LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

of August 24, 2026 No. 195

About mass media

The Parliament adopts this organic law.

This law partially shifts Article 1-4, 6, 22 and 24 Regulations of the European parliament and Council (EU) 2024/1083 of April 11, 2024 about establishment of general rules for media services in the domestic market and about modification of the Directive 2010/13/EU (The European regulations about freedom of mass media) (the text concerning EEP), the European Union published in the Official magazine L 2024/1083 of April 17, 2024, CELEX: 32024R1083.

Chapter I. General provisions

Article 1. Purpose and subject of regulation of the law

(1) This law establishes the general legal basis of activities of suppliers of media services, enters additional measures for ensuring freedom of expression of opinion, protection of media pluralism, protection, autonomy and safety of journalists, providing institutional autonomy and editorial independence, and also the requirement to transparency of structure of property and financing and responsibility of suppliers of media services.

(2) Guarantees of implementation of right to liberty of expression of opinion and ensuring balance between right to liberty of expression of opinion and protection of honor, advantage, goodwill and private and family life of person are regulated by the Law on freedom of expression of opinion No. 64/2010.

(3) Operation of this law extends to suppliers of media services, the main location, edition or the residence of which are located in the territory of the Republic of Moldova. If the main location and edition are not located in the territory of the same state, this law is applied in case of cumulative observance of the following conditions:

a) the most part of the personnel participating in provision of media services performs the activities in the Republic of Moldova;

b) the editorial decisions concerning media services are accepted in the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

(4) Provisions of this law are applied without prejudice to the Code regulations on audiovisual media services No. 174/2018, regulating specific aspects of activities of suppliers of audiovisual media services.

Article 2. Concepts

For the purposes of this law the concepts determined in the Code about audiovisual media services No. 174/2018, and also the following concepts are used:

Concentration in the market of media services - provision according to the Competition act No. 183/2012, in which one or several physical persons and/or legal entities acquire 1) or exercise, directly or indirectly, control or decisive influence concerning one or several suppliers of media services or one or several suppliers of online platforms by means of which access to media content is provided. The specified provision includes direct or indirect control over property, editorial decisions, financial resources, distribution or realization of advertizing in the sector of mass media.

2) horizontal concentration in the market of media services - provision in which the physical person or legal entity owns directly or indirectly control or exercises directly or indirectly control over two or more suppliers of media services performing activities within the same type of media services or in the same segment of the market of media services;

3) vertical concentration in the market of media services - provision in which the physical person and/or legal entity owns directly or indirectly control or exercises directly or indirectly control over the business entities acting at different stages of chain of production, distribution or implementation of media content including suppliers of the media services, producers of content, distributors or subjects participating in advertizing realization;

4) cross concentration in the market of media services - provision in which the physical person and/or legal entity owns directly or indirectly control or exercises directly or indirectly control over the suppliers of media services belonging to different types of media services (television, radio, the print media or online media services), in the same geographical region;

5) conflict of interest - provision in which economic, political or private interests of the supplier of media services, his managing directors, owners or members of their families, and also other physical persons or legal entities with which they had or had relations of personal, economic or political nature influence or can affect editorial independence or implementation of editorial powers by provision of the socially significant information or information which is of general social interest;

6) content - any information or material irrespective of form of expression or method the programs created and which are brought to the attention of the public or certain segment of the public including comments and other forms of the user content, except for private messages;

7) media content - the content created, organized and which is brought to the attention of the public by means of media service under editorial responsibility of the supplier of media services;

8) content violating the rights protected by the law - media content which, without being illegal content, affects the personal rights guaranteed by the legislation including the right to honor, advantage and professional reputation, the right to own image, the right to respect of intimate, family and private life, right of defense of personal data, the rights of minors or copyright and related rights;

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