A new cooperation bridge was established today between the Albanian Audiovisual Media Authority and the Portuguese Media Regulatory Authority, ERC. During the 22nd Plenary Meeting of the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA), which is taking place in Rome, AMA Chair Armela Krasniqi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Portuguese counterpart, Helena Sousa. The Memorandum aims to create a legal framework in increasing cooperation in areas of mutual interest and support between the regulators of the two countries.
In the meeting organized between Krasniqi and Sousa, AMA Chair gave a brief presentation on the authority’s work and the objectives achieved so far, such as the approval of legal amendments and alignment with EU Directive 2018/1808, also known as the amended Audiovisual Media Services Directive. In this context, AMA has also approved another important secondary regulation, “On the criteria and procedures for reviewing changes in ownership structure and the data transparency related to the ownership of AVMSPs,” through which the obligation for full transparency regarding the beneficial owners of audiovisual media in the country has now been fulfilled.
The discussion also covered further amendments proposed by AMA, which include the inclusion of the Audience Measurement concept in the law, the fight against piracy of broadcasting rights, and the continuation of cooperation with international partners working in the media field, in order to improve the quality of journalism in audiovisual media and beyond.
Additionally, the president of ERC, Ms. Sousa, explained the main challenges that the Portuguese regulator is currently facing and expressed her willingness for long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two parties.
Later, the heads of the regulatory authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which is based on three key pillars:
- Media literacy
- Monitoring audiovisual content methodology
- Expert exchange programs
“This is a very important memorandum for the future of our institution,” said AMA Chair. “We hope to collaborate in areas such as quantitative and qualitative media monitoring, media literacy, technology, and other fields. We will exchange as much information as possible with one another regarding all the challenges our regulators face.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Sousa, after expressing her gratitude for this collaboration, stated: “I am confident that we will continue to cooperate in a deeper, more demanding, and exciting way.”
The parties have committed that, regarding the broadcasted content monitoring, both authorities will exchange information on the used software technology for audiovisual content, including digital platforms, online broadcasting, and other innovative technologies. Joint methods will be developed for broadcasted content monitoring, including content analysis, independent content evaluations, and periodic audits, to ensure compliance with the standards of the authorities. Additionally, knowledge and experiences will be shared concerning advanced equipment for broadcasted content monitoring.
