MEPs are set to give their final green light on Wednesday to new legislation to protect EU journalists and media from political or economic interference. Plenary will discuss the draft European Media Freedom Act, agreed provisionally with the EU ministers in December 2023, on Tuesday afternoon. The new law will oblige member states to protect media independence from governmental, political, economic or private interference. It will ban all forms of interventions in editorial decisions and prevent the external pressuring of journalists to force them to disclose their sources or by targeting them with spyware. Opening statements by Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, Geoffroy DIDIER (EPP, FR), IMCO Committee; Sophia IN ‘T VELD (Renew, NL), LIBE Committee, and Věra JOUROVÁ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Values and Transparency. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

JOUROVÁ, Věra (EC)

IN 'T VELD, Sophia (Renew, NL)

freedom of press and media (T)

VERHEYEN, Sabine (EPP, DE)

DIDIER, Geoffroy (EPP, FR)

EP Plenary session - European Media Freedom Act: Opening statements by Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, Council and Commission

SOUNDBITE (German), Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE), 'Thank you very much, Vice-President, Madam Commissioner, Vice-President Jourov&aacute;, tomorrow will vote on the European Media Freedom Act. This act is not just a milestone for the freedom of media, but is also a major step for democracy in the European Union. The significance of free media and media pluralism for a functioning democracy can't be stressed enough. Free media are the very foundation of any democracy. They're the guardians of our freedom and make a major contribution to providing information and exchange of opinions in our societies.

SOUNDBITE (German), Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE), But we shouldn't close our eyes to the fact that press freedom is threatened worldwide, including in Europe. The murder in Malta, and the fright, the threats to press freedom in Hungary, and many other things make this very clear. The European Media Freedom Act is our answer to this threat. We have come up with a balanced text which values and protects the double role of media as businesses and as guardians of democracy. With this act, we protect the independence of media supervision, we provide transparency about the ownership of media companies, and we provide minimum standards for the work of journalists and editors and the independence of governments in editorial and financing of public broadcasting.

SOUNDBITE (German), Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE), Media providers are protected from influence and spyware, which includes journalistic sources and communications. There's also more transparency about the money for advertising and various types of contracts. We provide shine, light and transparent structures. I'm proud of the fact that we have included online platforms. The act means that we have made access to high quality journalism platform, and platforms can decide which content we see and don't.

SOUNDBITE (German), Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE), So we've introduced mechanisms which make sure that legal and serious content is protected and are not blocked without a valid reason. So it's important that the DSA is applied when it comes to illegal contact. And the further aspect of the MFA is the transformation of ERGA into the board, which will play an important role in the protection of free media in Europe. The board will have a wider scope of roles which goes beyond the functions of the ERGA and it will be protected in independence. For exaiple, they will decide their internal structures themselves. Media providers which are affected directly by national measures, can ask for an opinion from the board. This is making sure that the voice of media is heard and the freedom of press in Europe is protected.

SOUNDBITE (German), Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE), 'To address the particular features of the press sectors, the board will set up an expert group. A group where institutions, or self-regulation, and other actors will play an important role. This group will be consulted on issues beyond audiovisual sector. The Act creates an area where media freedom and democracy can thrive, and means that providers can act within their role.

