Ukraine’s President Zelensky has signed off a new law related to the powers of the regulator National Council in wartime.
It will come into effect on the day after its publication and introduce mechanisms for the National Council to control and supervise licensees’ compliance with media legislation during the period of martial law. Furthermore, it will provide the procedure for submitting and considering applications for issuing, extending, reissuing or cancelling licences; issuing and cancelling permits for temporary broadcasting; and registration and issuance of licences, permits and their duplicates.
During martial law, the National Council will be able to respond to on air violations by broadcasters without inspections and only on the basis of monitoring. The law regulates the application of sanctions for committed violations, as well as the imposition of fines for gross violations.
In addition, it includes a new form of influence on system violators who are suspected of serious violations of legislative norms, namely an appeal to the military command.
The law also prescribes quick procedures for the application and possible appeal of sanctions.
