From countering disinformation to promoting digital literacy, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s media regulator is strengthening its ability to create safer online spaces.

On 1 October, staff of the Communications Regulatory Agency (CRA) took part in a specialised training organised by the Council of Europe under the action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina (PROFREX)”.

The training equipped participants with up-to-date knowledge and practical approaches to addressing harmful online content, including disinformation and hate speech. Representatives from the United Kingdom’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) contributed by sharing their perspectives and good practices from the UK regulatory experience.

Discussions highlighted the importance of cooperation between regulators, media actors, and civil society to ensure that safety measures protect users while safeguarding freedom of expression. Key topics included media literacy, policy development, regulation of video-sharing platforms and video-on-demand services, and broader aspects of online content safety.

The lessons learned will be adapted to the local context and shared with the wider media community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reinforcing joint efforts to limit harmful content online.

For the CRA, this initiative forms part of its ongoing capacity building. By drawing on international experience and best practices, the Agency is better equipped to design and implement regulatory frameworks that reflect European standards and keep pace with global trends.

The training session was organised as part of the action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina (PROFREX)”, implemented under the joint Council of Europe and European Union programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.