OSCE to hold first-ever conference on situation of print media in Kosovo

PRISTINA, 17 October 2006 - To raise awareness about the challenges faced by the local press in Kosovo, the OSCE Mission and Kosovo's Press Council will hold a conference on the state of the print media in Kosovo in Pristina tomorrow. The event is the first of its kind in the history of Kosovo.

"Kosovo's print media still face many challenges. They are only at the outset of their journey towards becoming a key factor in engineering Kosovo's political, social and economic framework," said Ambassador Werner Wnendt, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.

"There is room for improvement, however, and this conference is an important step towards strengthening the media."

With 30,000 estimated copies printed every day in 2005, Kosovo has the lowest circulation figures in Europe. This corresponds to one in eight persons buying a daily newspaper compared to one in three in the European Union countries.

Participants of the conference will review the reasons which have led to this situation. These include too high value-added tax rates levied on print publications, the change of reading habits, and the lack of a well-functioning distribution network and foreign investment.

As part of its institution-building mandate, the OSCE Mission has been actively involved in developing Kosovo's media. Most recently, the Mission supported the establishment of a press council.

Media representatives are invited to attend the opening session, which will take place at 10.00 on Wednesday, 18 October at the Hotel Prishtina in Prishtine/Pristina. The opening speech will be delivered by Ambassador Wnendt.