SOUNDBITE (German), Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE), I'd like to thank the rapporteurs, and I'd like to thank the committees LIBE and IMCO and for the whole Parliament for their hard, hard work and commitment, which made sure that, despite the time pressures, we came up with a balanced piece of legislation. I appeal to all Members to support this law so that we have a strong signal for media freedom and democracy in Europe. Together, we can make sure that the freedom of the media become continues to be an integral part of our societies. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (French), Geoffroy DIDIER (EPP, FR), Passing legislation to protect journalists when the threat is a good idea and I support that but the problem with Europe is that often it goes too far. The media is not kind of good like another, and its regulation should only be done on the basis of the internal market as if it was a kind of a good which could be transferred throughout the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (French), Geoffroy DIDIER (EPP, FR), Each country has its own culture and the journalistic endeavours and the media are result of that, and I'm very much attached to the freedom of opinion. The written press should not be interfered with, except on the basis of law. But audiovisual media also need to preserve its editorial freedom. No administrative authority should be allowed to muzzle our free press, and no state authority should be allowed to do so either. It should not be possible to silence people's opinions. Brussels shouldn't be able to do it, parties shouldn't be able to do that either. Freedom of expression is sacrosanct. Of course, we need to protect the fundamental values of the European Union, but choosing which opinions are acceptable and which are not is not the right way to go.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sophia IN 'T VELD (Renew, NL), Yes, thank you, Chair. Madam Commissioner, unfortunately, the Council is not there. I think it is very joyful moment that we are here to conclude this process. But I would like to make one remark because the effectiveness of this directive is going to depend entirely on its enforcement. And here we see a weak point because media, free media are under pressure not so much from external forces, but by governments, by governments. Because that is what the media do, they scrutinise governments and there are lots of governments inside the European Union who do not like to be scrutinised. And therefore I would like you to really, really ask the Commission for a very strict enforcement and not enforcement on the basis of, Oh, but, you know, it's for the national authorities to apply this, because they will be the perpetrators. So this will only work if it's backed up by very strong enforcement of the European Commission. Thank you.

'SOUNDBITE (English), Věra JOUROVÁ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Values and Transparency, Thank you very much. Dear Mr. President, congratulation for your birthday, first of all. Honourable Members, we are discussing today and you are going to vote on the first ever EU law to protect media freedom. By doing that, we send a very clear message to the journalists. Something like, your work is essential for democracy and it is the duty of democracies to protect you. And also the strong message to those who want to weaken democracy. We will not allow you to do so.

'SOUNDBITE (English), Věra JOUROVÁ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Values and Transparency, The Media Freedom Act was born here in this, on this place. It was called by the European Parliament and it was also announced here. You ask the Commission to be innovative and act, and we did it. Commissioner Breton and I worked on it together to protect both our values and our single market. The Media Freedom Act addresses very clear problems and attacks against the media interference by governments in editorial decisions, pressure on media, of public service media, surveillance of journalists, lack of transparency of media ownership and of state advertising, or lack of coordination among media regulators.

'SOUNDBITE (English), Věra JOUROVÁ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Values and Transparency, 'And I want to react on what Sophia In't Veld just said- I am aware of it, it will require very strict enforcement. We will be watching how the Member States deal with a clear task to establish truly independent enforcement bodies. And I am now travelling country by country. Yesterday I was in Vienna, I spoke to the future enforcers, last week in Rome, the same thing. So I am not underestimating this, the need to have this enforcement structure well-functioning. Because you are right, it will first serve against the pressure of the state. That's why it is very important to have independent and courageous enforcers.

'SOUNDBITE (English), Věra JOUROVÁ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Values and Transparency, 'Each article of the Media Freedom Act brings a solution on the problems I just listed. The Act goes hand in hand with other pieces of legislation to make our information space healthier and safer. Here I have to mention, first of all, Digital Services Act, which requires online platforms to fight illegal content, disinformation, and also we will have to look into the co-existence of the of the media and artificial intelligence. So we have to read or understand all the new pieces of legislation to understand how we are protecting information space in the EU without any kind of censorship, which is always important for me to mention.

'SOUNDBITE (English), Věra JOUROVÁ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Values and Transparency, I am beyond the time, so I will at the end appreciate very highly the incredible work of the rapporteurs. Mrs. Verheyen Farhan and of the rapporteurs of the associated committees, Mrs. Strugariu and Mr. Didier, thank you very much. Thanks to all the shadow rapporteurs and all the Members who were involved, members of their stuff. It was not an easy way to get there, here. The law had a lot of opponents, if not enemies, but we joined forces and I think together we managed to produce, or adopt, or propose for adoption very useful and practical, and needed piece of legislation to protect the media in the EU. Thank you very much.