Poland’s deputy minister of culture Krzysztof Czabanski has said the government will be unable to implement a new law introducing a system of national media on July 1, as had previously been planned.
Quoted by Gazeta Wyborcza, he added that this was because the major new law involves far-reaching changes in regulations that will have to be notified to the EU.
Czabanski also said that the government will instead have to introduce a so-called ‘bridging law’, which will allow it to prepare a package of media laws currently being consider by a sub-committee.
As a result of the delay, a new audiovisual payment, replacing receiver licence fees, will now not be introduced on January 1, 2017.
Czabanski said that the government has to come up with mechanisms that will ensure viewers pay such fees.