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The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has joined other media and journalist organisations in calling for any reform of the legal framework for RTV Slovenija to protect its institutional and editorial independence and guarantee adequate, sustainable and predictable funding for its public service remit.

On 26 August 2026, the Slovenian Ministry of Culture published proposed amendments to the Law on Radiotelevizija Slovenija. They would restructure the organization’s governance and management and change parts of its financing.

We recognize the legitimate aim of an efficient, accountable and financially sustainable public service broadcaster. Different governance and funding models work well across Europe. But what matters is whether the framework protects independence in practice. Several elements of this proposal raise concerns.

Governance

The proposal replaces the Management Board with a Director General. A new 7-member Supervisory Council would hold significant powers, including the appointment and dismissal of the Director General. The Government would formally appoint 6 of its 7 members, although professional organisations would nominate several of them.

We welcome the safeguards in the proposal, including a public competition for the Director General and the requirement for the Programme Council’s prior consent to the appointment and dismissal. Nevertheless, given the Supervisory Council’s extensive powers, that concentration of appointment powers raises concerns about protection against political influence, direct or indirect.

We are also concerned that the mandates of the current RTV Slovenija Council, Financial Committee and Management Board would end automatically when the new law takes effect. Security of tenure protects the independence of public service media management. The Slovenian Constitutional Court found on 2 July 2026 that ending these mandates by law may put the broadcaster’s institutional and programme autonomy at risk, and so interferes with freedom of expression. It upheld the 2022 termination only because specific exceptional circumstances justified it, so any new blanket termination needs careful scrutiny.

Article 5 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) requires Member States to guarantee the editorial and functional independence of public service media. Appointment procedures must be open, effective and non-discriminatory, and rest on objective criteria set in advance. Dismissal before the end of a term must be exceptional and justified, with prior notice and a route to judicial review. The EMFA also requires independent monitoring of compliance with these safeguards, free from government influence. Council of Europe Recommendations R (96) 10 and CM/Rec(2012)1 reinforce these principles.

Financing

The amendments would remove the statutory benchmarks for state funding of minority programmes and music production. The State’s obligation to fund this work would remain, but any new mechanism must guarantee sufficient and timely resources on transparent, objective and predictable terms.

This matters all the more now. On 28 August 2026, the National Assembly called a consultative referendum on abolishing the mandatory licence fee (RTV contribution). The vote takes place on 11 October 2026. European standards do not prescribe one funding model, but any fundamental change needs a clear, credible and sustainable alternative in place first. Article 5(3) EMFA requires funding procedures to be based on transparent and objective criteria set in advance, and to guarantee adequate, sustainable and predictable financial resources. Dropping the licence fee without such a framework risks financial uncertainty and greater dependence on annual political and budgetary decisions.

Consultation

A reform of this significance requires broad and meaningful public debate. The consultation on these proposals only runs until 9 September 2026, and the explanatory memorandum confirms there was no earlier public participation. Two weeks over the end of the summer holidays is very short for legislation of this institutional importance. Stakeholders need time to analyse the proposals, weigh them against European standards and contribute.

We therefore call on the Slovenian authorities to allow proper time for meaningful debate, and to ensure the final law provides strong safeguards for RTV Slovenija’s independence and secure funding for its full remit. We remain available for constructive dialogue with the authorities, RTV Slovenija and other stakeholders, and stand ready to contribute European public service media expertise.

Supported by:

• European Broadcasting Union — EBU
• Armenian Public Radio — APR (Armenia)
• Association of European Journalists — AEJ
• Bulgarian National Radio — BNR (Bulgaria)
• Bulgarian National Television — BNT (Bulgaria)
• Croatian Radio-Television — HRT (Croatia)
• Czech Radio — ČRo (Czechia)
• Czech Television — ČT (Czechia)
• Estonian Public Broadcasting — ERR (Estonia)
• European Federation of Journalists — EFJ
• Georgian Public Broadcaster — GPB (Georgia)
• International Federation of Journalists — IFJ
• Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs — LSM (Latvia)
• Lithuanian National Radio and Television — LRT (Lithuania)
• Österreichischer Rundfunk — ORF (Austria)
• Public Media Alliance — PMA
• Radio and Television of Serbia — RTS (Serbia)
• Radio Romania — SRR (Romania)
• Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina — BHRT (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Radio Television of Montenegro — RTCG (Montenegro)
• Reporters sans Frontières — RSF
• South East Europe Media Organisation — SEEMO
• Suspilne Ukraine (Ukraine)
• Telewizja Polska — TVP (Poland)