Despite the challenges of war, Ukraine remains committed to its European integration aspirations. Media reform is already being implemented in the country. The progress of this process and the challenges still facing the media sector were discussed during a dedicated session at the Donbas Media Forum on October 9. The session featured Oleksandr Burmahin, a member of the National Council of Ukraine on Television and Radio Broadcasting.
Assessing the implementation of media reform, he noted that it is progressing at a good pace, and there is reason to hope that this momentum will be maintained.
“It is very important that in these dark times, we maintain strong communication with the parliament, the industry, and civil society. Yes, there are issues we argue about – sometimes we have sharp discussions and disagreements. But through this communication, we still manage to find solutions that everyone ultimately agrees on.”
Media reform is not yet fully complete. Participants in the discussion noted that, overall, the European integration process requires significant updates to legislation. The implementation of the Law “On the Media” has highlighted aspects that need to be adjusted. It is also necessary to resolve inconsistencies in advertising legislation. Legal acts addressing SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) and personal data protection must be developed. In addition, the Civil and Civil Procedure Codes require updates. In other words, there are numerous initiatives. Their implementation will proceed in parallel and gradually over the coming years.
It is also necessary to incorporate new European acts into Ukrainian legislation – the DSA (Digital Services Act), DMA (Digital Markets Act), EMFA (European Media Freedom Act), and the AI Act (Artificial Intelligence Act). According to Oleksandr Burmahin, the challenge lies in the fact that even within the EU, these rules may change during the course of their implementation.
Among other challenges discussed during the session was the need to take into account Ukraine’s unique experience. Tetiana Smyrnova, Associate Professor at the Department of Private Law at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, emphasized that when incorporating European norms into Ukrainian legislation, it is important to consider Ukraine’s context, which is not reflected in those norms.
“Our task is not just to implement European standards, but to do so while taking into account the experience of war and our current reality.”
The discussion also touched on the issue of regulating social media in the context of information security. Although many advocate for stricter regulation – or even bans – of platforms like Telegram and TikTok, there is no strong public demand for such measures, shared Mykyta Poturaiev, People’s Deputy of Ukraine and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy.
Oleksandr Burmahin, for his part, emphasized the insufficient level of self-regulation within the industry. Many questions – such as what qualifies as good or ethical media –should be addressed by the journalistic community itself.
The participants of the discussion encouraged the public and media representatives to be more active and engaged in the processes of developing and monitoring the quality of new legislative norms. They emphasized the importance of helping lawmakers identify shortcomings and bringing these issues to the attention of the broader community.
The discussion also featured Olga Vdovenko, Director of Legal Affairs at the NGO “Human Rights Platform”, and Volodymyr Zelenchuk, media lawyer at the Institute of Mass Information. It was moderated by Maksym Dvorovyi, Senior Legal Counsel at the Digital Security Lab.
