The State Council announced that the sudden closure of public television and radio broadcasting service ERT on the 12th of June 2013 was “constitutional, legal and not in conflict with European legislation”, thus rejecting the appeal launched by the federation of ERT employees (POSPERT).
According to the State Council’s ruling, ERT’s closure was deemed to be in-line with the law as the public broadcasting service had been included in the government reform plans since July 2011, which included “non-essential public bodies”. The council also noted that there are no constitutional requirements for the operation of a public television and radio broadcasting service.
Furthermore, the Council held that the aside from the financial needs that lead to the closure; the government had ensured that an interim service (EDT) had been established prior to the creation of a new public service (NERIT).
The State Council decision was not unanimous though, with a minority of ten councilors arguing that the closure was against the Constitution and that the need for such a service was even greater when “private radio and television services continue to operate illegally to this day, while tolerated by the State”.
