activity.
Taking in consideration the position of the Main Scientific-Expert Department of the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, as well as the conclusion of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy and Justice (on unconstitutionality of the draft law), the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Free Speech and Information Policy decided to recommend that Ukrainian Parliament return the document for adaptation.
The Committee also considered the draft law No. 1461 "On amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine" (as to obligatory informing of founders and owners of mass media outlets).
Reporting the draft law, Chairperson of the Committee Viktoriya Siumar noted that after the adoption of the Law of Ukraine "On amendments to some Laws of Ukraine" (as to transparency of ownership structure of mass media organizations) in September 2015, most of the provisions of the draft law currently discussed have lost their importance.
The draft law No. 3642 "On amendments to Law of Ukraine "On advertising" (as to regulation of order of placement of domestic advertising, advertising on transport and social advertising) was excluded from the consideration agenda.
The draft law No. 3588 "On amendments to Law of Ukraine "On status of people's deputy of Ukraine" (as to access to confidential information) submitted by people's deputy Serhii Vlasenko was elaborated to enshrine the term on free access of people's deputies of Ukraine to confidential information in the Law of Ukraine "On status of people's deputy of Ukraine."
The people's deputies of Ukraine/Committee members discussed and approved the Plan of work of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Free Speech and Information Policy for the period of the fourth session of the Verkhovna Rada of VIII convocation.
The Committee also discussed prospects of resumption of work on the basic draft law on audiovisual services; on the conflict with detention of journalists of well-known Schemes.Corruption in Detail anticorruption program; and on settlement of the issues touching the privatization of parliamentary mass media outlets.