Under the state of emergency that was declared in Serbia on 15 March 2020, several measures were introduced affecting Film and Audiovisual Sector.
First, in its Decree on measures in force during the state of emergency (http://www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/uredba/2020/31/1/reg), the Government of the Republic of Serbia has banned public gatherings, other than those essential for the functioning of the state and preapproved by the Ministry of Interior. This was further clarified by an order issued by the Ministry of Health (http://www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/eli/rep/sgrs/ministarstva/naredba/2020/39/2/reg), according to which banned public gatherings are those with more than 5 people. In its effect, this measure practically closed all cinemas in the country.
A 15 March 2020 Decision that was issued by the Government on closure of educational institutions in an attempt to contain the COVID-19 pandemic (http://www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/odluka/2020/30/2/reg), has provided for the use of public service broadcaster’s RTS 3 channel and its OTT platform “rtsplaneta” (https://rtsplaneta.rs/), as a distance learning solution for primary and secondary education. Prior to the state of emergency, RTS 3 promoted cultural programming exclusively.
The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media, Serbian national broadcasting regulator, reminded audiovisual media services providers (http://www.rem.rs/sr/arhiva/vesti/2020/03/saopstenje-za-medije) of their obligations to:
- transmit communications of public authorities of an urgent nature relating to the endangerment of life, health, safety, or property,
- provide free, true, objective, complete and timely information, and to act responsibly towards prevention of spreading of disinformation, in particular those concerning public health issues;
- not air content that could harm physical, mental or moral development of children and youth;
- show utmost respect for human dignity and protection of privacy.
Following the announcement of certain operators of electronic communications networks for the distribution of media content that they will grant free access to premium services in support of social distancing efforts, regulator has reminded those operators to secure that this is done in a way that would not allow services intended to adults only to be made available to minors.
Finally, the Council of the Regulatory Authority for the Electronic Media decided on 23 March 2020 to defer payment of regulatory fees to media service providers who apply for such a relief (http://www.rem.rs/sr/arhiva/vesti/2020/03/odluka-o-odlaganju-placanja-naknade).
At the same time, Film Center Serbia, an institution established to, inter alia, creatively stimulate and administer financial support to Serbian cinema through annual competitions for screenplay development, film production and postproduction, has announced that it will suspend the announcement of certain competitions until the end of the state of emergency (https://www.fcs.rs/saopstenje-filmskog-centra-srbije-23-mart/). As for the competitions that are already announced, Film Center Serbia shall continue to accept applications, but no decisions upon received applications are to be made until the end of the state of emergency.
For any additional questions on how the state of emergency affects Film and Audiovisual Sector, please contact Slobodan Kremenjak (slobodan.kremenjak@zslaw.rs) or Kruna Savović (kruna.savović@zslaw.rs), our Technology, Media and Telecommunications partners, or any of your regular contacts at Živković Samardžić.
COVID-19: mere od značaja za filmsku industriju i sektor audiovizuelnih medija
U vanrednom stanju proglašenom u Srbiji 15. marta 2020. godine, čitav niz uvedenih mera od značaja je i za filmsku industriju i sektor audiovizuelnih medija.
Pre svega, Uredbom Vlade Republike Srbije o merama za vreme vanrednog stanja (http://www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/uredba/2020/31/1/reg), zabranjena su sva okuplјanja, osim okuplјanja koja su od posebnog interesa za rad i funkcionisanje državnih organa i službi, koje je odobrilo ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova. Naredbom Ministarstva zdravlja (http://www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/eli/rep/sgrs/ministarstva/naredba/2020/39/2/reg), zabranjena su javna okuplјanja na javnim mestima u zatvorenim prostorima, kada se istovremeno okuplјa više od pet lica. Ove mere kao svoj praktičan efekat, između ostalog, imale su i zatvaranje bioskopa.
Odlukom Vlade Republike Srbije o obustavi izvođenja nastave u visokoškolskim ustanovama, srednjim i osnovnim školama i redovnog rada ustanova predškolskog vaspitanja i obrazovanja od 15. marta 2020. godine (http://www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/odluka/2020/30/2/reg), predviđena je, između ostalog, i organizacija nastave na dalјinu putem televizijskog kanala RTS 3 i platforme RTS Planeta (https://rtsplaneta.rs/). Prethodno, kanal RTS 3 javnog medijskog servisa, emitovao je program kulture.
Regulatorno telo za elektronske medije upozorilo je (http://www.rem.rs/sr/arhiva/vesti/2020/03/saopstenje-za-medije) sve pružaoce medijskih usluga u Republici Srbiji:
- da su dužni da hitno prenesu saopštenja organa javne vlasti koja se odnose na ugroženost života, zdravlјa, bezbednosti ili imovine;
- da u izveštavanju obezbede slobodno, istinito, objektivno, potpuno i pravovremeno informisanje, a da naročito i odgovorno povedu računa o sprečavanju širenja dezinformacija, posebno onih u vezi sa pitanjima javnog zdravlјa;
- da ne prikazuju programske sadržaje koji mogu naškoditi fizičkom, mentalnom ili moralnom razvoju dece i maloletnika;
- da poštuju zakonske obaveze u vezi sa dostojanstvom ličnosti i pravom na privatnost.
Nakon što su pojedini operatori elektronskih komunikacionih mreža za distribuciju medijskih sadržaja najavili da će svim korisnicima otključati sadržaje koji su do sada bili dostupni samo uz posebnu naknadu, Regulatorno telo za elektronske medije je od takvih operatora zahtevalo da usluge sa uslovnim pristupom ne učine dostupnim maloletnicima.
Konačno, Savet Regulatornog tela za elektronske medije je 23. marta 2020. godine, doneo odluku o odlaganju plaćanja naknada za pružanje medijske usluge koje dospevaju u periodu od marta do maja 2020. godine, onim pružaocima medijske ugluge koji podnesu zahtev za takvo odlaganje (http://www.rem.rs/sr/arhiva/vesti/2020/03/odluka-o-odlaganju-placanja-naknade).
Istovremeno, Filmski Centar Srbije, ustanova koja, između ostalog, prikuplja i putem јavnog konkursa raspodeljuјe sredstva za podsticanje kinematografskih delatnosti u Republici Srbiji, saopštio je 23. marta 2020. godine, da odlaže objavlјivanje i sprovođenje jednog broja javnih konkursa, do ukidanja vanrednog stanja (https://www.fcs.rs/saopstenje-filmskog-centra-srbije-23-mart/). U odnosu na već raspisane konkurse, prikuplјanje dokumentacije i njena dostava putem elektronske pošte nesmetano se nastavlјaju. Međutim, o konačnom izboru projekata, neće biti odlučivano sve do potpune normalizacije životnog i poslovnog procesa u zemlјi, navodi se u saopštenju.
Za sva dodatna pitanja o uticaju vanrednog stanja na filmsku industriju i sektor audiovizuelnih medija u Srbiji, kontaktirajte Slobodana Kremenjaka (slobodan.kremenjak@zslaw.rs) ili Krunu Savović (kruna.savović@zslaw.rs), partnere u našem odeljenju za tehnologiju, medije i telekomunikacije, ili bilo koga od vaših redovnih kontakata u advokatskoj kancelariji Živković Samardžić.