Venice Commission recognises progress in media regulations, says justice minister

Budapest, June 20 (MTI) – The Council of Europe’s Venice Commission has recognised progress in Hungary’s media regulations, and Justice Minister Laszlo Trocsanyi said at its plenary session that both he and the Hungarian government were prepared for a dialogue with the opposition, the justice ministry told MTI on Saturday.

The commission evaluated Hungary’s media laws adopted in 2010, and the law on the advertisement tax introduced in 2014, it said.

Trocsanyi welcomed that the commission had approved a majority of the government’s proposed amendments to the draft report and acknowledged that the principle of proportionality had been enshrined in the Hungarian constitution.

Under Hungary’s proposal, a statement inserted in the document establishes that the European Court of Human Rights has never examined the laws on press freedom, the fundamental rules of media content, media services and mass communication.

The commission’s 30-page opinion, approved on Friday, recognised progress in media regulations, and made recommendations for a more effective implementation of the related rules of laws, the ministry said.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters