The European Commission has released the 2024 EU Enlargement Package Report, which assesses Ukraine’s annual progress in reforms and transformations across all negotiation chapters on its respective path towards EU membership.
The Commission highlighted the priority of protecting journalistic activity in Ukraine. The Report includes significant amendments made to the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine No. 73, allowing Ukrainian and foreign reporters to cover the frontline situation promptly.
Additionally, it positively assessed the Ukrainian Government’s efforts to create suitable conditions for correspondents operating near the front lines.
“We are grateful to the European Commission for underscoring in its Report the significance of the law signed by the President of Ukraine in May 2024, which has greatly enhanced the transparency of local self-governance by requiring the regular publication of transcripts and broadcasting of meetings of local councils and their permanent committees,” stated Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.
The European Commission also positively assessed the roadmap to support the re-establishment of a transparent and independent media space post-war after the end of martial law.
“We have already initiated a process of transformations: step by step, we are providing every citizen access to public information and actively engaging the resources of international partners to support the recovery of Ukrainian media. The European Commission’s recommendations regarding the Unified News TV marathon have also been taken into account. The state plans to discontinue its support for the TV marathon after the end of martial law, focusing instead on the sustainable development of media infrastructure. Our goal is to create a space for truth and freedom of speech, and this work continues every day,” emphasized Mykola Tochytskyi.
The draft Law of Ukraine “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2025” allocates 2.2 billion hryvnias for the funding of the public broadcaster, fully meeting its request. The Minister confirmed that PJSC “UA: PBC” operates in a politically neutral manner.
