The Ambassador of the European Union in Albania, Luigi Soreca has reiterated the European Commissions “serious concern” over the fact that Albania has made “no progress in the field of freedom of expression.”
During the annual OSCE Media Development Forum, Soreca also drew attention to cases of police violence against journalists and citizens during demonstrations. He said that the Albanian country report called for “zero tolerance on threats and attacks on media, including those coming from political discourse.”
Soreca took the opportunity to say that the draft media law should be amended in line with the Venice Commission recommendations, and it should remain an “important priority”.
He added:
“I encourage the Albanian authorities to use every opportunity to establish a dialogue with media actors. It’s time to launch the consultation with the media community on the draft media law, taking into account the expertise of local and international actors to ensure a positive impact on the package.”
The Ambassador reiterated the importance of good quality journalism during this time of crisis.
“There are two key features in journalism, the sense of duty in revealing wrongdoing, and the sense of responsibility in reporting factually.”
