Rules of Procedure
1. The Press Council examines complaints received about breaches of the Press Code for Kosovo as well as start cases on its own initiative. Complaints are made in writing according to secretary procedure. The complaint must be made i.e. the case opened within one month of the publication of the material.
2. Complaints can be made by any person. Anonymous complaints will not be examined. Complaints against individual journalists will not be accepted. Complaints will only be accepted if they are directed against the print media as a whole.
3. The Complaints Officer examines all received complaints and decides if the complaint is within the competence of the Press Council.
4. If the complaint is clearly outside of the competence of the Press Council, the Complaints Officer may, after discussion with the Director, reject the complaint in which case the complainant will be informed of the reasons for rejecting the complaint. The director informs the board of the rejected complaints.
5. Complaints that are within the competences of the Press Council are marked with a reference number and a file is opened. Complaints made on the initiative of the Press Council itself are also marked with a reference number and a file is opened.
6. The print media against which the complaint is made has the opportunity to respond within 15 days from the day when the complaint was delivered to the print media by the Secretary of the Council and comment on any complaint made or any case opened by the Press Council.
7. The Director together with the chairman takes steps in order to conciliate the parties involved, including encouraging the print media against which the complaint is made to grant the right of reply to the complainant if applicable.
8. The Complaints Officer, when appropriate together with the Director, examines all cases, requesting any necessary evidence from the complainant and the print media against which the complaint was made or from any other sources. The result of such a review, together with any material received or collected enters into the records of the case.
9. If the issue is not resolved within one month from the date of opening of the case, then the matter is submitted to the Board Members of the Press Council. Unless there are special reasons to the contrary a final decision on a complaint or case opened is reached within three months of the case being opened.
10. The complaints officer presents cases to the Press Council Board of Members, presenting all evidence gathered and the examination made as well as any attempts made at reconciliation and the outcome of such attempts. The complainant and representatives of the print media against which the complaint is made may be invited for a hearing if the Press Council Board of Members decides so, following the recommendation of the Director.
11. The Press Council Board of Members may reject a complaint. In such an event the complainant will be informed of the reasons for rejecting complaint.
12. The Press Council may order a print media to print its adjudications on a place indicated by the Press Council.
13. The Press Council Board of Members may decide to terminate the Press Council membership of any of its members as foreseen by the statute.
14. Any decision made is sent immediately to the print media concerned, within 3 working days.
15. Decisions are published and sent to all Board Members of Press Council for non-commercial publication. The print media represented in the Press Council publish the adjudications of the Press Council, free of charge and at the appropriate place.
16. Records are kept for all cases and the public has access to them. Materials held by the Council of the print media should be available to the public, unless the Law on Access to Information provides otherwise.
17. Press Council of Kosovo takes into consideration even complaints against print media that are not members of the Press Council, as envisaged in the Statute. Regarding these complaints, the Press Council, implements the same procedure as for its members. If the media - not a member, refuses to cooperate with The Press Council, according to regular procedure, then the Press Council issues its opinion based on estimates that other sources provides.