The appointment of Hina's Steering Council will not be discussed within the frameworks of the EU accession negotiation, Kovacic said in Brussels on Monday..
The spokeswoman for EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told Croatian reporters that it was "not appropriate to link this issue with the screening of the information society and media chapter, because this issue is part of political criteria".
The European Commission is following all events concerning freedom and independence of the media, Rehn's spokeswoman Krizstina Nagy said. This is part of its normal procedure of monitoring how a country is applying the Copenhagen criteria, she said.
As for the appointment of Hina's Steering Council, the Commission is in contact with various sources so as to gain as clear picture as possible, the spokeswoman said. It is important to stress that Hina must be able to exist without political interference and in accordance with the highest standards, Nagy said.