AGK reacts to the media Law: We have not been notified of this initiative.

The Association of Kosovo Journalists (AGK), under which all institutions before taking initiatives for new laws, are engaged in implementing current laws.

AGK estimates that implementing the inevitable laws affects the creation of a safe environment for journalists and increased professionalism in media.

This is the complete response of AGK's:

The Commission for Public Administration, Local Government and Media at the meeting of the date 07.05.2018 has taken initiative to draft the media Law in Kosovo.

The Kosovo Journalists' Association as a side of particular interest in this area has not been announced at all by the parliamentary Commission for Public Administration, Local Governance and Media concerning this legal initiative, as well as is unaware of the goal of drafting a draft that would rate the field of media in Kosovo.

Therefore, there is no involvement in consultations that in the initial phase of relevant acts, which deal with protecting journalists' rights and freedoms, as well as other self-regular troops covering the media field in Kosovo, we consider to be a political tendency to control, limit and violate freedom of expression. The AGK in principle rejects any legislative initiative by any institution that previously does not consult the interest parties, as well as did not disclose the reasons for the drafting of a law, in this case the Law on Media in Kosovo.

Kosovo has a wide range of positive laws which clearly and fairly regulate many areas which directly connect with freedom of expression, but what is missing is the political and institutional will to implement these laws in practice.

Therefore, we encourage all institutions in the country that before they begin any initiative for drafting new laws, they should fully engage in implementing current laws because their imminent implementation impacts a safe environment for journalists and increased professionalism in media.