In the near future, the Verkhovna Rada may adopt the ‘Law on Media’, which is a European integration law that brings media legislation in line with the EU terminology. However, ‘European Solidarity’ MP Victoria Siumar stressed that the law in the current version could be dangerous for Ukrainian online news outlets.

According to the MP, the authors included in the law the regulation of online media, which the European Union does not require from Ukraine.

Siumar stressed that it is not about regulation, but about the possibility of blocking online outlets without a court decision, only by a decision of the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting.

She claims that the law gives the National Council full control of online media.

Siumar added that the decision to block websites can hardly be explained as a matter of national security, because a number of pro-Russian sites have long been blocked even without the law on media, but by the decision of the National Security Council through sanctions legislation.

In addition, the draft law legitimizes the TV channel ‘Rada’ not as a parliamentary body, but as a state nationwide channel, which also does not meet European standards.