Joint programme Council of Europe / European Union "Pro- moting freedom, professionalism and pluralism of the media in the South Caucasus and Moldova"

While free and independent media, sometimes qualified as the "forth estate", is a pillar of civil society, the European Union (EU) is rather absent from media development in democratizing countries. In its Strategy Paper 2011-2013, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights does not mention the media as an explicit objective. Despite the poor situation of media in the South Caucasus, the EU is quite discreet in this sector of democracy promotion within the Armenia, Azeri and Georgian civil societies. It co-funds with the Council of Europe the joint programme "Promoting freedom, professionalism and pluralism of the media in South Caucasus and Moldova", which started on January 1, 2011 and will run until December 31, 2012. The implementation of the programme is entirely under the responsibility of the Council of Europe, an organisation which lacks the EU institutional incentives to influence the governments in the South Caucasus. Can the Council of Europe / European Union Joint programme SC-MLD-Media II have any impact on the media situation in South Caucasus, or do the realities on the field prevent any efficient implementation?

尽管自由独立的媒体有时被称为"第四等级（Fourth Estate）"，是公民社会的重要支柱，但欧盟（EU）在民主化国家的媒体发展领域却相当缺位。在其2011-2013年战略文件中，欧盟民主与人权工具（European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights）并未将媒体列为明确的政策目标。尽管南高加索地区的媒体状况堪忧，但欧盟在亚美尼亚、阿塞拜疆与格鲁吉亚公民社会的民主促进领域却行事相当低调克制。欧盟与欧洲委员会（Council of Europe）联合资助了名为"Promoting freedom, professionalism and pluralism of the media in South Caucasus and Moldova"的联合项目，该项目于2011年1月1日启动，执行至2012年12月31日。该项目的执行完全由欧洲委员会负责，而该组织缺乏欧盟层面的制度性激励手段以影响南高加索地区各国政府。欧洲委员会/欧盟联合项目SC-MLD-Media II能否对南高加索地区的媒体状况产生积极影响？抑或是实地现实情况会阻碍该项目的有效执行？