Today marked the second day of the training session with European experts held in Tirana within the framework of the European Commission’s TAIEX instrument. The main topic of the meeting was “Developing the legal framework for audiovisual media in line with the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)”.
The second day of the training featured an interactive session between AMA’s staff and EU experts, conducted through questions and answers. Discussions focused on how European countries, as well as countries that have more recently joined the European integration process, have adapted the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the European Media Freedom Act within their national frameworks, as well as on the specific challenges they have encountered and continue to face in their implementation.
In addition to the Audiovisual Media Authority’s staff, the event was also attended by representatives from Parliament, audiovisual market operators, Albanian and European institutions, as well as interest groups.
The discussions focused on the new legal provisions related to media ownership transparency, the disclosure of beneficial owners, public funding and state advertising transparency, as well as the regulatory obligations arising from the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
The Audiovisual Media Authority Chairwoman, Ms. Armela Krasniqi, informed the participants that the Digital Services Act addresses a number of issues and involves several institutions, noting that AMA has been highly engaged in this process.
Meanwhile, the experts recommended the adoption of a comprehensive media law covering all relevant stakeholders, rather than relying on a sector-specific approach.
One of the most extensively discussed topics during the training was media transparency. Ms. Krasniqi presented the work of the Audiovisual Media Authority in establishing and publishing the transparency register of audiovisual media ownership, a comprehensive and detailed database that provides information up to the ultimate beneficiaries and is accessible through AMA’s official website.
She also highlighted the legal amendments adopted in January of this year, aimed at strengthening ownership transparency in the media sector, as well as the data published by AMA in its Periodic Bulletin, which also includes information on investments made by media entities in other areas of business.
The meeting also addressed the models adopted by European countries for the registration of influencers as businesses.
At the conclusion of the meeting, AMA’s Chairwoman, Ms. Krasniqi, once again expressed her gratitude to the European experts and partners who made the organization of this activity possible, emphasizing that cooperation with European Union institutions and counterpart regulatory authorities of Member States represents a fundamental element in the process of modernizing regulatory policies and practices.
