The EU wants to better protect journalists and media companies from political influence. Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU states today agreed to the European Media Freedom Act in Brussels, according to a press release.
Among other things, the project aims to ensure greater transparency in the industry, for example in the ownership of media companies and the allocation of state advertising funds.
The way things are handled in countries like Hungary and Poland, where the state directly influences the media, has become a bigger problem from the EU's perspective in recent years. She wants to remedy this with the law. However, before the agreement, editors expressed concern that certain provisions threatened, rather than protected, press freedom.
Ensure effective protection
EU states must ensure effective protection for journalists in the future. In particular, spying on journalists must be prevented. However, there may be exceptions. Furthermore, under the agreement, national supervisory authorities will work together in a new EU-wide media services committee.
There should also be clearer rules for the relationship between media companies and large online platforms, such as Meta, Facebook's parent company, and Google.