A comprehensive Activity Plan for 2024 was approved today by the Steering Committee of the Project “Protection of the Freedom of Expression and of the Media in Montenegro PRO-FREX-M”.  It was agreed that the project will focus on providing support in the following areas:

• Preparation of the new Code of Ethics and Professional Standards for journalists
• Preparation of the Standard Operating Procedures for the Police Directorate for the implementation of Guidelines for Journalists at Risk
• Support to Centre for Training in Judiciary and State Prosecution in enhancing capacities of the justice sector with respect to the protection of freedom of expression
• Further support to the Ministry of Culture and Media on the implementation of the Media Strategy.

The Committee members also discussed the recent activities and expert support provided by the project, notably the Legal Opinion on three main laws regulating media in Montenegro, and a Policy Advice on Media Ownership and Ownership Transparency Rules.

The members of the Steering Committee stressed the importance of the role of the PRO-FREX-M project in promoting the standards on the freedom of expression during the ever-growing challenges and accelerated changes affecting freedom of expression and information.

The event was organised within the joint action "Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Montenegro”, implemented by the Council of Europe’s Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression, within the joint European Union - Council of Europe programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”