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These reforms have gotten underway within the framework of the Group of European Media Practices, which the Prime Minister has established within his Council of Ministers to further democratize the media environment in Bulgaria. Taking into account UNESCO’s extensive cooperation with Bulgarian journalists and academics on media issues over the last few years, the Prime Minister officially requested UNESCO technical assistance to his Group.

Actually, Bulgaria has to face two types of problems in the field of broadcasting regulation. First, the number of radio and TV stations operating, legally, in the country is excessive: over 700 in a market of only 8 million people, with huge regional disparities. Second, the low level of legal, programming, quality and competitive status of the National Radio and Television (NTV).

Hence, UNESCO mission to Sofia consisted of several high level meetings. First, the meeting with the Prime Minister provided an opportunity for UNESCO to explain the necessity that, in order to create a well-functioning and efficient relationship, all three sectors concerned by media issues (Government, professional/civil society/media groups and academic circles) need not only to be committed and on the same wavelength, but also maintain close and open cooperation and dialogue. The meeting with the Representatives of the Faculty of Journalism provided the opportunity to institutionalize the cooperation between the Faculty and the Government on several training issues as the best guarantee for the development of journalists with high professional standards and ethics. It was also agreed to include the theoretical expertise of the Faculty in the elaboration and reform of several media and information-related laws which will start shortly, with UNESCO assistance.

The UNESCO representatives also met with Chairperson and members of the Parliamentary Committee on Media, which allowed discussion with the other important branch of government (legislative), separate from the Council of Ministers (executive branch) and also the people responsible for the actual creation and adoption/rejection of media legislation. Discussions on the various laws affecting the media in Bulgaria took place and once again, UNESCO presented the idea and suggestion of a separate Public Broadcasting law, which was unanimously well received. Preparations of such a law could start very soon.

Last, UNESCO representatives had several other meetings with members of the Electronic Media Council, which is the Council responsible at State level for all issues related to broadcasting regulation, licensing and administrative matters of both public and commercial radio and television, or with Foreign Ministry representatives. All these meetings produced several concrete results for the further provision of direct technical assistance on legislation matters to the authorities, with a view to further democratizing the media environment. Furthermore, the mission received very extensive media coverage.