Moldovan parliament makes amendments to Audiovisual Code

Chisinau, 7 December /MOLDPRES/ - The parliament today adopted a draft law on the amendment of the Audiovisual Code in the final reading, with the votes of 61 MPs. The draft proposes a mechanism of ensuring the state’s information security.   

The document unveiled by a Democratic Party (PDM) lawmaker, Sergiu Sarbu, was discussed during almost three hours in the plenum and criticized by the MPs of the Party of Socialists (PSRM), who proposed a uninominal voting of the draft, as well as by the Liberal Democrats. The lawmakers of the Party of Communists walked out of the session hall as a token of protest. 

According to Sarbu, the draft has been discussed for over two years and is meant to tighten the security of Moldova’s information space, by limiting the broadcasting and re-broadcasting of the information, analytical, political, military programmes on the territory of Moldova from countries which did not ratify the European Convention on Transfrontier Television.  

Sarbu noted that the provisions of the draft would not be extended also on the entertainment programmes, films and cartoons.  

According to Sergiu Sarbu, the draft on the amendment of the Audiovisual Code is aimed at fighting the propaganda and manipulation from outside Moldova, which can bring serious harm to the state’s information security.   

Following the legislative amendments, the notion of “information security” will be introduced in the Audiovisual Code, which will imply a string of measures meant to protect Moldova’s citizens from misinformation and manipulation coming from outside the country. The violation of the new stipulations by the broadcasters will be sanctioned with a fine worth up to 70,000 lei.  

(Reporter A. Zara, editor M. Jantovan)