Postal Authority

Ulsi Manja (left) and Klotilda Bushka (right) at the parliamentary law committee hearing on Friday. Photo: Gjergj Erebara/BIRN

"Civil society organisations call upon the government to withdraw the proposed laws. If the government refuses to do so, we also call upon the parliament of Albania to reject these laws at once," the statement said.

EU ambassador Luigi Soreca said on Monday evening that the controversial proposed law to regulate online media, which is currently going through parliament, is too severe and should be rethought.

Albania media microphones. Photo: BIRN

The text of the corrections and complaints will be scripted by the ethics commission and failure to comply will result in a fine of 6,598 euros.

The office of Albania's Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has proposed changes in two laws foreseeing the registration of online media and the policing of news content for a variety of reasons, including "biased" news, news that "damages public morale" and "publications that can incite penal offences".