European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services - ERGA - Stakeholders

The European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) gathers high level representatives of national independent regulatory bodies in the field of audiovisual services, to advise the Commission on the implementation of the EU's Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) .

ERGA was established in February 2014 by the European Commission, having as its main objectives:

- to assist the Commission in ensuring a consistent implementation of the AVMSD

- to facilitate cooperation between the regulatory bodies in the EU

- to allow for an exchange of experience and good practices.

Since 1 January 2016, ERGA is chaired by Prof. Madeleine de Cock Buning, Professor of Media Law at Utrecht University and president of the Dutch regulator. Mr Oliver Schrameck (ERGA Chair in 2014-2015) is now Vice-Chair, along with Ms. Mirjana Rakić, Chairman of the Croatian regulator until April 2016.

Open Society Foundation - Stakeholders

The Open Society Foundation works since 1979 to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. The Open Society Foundation fund a range of programs around the world, from public health to education to business development.

It supports efforts that expand and protect press freedoms, increase public access to knowledge and information, include minority voices in media, and use the arts to address pressing social issues.

MEDIADEM - Stakeholders

MEDIADEM was a European research project lasted from April 2010 to March 2013 focusing on the factors that promote or conversely prevent the development of policies supporting free and independent media.

The project combined a country-based study in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and the UK with a comparative analysis across media sectors and various types of media services. It investigated the configuration of media policies in the aforementioned countries and examined the opportunities and challenges generated by new media services for media freedom and independence. Moreover, external pressures on the design and implementation of state media policies, stemming from the European Union and the Council of Europe, are thoroughly discussed and analysed.

The coordinator of the project has been the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy.

European Audiovisual Observatory - Stakeholders

The European Audiovisual Observatory is a public service organisation, part of the Council of Europe.

The Observatory was created in 1992 to collect and distribute information about the audiovisual industries in Europe, with the aim to promote greater transparency. The work of the Observatory focuses on the following fields: Film, Broadcasting, Home video, On-demand audiovisual services and Public policy on the audiovisual sector. The Observatory provides information from an economic and legal point of view on audiovisual markets in Europe and their financing. It also analyses and reports on the legal issues affecting the different sectors of the audiovisual industry.

The Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory (IRIS) reports monthly on the most important legal developments for the audiovisual industry in 39 European countries.

The Observatory also provides access to free on-line databases, such as AVMS Database on the transposition of the AVMS directive into national legislation, IRIS Merlin on legal information on the audiovisual sector in Europe, KORDA on funding for film and audiovisual works, Lumiere on admissions of films released in Europe and MAVISE on TV services in Europe.

European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - Stakeholders

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is a leading alliance of public service media (PSM). It serves 73 Members in 56 countries that run over 780 TV and 1040 radio services and broadcast in 123 languages to a potential audience of 1.03 billion people. An additional 34 Associates operate in Asia, Africa and the Americas. The EBU operates Eurovision and Euroradio.

EBU supports and strengthens public service media, providing media services and offering a centre for learning and sharing.

Carta di Roma - Stakeholders

The Association Carta di Roma  has been founded in December 2011 in Italy with the goal of implementing the Journalist’s Code of Conduct on immigration, signed by the National Council of Journalists (CNOG) and the National Federation of the Italian Press (FNSI) in June 2008.

Carta di Roma seeks to be a stable reference point for those who work on daily basis with media and minorities issues: journalists, media operators, as well as various institutions, associations and activists involved in promoting and supporting the rights of asylum seekers, refugees, minorities and migrants in the field of media reporting.

The Association's main activities aim to promote respect and guarantee of the rights of asylum seekers, refugees, migrants or minorities, and consist of training activities for media operators; research and monitoring; organisation of discussions and seminars; initiatives and public events aimed to encourage the correct and responsible reporting about immigration, minorities or the right to seek asylum.

Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom - Stakeholders

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) is a project co-financed by the European Union in the framework of the European Commission’s on-going effort to improve the protection of media pluralism and media freedom in Europe.

The Centre is headed by Professor Pier Luigi Parcu and its residential team  is composed of experts in the following areas: legal studies, new media policies, media markets and economics,  political science and political communications. It is also supported by a Group of Experts. The centre headquarters are in Fiesole (Florence). 

The aim of the EUI Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom is to enhance the awareness of the importance of freedom and pluralism of the media, to contribute to its protection and promotion and to develop new ideas among academics, policy makers, regulators, market stakeholders, journalists, and all other directly involved professionals who take part in the public debate.

The Centre carries out four specific activities:

• Research
• Debate
• Training
• Dissemination of results and outcomes

Institute of European Media Law - Stakeholders

The Institute of European Media Law (EMR) is a Europe-wide network of over 180 legal experts based in Saarbrücken (Germany). The EMR was founded in 1990 as a non-profit association; today it is a partner of numerous national and European institutions. The Institute acts as a service provider and neutral platform in a number of fields of media law and policy. Thanks to its network which comprises over 180 national experts from 40 European countries, it is particularly able to carry out comparative legal studies. The EMR organises conferences and publishes research results in different publications, including its own series of books.

EMR is among the funding partners of the ECPMF.

Ossigeno per l'Informazione - Stakeholders

Ossigeno per l’Informazione is a monitoring organization focusing on threatened journalists and news overshadowed by violence in Italy. Ossigeno was established in 2008 by the National Federation of the Italian Press (FNSI) and the Italian Journalists' Order (ODG) together with Libera Informazione, Unione Nazionale Cronisti Italiani and Articolo 21.

Ossigeno aims to document all the Italian cases of violent or abusive limitations on freedom of expression against journalists, writers, intellectuals, politicians, trade unionists, public officials and other citizens, paying special attention to the effects of criminal organisations. The Observatory performs continuous monitoring of threatened journalists, presenting their stories online and through annual reports published in different languages.

Ossigeno also provides pratical support for journalists and media practitioners under threat.

Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina - Stakeholders

The Press Coucil BiH is a self-regulatory body for print and online media, whose aim is to mediate between unsatisfied media readers, and print and online media as well as to supervise the application of the BH Press Code. Furthermore, it contributes to improve professional standards in print and online media of Bosnia-Herzegovina in order to protect public from unprofessional and manipulative journalistic reporting and media from political and economical pressures that jeopardize freedom of informing and freedom of media.

The complaints commission, which operates as an adivory body within the Association, considers monitoring results and public complaints about the writings of media in BiH. It monitors the implementation of the Press Code of BiH in all newspapers and publically reacts to breaches of ethical journalism standards foreseen by the Press Code of BiH.