On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted in favor of the EU press freedom law. This should regulate the protection of journalists in the future.
The EU Commission proposed the 2022 law to strengthen the plurality and independence of the media Photo: Thomas Trutschel/photothek/imago
Strasbourg afp | The European Parliament finally approved rules to better protect journalists from political influence. Deputies approved the so-called press freedom law on Wednesday by a majority in Strasbourg. It provides for a new media authority, which has been the subject of some criticism in Germany.
464 deputies voted in favor of the regulation, 92 against and 65 abstentions. Rapporteur Sabine Verheyen (CDU) spoke of a “milestone for the protection of media diversity”. Reporters Without Borders said the EU was taking an “important step for the right to information.”
The EU Commission proposed the 2022 law to strengthen media plurality and independence. Brussels sees press freedom threatened, especially in Hungary; The same was true in Poland until the election of Prime Minister Donald Tusk in October.
Under the law, governments cannot intervene in editorial decisions. Source protection is enshrined throughout the EU. There are big obstacles to using spyware like Pegasus. This will require a court order in the future.
A new European Media Council will be created. The committee made up of representatives of the Member States aims, among other things, to avoid excessive concentration in the sector. In the future, media companies will also have to disclose their ownership structure. The same applies to public financial sources, including those from non-European countries.
European organizations of newspaper and magazine publishers see this as a “press freedom law” with overly strict requirements. German publishers and public broadcasters had also warned Brussels against excessive regulation.
Member states have yet to formally seal the law. After its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, it will enter into force in the 27 EU countries.