EU Ministers Adopt European Media Freedom Act to Protect Journalists and Media from Political Interference
The Council of the European Union has adopted a new law that will protect media freedom, media pluralism and editorial independence in the EU, according to a statement from the Council of the EU on 26 March.
The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) will create a common framework for media services in the EU's internal market and introduce measures to protect journalists and media providers from political interference and make it easier for them to operate across EU borders.
The European Parliament approved EMFA on 13 March.
The EU Council said in a statement that the new rules will guarantee the right of citizens to access free and plural information and will set out the responsibility of member states to ensure that they have the right conditions and frameworks in place to protect it.
The legislation is a response to growing concerns in the EU about the politicisation of the media and the lack of transparency in media ownership and the distribution of public funds for advertising to media service providers, the statement said.
The document seeks to introduce safeguards to combat political interference in editorial decisions for both private and public media providers, protect journalists and their sources, and guarantee media freedom and pluralism.
The statement said that the EMFA is based on the provisions of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) 2018.
In particular, it establishes an independent European Media Services Council to replace the regulatory group (ERGA) established under the AVMSD.
The Council will be composed of national media representatives and will advise and support the European Commission and promote the consistent application of the key provisions of the new EMFA and AVMSD law across all EU Member States, including by providing opinions and helping the Commission to develop guidelines.
The regulation will now be signed, published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force in 20 days.