SABOR CONSIDERS BILL ON NEWS AGENCY HINA

ZAGREB, July 12 (Hina) - Croatia's parliament on Wednesday evening discussed a new bill on the Croatian news agency - HINA - which envisages the new model for the financing of the agency and its transformation from the state-run into public media. The bill, moved by parliament's Constitution, Rule Book and Political System Committee, states that a new Hina law is necessary as the current one, from 1990, is not adjusted to the Constitution. The bill has been harmonised with European standards for news agencies, emphasising principles of editorial independence, and excluding the possibility of any ideological, political or economic control over Hina. According to the bill, Hina would not receive part of its funds directly from the state budget, as has been the practice so far. Its founder, the state, would become one of the contractual users of the agency's information services. The status of Hina's journalists, who would thus no longer be treated as civil servants, would be regulated by collective work contracts and the Labour Act. Journalists would have an important say in the election of the editor-in-chief who, as well as the manager, would be elected in a public tender. The agency's development guidelines would include, among else, the enlargement of a net of correspondents at home and abroad. During the debate, only one MP, Marija Lugaric of the Social Democrats (SDP), gave an objection referring to the provision about the election of the governing body. She insisted that a segment about the election of one media expert in that board should in more detail be expounded as it was not quite clear what actually a media expert was. The Sabor will vote on this and other bills on Thursday morning when it resumes its 13th session. (hina) ms