How can the Balkans use the EU toolbox?

June 14, 2023 | by: Dalio Sijah

Significant activities are currently being carried out in the EU in the field of regulating digital services and markets, especially when it comes to the fight against disinformation, online violence and hate speech. The most important of these activities is the adoption of legislation such as the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, but also the assumption of obligations by technological platforms and companies through co-regulatory processes such as the Code of Practice against Disinformation. All these topics, including the issue of how the countries of the Western Balkans can become active participants in these processes or at least benefit from them, will be discussed on the first day of the POINT 1011 Conference on June 15, as part of a panel discussion called Fixing the digital environment – how can the Balkans use the EU toolbox.

Bojan Perkov from the SHARE Foundation from Serbia, Carlos Hernández-Echevarría from the Spanish fact-checking platform Maldita and one of the organizations that coordinate the EFCSN (European network of fact-checking standards), Jelena Berković from the fact-checking initiative Faktograf from Croatia, who will also represent the regional fact-checking network SEECheck, and Maida Ćulahović from the BiH Communications Regulatory Agency, will take part in this panel, which will be moderated by Tijana Cvjetićanin from UG “Zašto ne” (CA “Why not”) and the editor of Bosnian fact-checking web portal Raskrinkanje.

This panel discussion will also serve as an introduction to the activities coordinated by UG “Zašto ne”, as part of preparations for the Tirana Civil Society Forum, which will take place in October in the context of Albania’s presidency of the Berlin Process.

UG Zasto ne is facilitating the thematic working group on digitalization and connectivity within the Tirana CSF, supported by the Open Society Foundations Western Balkans, and in cooperation with The Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and Cooperation and Development Institute from Tirana.

The goal of these activities will be advocacy with the governments of the Western Balkan countries, as well as other key actors, to become actively involved in the processes taking place in the EU and take advantage of the opportunity they offer regarding the regulation of the digital space and services in various work segments.

The panel discussion will be held on June 15 at 11:10 a.m.