Transparency

"The main goal of this law is to encourage the participation of the public and interest groups in decision making and governance, and raise the efficiency, transparency and accountability of public institutions toward the public," OSFA said in a statement after parliament approved the law on Thursday.

Reporters without Borders representative Olivier Basille has said that the threats against journalists and the absolute lack of media ownership transparency are among the reasons why Bulgaria ranks so low in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index of the NGO.

One group has been conspicuously absent in the battle for greater transparency of global soccer governance symbolized by multiple corruption scandals and match-fixing.

BELGRADE - US Ambassador to Serbia Michael Kirby said Wednesday that institutions in the security sector must be transparent in their work and protect all citizens regardless of their race, religion or any other affiliation, because the functioning of the entire society depends on them.

Bulgaria’s interim cabinet said on Thursday winning back the people’s trust in state institutions should be the first step in leading the country out of the current crisis.

BELGRADE - Transparency Serbia (TS) proposed amendments to the bill on public information and media intended to provide better insight into media funding sources, and urged Serbian MPs to take these suggestions into consideration.

The amendments to 12 articles of the bill that entered the parliamentary procedure on Wednesday mainly focus on corruption issues.

Government adopts set of new media laws

BELGRADE -- The Serbian government over the weekend adopted three media laws and sent them to parliament for a debate under urgent procedure.

The government adopted drafts on Public Information and Media, Electronic Media and Public Media Services.

A new legislative framework being finalized by the Interior Ministry aims to allow political parties to receive funding directly from enterprises but also obliges the parties to boost transparency and accountability.

BELGRADE - Transparency Serbia Executive Director Nemanja Nenadic stated on Wednesday that transparency of media funding sources should be ensured regardless of the ownership structure so that readers and viewers would know about the potential influences on the editorial policy.

Transparency International – Macedonia said it was filing criminal charges against the ruling VMRO DPMNE party and its junior government partner, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.