editorial independence, religious tolerance and financial transparency in all media sponsored by public funds. Such legislation must contain provisions designed to prevent any political party from exerting significant control over public broadcasting and to ensure public broadcasters attempt to address the interests of all the constituent peoples in current affairs programming;

• establishment of a joint inter-Entity Annex 9 Public Corporation for Broadcasting and Transmission incorporating the public transmission and relay systems in both Entities

22. The Council believes that a robust public broadcasting sector is an important element of democratic development. It calls for donor governments to continue to provide assistance and expertise towards this goal. But the Council believes that the authorities in both Entities must bear the primary responsibility for subsidizing public broadcasting in a transparent manner through permanent funding mechanisms, and  urges them to fulfil this responsibility.

23. The Council considers the work of the IMC crucial for building a legal foundation for the media in line with best international practice. It calls on Entity, cantonal and municipal governments to co-operate with the IMC and to provide information required by the commission as it builds a transparent licensing procedure for broadcasters.

24. The Council supports the role of the IMC, together with the Council of Europe, in shaping media legislation in BiH, including the review of existing legislation, in full consultation with media professionals, with the aim of upholding and protecting media freedom and the public's right to know. It welcomes the IMC's decision in September regarding the activities of Croatian Radio Television (HRT) in BiH and acknowledges the key work of the OSCE and the MEC in this area.

The Council:

• requires all authorities in BiH to respect and uphold media freedom;
• supports efforts by the High Representative, the OSCE and the IMC to protect and promote media freedom;
• affirms the IMC's responsibility for the organization of the frequency spectrum, including the assignment of broadcast frequencies, and the need for the bodies set up under the Telecommunications Law to co-operate with it;
• calls for the adoption of Freedom of Information legislation in BiH which would grant the public the right of access to information held by governmental authorities;
• calls for the establishment of an integrated Federation television network fully enfranchising all communities and supported by transparent funding. The High Representative shall appoint an international supervisor to oversee the establishment of the network;
• demands that Croatian Radio Television (HRT) in Croatia and Radio Television Serbia (RTS) in FRY respect international norms of broadcasting, the laws of BiH and the IMC Code of Practice and subsequent rulings.Any

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