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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Role of media indispensable in EU integration process

Belgrade, 22 September 2010

Director of the EU Integration Office Milica Delevic said today that the competition for best media coverage on EU integration shows the importance of keeping citizens informed about the process.

Milica Delevic

Speaking at a press conference at which the competition for the best media coverage on EU integration in 2010 was announced, Delevic highlighted the importance of making citizens understand that the point of integration is not simply EU membership, but work on fulfilling the relevant criteria and adopting and implementing laws.

Submitted works must deal with the EU integration process or the process of Serbia’s stabilisation and EU integration, and their impact on the everyday lives of Serbian citizens, Delevic explained adding that journalists may submit works by 1 December.

Awards will be presented in five categories, ie for the best TV coverage, best radio coverage, best newspaper coverage, best coverage in local media and best report on small and medium-sized enterprises, she announced.

Vincent Degert

Delevic noted that the award includes a working visit to Brussels, during which winners from all five categories will be given an opportunity to meet with officials from the European Commission and the European Parliament and prepare reports on their trip.

Apart from traditional partners on this project – the Serbian Delegation in the EU and Erste Bank – this year’s partners are also the Serbian Association of Journalists (UNS) and the Serbian Independent Journalists’ Association (NUNS).

Head of the European Commission Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert outlined that one of the reasons why the EU Delegation is endorsing this year’s competition is the need to inform Serbian citizens of all aspects of the integration process.

Vukasin Obradovic

The point is to find out what common citizens think about the integration process and what they expect from it, and we can do that through submitted reports, he added.

NUNS President Vukasin Obradovic stressed it is important for Serbia’s EU integration to keep citizens apprised on the process, noting that it is the task of the media to disperse stereotypes about Europe, which can only be done through professional reporting in line with a code of ethics.

Ljiljana Smajlovic

UNS President Ljiljana Smajlovic emphasised that the competition was not announced to award pro-European propaganda, but because almost all topics dealt with in articles and reports in the Serbian media are always compared with European standards.

The submitted reports and coverages should cover the period from 1 January to 1 December this year and be published or announced in one form of the Serbian media in that period.