In a speech given on Thursday 23 April at the “Critical Voices Under Pressure” conference in Sarajevo, the Head of the EU Delegation warned of the dangers facing the media in the country, at a time when Bosnia-Herzegovina must honour certain commitments on press freedom as part of the EU accession process (see EUROPE 13742/21).
“Freedom of expression and the press are cornerstones of any democratic society. Therefore, strengthening fundamental freedoms is a core objective of the EU path”, said Luigi Soreca.
He expressed concern about the forthcoming elections, referring to his numerous meetings with journalists worried about the threats to their work. Within the country’s Reform Plan (see EUROPE 13766/29), almost €47 million are earmarked for areas that directly and indirectly affect the press and its freedom, such as the decriminalisation of defamation.
“My Office remains committed to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path. Progress requires real improvements in the area of media freedom”, he stressed. (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)