Brussels continues to monitor situation with Ukraine's TVi and LB.ua

Brussels - The European Commission is closely monitoring the situation around Ukraine's television channel TVi and LB.ua online edition, and once again notes Kyiv's decision not to inspect the media during the election period. 

"The European Commission is paying very close attention to all the issues that are related to the media, as media freedom and freedom of expression are very important for the European Commission both in the enlargement area and in the European neighborhood area. I will not go into the details of the cases, because there is apparently an investigation going on, but while we cannot and will not comment on the merits of the criminal investigation and substance of these cases, what I can say in the relation to the TVi case, because there was a tax raid done a few days ago, we consider that such tax inspections need to be pursued with great care, particularly in this … pre-electoral period," Peter Stano, the spokesman for the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule, said in Brussels on Monday.

Stano also said that the European Commission was aware of the Verkhovna Rada's recommendation to government agencies, such as the State Tax Service of Ukraine and the National TV and Radio Broadcasting Council, not to conduct tax inspections of the media in the pre-election period.

According to the information available to Interfax-Ukraine, this issue will also be considered in the frames of the events dedicated to the Eastern Partnership, which will involve Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko.