Response of the President of the REM Council to the open letter from the Student List

In response to the open letter from the representatives of the Student List, the President of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media provided a response with two attachments containing information on election monitoring, acting upon complaints, and the Council's decision-making process.
 
Dear representatives of the Student List,

In accordance with Article 9 of the Law on Electronic Media, in response to your open letter, I hereby submit my answers to the questions and requests you raised regarding the work of the REM Council, along with two attachments. The response covers the Council's handling of complaints, execution of oversight, decision-making on measures, and ensuring the transparency of its work, as well as an explanation of the Council members' actions when deciding on the expansion of election monitoring and reviewing the findings of the technical services. I believe that the issues you have raised deserve a careful and well-argued response, based on documentation of the Council's work thus far.

The REM Council was constituted on 22 September 2026, two weeks after the start of the election campaign. In its first weeks of operation, it already reviewed numerous complaints and reports from the technical services, initiated proceedings concerning potential regulatory violations, and decided on proposed measures. Additionally, on 8 October 2026, the Council organised a meeting with representatives of media service providers, focusing on their legal obligations and the application of regulations during the election campaign, as part of the Regulator's preventive activities.

Attached to this letter, I submit two documents containing data and explanations of the Council's actions thus far. The first attachment contains information on the organisation, methodology, and scope of election monitoring, alongside an explanation of the Council's actions regarding the proposal for its expansion. The second attachment relates to the Council's actions in examination procedures and the manner of deciding on measures, including an overview of specific cases discussed at Council sessions.

The Council's responsibility to the public requires that its actions be explained and that the documentation concerning the Regulator's work be accessible in accordance with the law. The presence of representatives of the public at Council sessions and the direct streaming of sessions provide immediate insight into the course of discussions and voting results. Recordings of the sessions remain publicly accessible in the session archive on the official REM website, while minutes, decisions, and other documents are published in accordance with prescribed procedures.

The work of the Council, as a collegial body, is based on independence from political and other illicit influences, the autonomy of its members, reasoned debate, and mutual respect. As President of the Council, I consider it my duty to ensure the equal participation of all members in its work and to foster a culture of dialogue.

The Council will continue to review complaints and reports from the technical services, oversee media service providers, and decide on measures within its jurisdiction, in accordance with the Law on Electronic Media and prescribed deadlines. The record of complaints submitted regarding the 2026 parliamentary elections, including data on actions taken upon them, is publicly accessible on the Regulator’s website.

In the part of your letter directed to the National Assembly, you also raised the issue of filling the vacant seat on the REM Council. I consider the election of the ninth member important for the Council to function at full capacity and fulfil its statutory responsibilities. I expect the National Assembly to conduct this procedure in a timely manner, in accordance with the law, respecting the rights of authorised nominators and the principle of transparency.

Thank you for addressing the REM Council. I believe that direct communication with the public, including representatives of the Student List, is important for the Regulator's work, and I remain open to further discussion and proposals that may contribute to its improvement.

Yours faithfully,
Stevica Smederevac, MA, President of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media
Annexes:
1. Organisation and Methodology of Election Monitoring
2. Actions of the REM Council in examination procedures and decision-making on measures