TIRANA – Freedom of media is one of the political criteria for the EU accession – a must for countries willing to join the EU. The endeavour of candidate countries and potential candidates to ensure the necessary conditions for media freedom takes place against the backdrop of a rapid transformation of the media landscape and significant shifts in media consumption patterns. While opening up new opportunities for sharing information, this changing environment in the media sector brings risks, including a decline in professional standards.
This topics will be discussed with over 250 representatives of media and media-organisations, stakeholders and policymakers from the Western Balkans and the EU at the conference EU – Western Balkans Media Days in Tirana on 9 and 10 November 2017, which is organized by EU Directorate Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.
Welcome remarks and opening speech will be given by Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania and Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for the European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. EU Ambassador to Albania, Romana Vlahutin, Balkans Correspondent of The Economist, Tim Judah, as well as Director in European Commission Genoveva Ruiz Calavera will take a part on this conference
Two panels and six workshops will provide the opportunity for participants to exchange their views and experience and to work jointly on forward-looking initiatives for independent, sustainable and professional media in the region.