Regulatory Bodies

Statutory Bodies

In terms of media regulation, responsibility falls within the French, German speaking and Flemish communities. In the Flemish media system there is the Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media (VRM) . It has a bicameral structure and it decides on issues regarding independence and the protection of minors.  In the French media system there is a Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA)  which controls editors and service distributors. It can authorize frequencies’ use, verify that members respect their obligations and punish infractions. For the German speaking community, there is a Medienrat, which has the same authority. On the federal level there is the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BITP) which allocates, regulates and supervises the frequencies.

Self-Regulatory Bodies

The Raad voor de Journalistiek (RvdJ – the Council for Journalism ) is an independent self-regulatory body of the Flemish Press, addressing complaints and responding to questions directed from the public in relation to journalistic conduct. It brings together publishers, audiovisual media companies and the Flemish Journalist Assocation (VVJ). Its regulation concerning ethics is based on an own code of practice, that the Raad voor de Journalistiek published in 2010.  The RvdJ can count on an Ombudsman who has an important role in cases where a complaint is filed with the Rvdj. The Ombudsman acts as an arbitrator between the complainant and the journalist, aiming at an equitable solution.

The Conseil de Deontologie Journalistique (the Council of professional journalistic ethics ) is an independent self-regulatory body of the French and German speaking editors and journalists; it works to provide information, mediation and regulation in the aprofession. Its mission, as stated on its website, “is not to protect journalists and media from the public but to correct what has to be corrected” .

Both councils are members of the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe.