Serbian media associations demand halt to project co-financing commissions

Six journalistic and media associations, including ANEM, NUNS, and UNS, have requested that the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications suspend the call for candidates for commissions responsible for allocating media project co-financing for 2027. The organizations argue that the current process contains irregularities and violates the Journalists Code of Serbia.

The associations claim that significant funds have been awarded to media outlets that frequently violate professional standards. Specifically, they noted that outlets such as Alo and Informer received over 185.3 million dinars in previous rounds, representing one-tenth of the total allocated funds. They also highlighted that commissions have approved projects from media entities established immediately before calls for applications or those lacking legally required imprints.

These concerns align with findings from the European Commission’s 2026 Progress Report on Serbia, which indicated that public funds continued to be allocated to media outlets close to the authorities despite warnings of procedural irregularities. The associations suggest the process should remain paused until a new minister is appointed to oversee improvements to the co-financing system.

Separately, the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) reported that the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications has initiated 14 misdemeanor proceedings against local government officials for failing to call media tenders within legal deadlines. This follows 12 convictions issued last year against officials in various municipalities for similar delays.