Natrag Agreement reached on advancing online content regulation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo 6 May 2026
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Agreement reached on advancing online content regulation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Representatives of public institutions, independent regulatory bodies, the media, academia, and civil society reached agreement on key principles for improving the governance of online content in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a particular focus on the Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)4 on online safety and the empowerment of users and content creators.

As a central outcome, participants confirmed the need to establish a multi-stakeholder and co-regulatory model, entailing a clear distribution of competences and responsibilities among institutions, regulators, media, digital platforms, academia, and civil society organisations. It was particularly emphasised that the success of this model depends on continuous and structured cooperation among all actors, including institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, non-governmental organisations, media, the academic community, as well as regulatory and self-regulatory bodies.

Participants underlined that Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)4 provides a clear and applicable framework for developing such an approach, through principles of inclusive governance, transparency, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights, while ensuring effective mechanisms for cooperation and coordination.

It was also highlighted that next steps should include strengthening institutional coordination and formalising cooperation among stakeholders, in line with the European regulatory framework, including the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

As a follow-up, the need was recognised to initiate a structured institutional process that would enable the gradual alignment of Bosnia and Herzegovina with European standards in the field of digital governance and media freedom, with the active participation of all relevant actors and in reliance on the guidance provided by Recommendation CM/Rec(2026)4.

The event was organised as part of the action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Bosnia and Herzegovina (PRO-FREX)”, implemented by the Council of Europe Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression under the European Union and Council of Europe’s joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.” 

Horizontal Facility III

Zajednički program Europske unije i Vijeća Europe pod nazivom „Horizontal Facility za Zapadni Balkan i Tursku“ (Horizontal Facility III) inicijativa je za suradnju koja se provodi od 2023. do 2026. godine. Program obuhvaća aktivnosti u Albaniji, Bosni i Hercegovini, Kosovu*, Crnoj Gori, Sjevernoj Makedoniji, Srbiji i Turskoj. Programom se pomaže korisnicima da ispune svoje planove reformi u području ljudskih prava, vladavine prava i demokracije te da usklade standarde s europskim standardima, što je ujedno i prioritet za proces proširenja EU-a.

Vrijednost ovog programa je 41 milijun eura (85 % financira EU, 15 % Vijeće Europe).

* Ova oznaka ne prejudicira stavove o statusu i ista je u skladu s Rezolucijom Vijeća sigurnosti UN-a 1244 i Mišljenjem Međunarodnog suda pravde o Deklaraciji o neovisnosti Kosova.


Co-operation with 
Young European Ambassadors

Brze poveznice

* Ova oznaka ne prejudicira stavove o statusu i ista je u skladu s Rezolucijom Vijeća sigurnosti UN-a 1244 i Mišljenjem Međunarodnog suda pravde o Deklaraciji o neovisnosti Kosova.