EUROPEAN MEDIA FREEDOM LAW ENTERS INTO FORCE​

By Julio García / Aquí Europa

The European Media Freedom Act, an unprecedented new set of rules to protect media independence and pluralism, entered into force today, Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

As reported today by the European Commission, this new legislation provides safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions and against surveillance of journalists.

The law ensures that the media can operate more easily in the internal market and online. In addition, the regulation also aims to ensure the independence and stable financing of public service media, as well as transparency of both media ownership and the allocation of state advertising.

Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová said, “For the first time, the EU has a law to protect press freedom. The EU recognizes that journalists play an essential role for democracy and must be protected. I call on Member States to implement the new rules as soon as possible”.

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton added: “Media companies play a vital role in our democracies, but they face falling revenues, threats to media freedom and pluralism and a patchwork of different national rules. Thanks to the European Freedom of the Media Act, media companies will enjoy common safeguards at EU level to ensure a plurality of voices and be able to better benefit from the opportunities to operate in our single market without any interference, whether private or public.”

Proposed by the Commission in September 2022, this Regulation sets out a number of protections for the right to media plurality that will be applicable within 6 months. More details on the timeline for its implementation are available in this infographic. More information on the Commission’s actions to defend media freedom and pluralism and the safety of journalists is also available online.

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This article was originally published in Aquí Europa, with whose permission we reproduce it.