The Independent Media Commission (IMC) on December 21, 2023, under the leadership of the Chairman of the IMC, Mr. Jeton Mehmeti, held its twelfth regular meeting for this year. In this meeting, the Commission reviewed three draft regulations. After consideration, the Commission has approved the following regulations:

1. Regulation for the protection of children and minors in audio and audiovisual media services;

2. Regulation for commercial audio and audiovisual communications;

3. Regulation on the ownership and concentration of IMC licensees.

Based on article 3, paragraph 2, item 11 of the Law on the IMC, initiated the procedure for the amendment of the Regulation for the protection of children and minors in audio and audiovisual media services and the Regulation for commercial audio and audiovisual communications, as well as the drafting of Regulation on the ownership and concentration of IMC licensees.

As provided by the procedures for the issuance of secondary legislation (Article 8 of the Law on the IMC, Law No. 04/L-44), the IMC, in accordance with the Law, has put the draft regulations into public discussion for 30 days, where all interested parties have had the opportunity to provide their comments and observations in writing regarding these regulations. The public consultation started on October 11, 2023 and lasted until November 10, 2023.

After receiving public comments, the IMC, in continuation of this process, held two more public hearings, on November 20, 2023 and December 4, 2023, where it once again offered all interested parties the opportunity to give their comments before the approval of draft regulations.

The IMC has reviewed all the comments received and those that have been argued on a legal basis, has been incorporated into the final drafts.

With the approval and entry into force of these regulations, the IMC has fulfilled another criterion regarding the National Program for European Integration 2023, where these regulations were foreseen as legislative measures and the IMC has pledged to approve them within this year.