diplomas employed full time in the drafting of each publication. On the basis of this amendment, the number of journalists has increased from one third to one half of the permanent editorial team; - The amendment of paragraph 2 of Article 19 of the Code relative to the offense of « figurehead » to the owner or to the sponsor of a publication, and this through the suppression of the penalty of imprisonment and the maintenance and increase of the fine. The same was done for Article 23 relative to the offense of acceptance of money or of any other benefit for the purpose of distorting a public announcement. 186. In the same vein, the promulgation of the organic law n° 2006-1 of 9th January 2006, modifying the Press Code constituted a new large scale measure in the process of consolidating the freedom of expression, of information and of edition. In effect, Article 3 (new) of this law stipulates that « the following national press publications are also not to be subjected to the legal submission requirements: - the Daily Papers and the Periodicals, - the Periodic Journals ». 187. This legislative measure is aimed at lightening the legal procedures governing the freedom of the Press so as to increase the liberalization of the information sector and to transform it into a space for dialogue, for exchanges and for discussion on the topics and issues relating to the country’s future and to the protection of its achievements. This measure involves and mobilizes all those who work in the domain of the press, of information and of communication in order to help develop the media landscape, strengthen the freedom of expression and of opinion and reinforce intellectual and political pluralism. 188. In order to give the Directors of the Periodicals the necessary time to put together the conditions guaranteeing the success of their project on appropriate material and organizational bases, the validity period of the declaration’s acknowledgement of receipt had been extended from six months to a year as defined in Article 14 of the Press Code. Besides, the definition of foreign works had been reviewed in order to achieve greater exposure to the outside. (Article 24). 189. By the same token, with the objective of strengthening the role of the Supreme Communications Council, Decree n° 2002-999 of 2nd May 2002, completing the Decree n° 89-238 of 30th January 1989 which created the Supreme Communications Council had been promulgated. New roles had been given to it: - the function of Observatory for the information sector by professionals, intellectuals and representatives of civil society and Political Parties; - the collection of all national and international data relating to the development of the sector; - the drafting of the synthesis reports evaluating the innovations realised in this domain; - the publication of information bulletins contributing to the effort of propagating a culture of the freedom of expression. 190. The opposition Political Parties and the representatives of civil society have been members of the said Council since December 2005 in order to contribute to 43