Professionals against the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the Protection of Public Morality"
On March 29, 2010, an open letter from public organizations and professional associations regarding the draft Law of Ukraine "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine 'On the Protection of Public Morals'" was published. The letter addresses the document's inconsistency with current realities. Representatives of public organizations and professional associations believe that the proposed law will do far more harm than good.
The heads of the Internet Association of Ukraine, the Industrial Television Committee, the Union of Advertisers of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Association of Periodical Press Publishers, the All-Ukrainian Advertising Coalition, the Independent Association of Broadcasters, the Outdoor Advertising Association of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Direct Marketing Association signed an open letter to the head of the National Expert Commission on the Protection of Public Morality, Vasyl Kostytsky, expressing their dissatisfaction with the proposed version of the law.
According to leading players in the media and communications market, the adoption of the document in its current form will lead to a significant deterioration in business conditions in many domestic industries. The reason for this is the additional licensing required for the creation and distribution of erotic products. Furthermore, the law does not specify which products will be classified as erotic. Therefore, censorship will effectively extend to all video and audio products.
Experts believe that the introduction of restrictions on the broadcast of television programs containing elements of violence and cruelty will lead to a restriction of the media's right to cover social events, since this clause essentially limits the broadcast of crime news.
It is also significant that, with the expansion of the powers of the National Expert Commission for the Protection of Public Morality (NEC), including the review of all audio, video, film, television, and radio programs of an erotic nature, censorship will resume in Ukraine. Transferring these functions to a single entity could lead to corruption among officials responsible for censorship.
But experts believe the law's most significant flaw is that it doesn't define which specific products could harm public morality. This is a clear path to the monopolization of power in the hands of a single entity.
Public discussions of this document have been ongoing since January 11, 2010. It was then that the National Commission of Ukraine first published the Law of Ukraine "On Amending Certain Amendments to the Law of Ukraine 'On the Protection of Public Morals.'" Undoubtedly, the protection of morals is the key to a high level of development for the entire society. And, of course, the role of the state in resolving this issue is paramount. However, in this case, we are not only talking about restrictions on entrepreneurial activity by the media, but also about violations of the constitutional rights of Ukrainian citizens. The concern of leading players in the media and communications market demonstrates their concern about the current situation and their desire for dialogue with the authorities to resolve this issue.
A round table with the participation of all interested parties will be held soon, information about which will be available very soon.
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