EU Commission Vice Vera Jourova has rejected criticism from Germany of a planned law to strengthen media freedom. It’s not about lowering standards, the Czech told the German Press Agency and other media in an interview with the European Newsroom.
“My message is: No system is absolutely immune.” In a situation where politics in a country is going crazy and politicians want to hijack the media landscape, people will be happy to have a safety net in the EU. “It can happen anywhere.”
According to Jourova, other stable democracies such as Denmark, Austria and Sweden fear that media protection standards will be lowered. Poland and Hungary, on the other hand, questioned the competence of the EU.
Regarding the fundamental criticism of the German publishers, Jourova said: “It is never easy to send sober messages to the alarmists.” She often explained to the publishers what the proposal is and is not about. It is difficult for publishers to swallow that they should be regulated at EU level for the first time. So far, according to Jourova, media in the EU have been subject to the rules of the internal market – like manufacturers of socks and shoes.
That is what the proposal is about
The proposal for the media freedom law is about creating good working conditions for journalists, Jourova said. For this purpose, the owners of media should be disclosed. In addition, “reasonable measures” would have to be taken to ensure the editorial independence of the media from their owners. The planned media services committee at EU level will not have any influence on the content of the reporting.
The Federal Association of Digital Publishers and Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) and the Media Association of the Free Press (MVFP) reacted to the EU Commission’s proposal with severe criticism last year. They complained that the press should be “subjected to extensive supervision by a European media authority”. At the same time, “the principle of editorial freedom for publishers is de facto overridden,” which would destroy press freedom. The state media authorities, which oversee private broadcasting and network offerings in Germany, are also questioning the independence of the planned committee.
The European Parliament and the EU states are currently negotiating their position on the proposed law. The Council of the EU states could reach an agreement by the middle of the year, and Parliament is expected to do so in October. Both sides would then have to negotiate a common position with one another. The EU Commission proposed the law last fall to better protect independent media from state influence.
