Culture Ministry Claims to Have Been Applying EU Law in Its Operations

Bratislava, 18 November (TASR) - The Culture Ministry has declared that it's been applying EU law in its operations, head of the ministry's communications department Petra Demkova told TASR on Tuesday. The ministry reacted in this way to statements made earlier in the day by the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party regarding potential contradictions between the law on public-service broadcaster Slovak Television and Radio (STVR) and EU law. "The Culture Ministry took into account the respective provisions of the European Media Freedom Act when preparing the law on STVR, although when the legislative process of the law on STVR was beginning, the European Media Freedom Act wasn't in force. At the time when the law on STVR came into effect, i.e. on 1 July 2024, the European Media Freedom Act was not yet in force, but it has been incorporated in the law on STVR," Demkova told TASR. The ministry stated that it's been applying EU law in its operations, including the article of the Lisbon Treaty on loyal cooperation. It also commented on the fact that PS has appealed to the EC regarding the law on STVR, asking it to examine whether or not the legislation is in line with EU law. "Applying to the Constitutional Court and the EC is the right of the opposition, provided that the legal conditions are met, and the opposition understandably makes use of it," the ministry added. MP Zora Jaurova (PS) told a news conference on Tuesday that her party has filed a civil complaint with the EC, asking it to examine whether the law on STVR complies with EU law. Jaurova stated that the law on STVR enabled direct political control over television and radio and that her party pointed to its possible conflict with EU legislation and the Slovak Constitution back during the legislative procedure. ko/df