Public Council attached to the Committee on Freedom of Speech created

Members of the parliamentary Committee on Issues of Freedom of Speech and Information on 13 April adopted a new version of the norms on a Public Council and confirmed the makeup of the Council.

According to the new version, the Public Council is a permanent independent expert team attached to the profile committee and carries out coordination of cooperation with NGOs and specialists. Decisions regarding appointment or removal from the Public Council are taken by the Parliamentary Committee on the basis of a submission from the Council, a civic organization or a personal address by the specific candidate.  Meetings shall be held no less than once every two months.

The Committee decided to include in the Public Council only one representative of any organization.  At present the members are:

Artem Bidenko, Association of External Advertising

Olha Bolshakova, East European Institute of Media Issues

Oleksandr Dyachenko, Ukrainian Association of Publishers of the Periodical Press

Valery Ivanov, Ukrainian Press Academy

Oleh Khomenok,  Regional Press Development Institute

Kateryna Kotenko, Industrial Television Committee Association

Tetyana Kotyuzhynska, Association of Media Lawyers, National Union of Journalists

Maxim Lazebnyk, Ukrainian Advertising Coalition

Kateryna Myasnykova, Independent Association of Broadcasters

Oleksandr Olshansky, Internet Association of Ukraine

Svitlana Ostapa, “Telekritika”

Taras Petriv, Public Realm

Vasyl Samokhvalov, Public Media Centre

Taras Shevchenko, Media Law Institute

Victoria Syumar, Institute for Mass Information

Volodymyr Yavorsky, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union

The parliamentary Committee has also invited members of media trade unions to join the Public Council.