Brussels, 12 December 2022

News Media Europe warmly welcomes the European Commission’s intention to protect press freedom in Europe. However, media policy should remain a matter of national competence and the MFA should not interfere with national systems and practices.

Should co-legislators move ahead with the proposal, the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) must be considered at an overarching level, laying down media freedom principles and setting barriers to governmental interference, rather than regulating media policy. Our recommendations aim to solve problems where they exist, while keeping media policy a national matter. The EMFA shouldn’t undermine trust in media, but rather enhance it. News Media Europe will produce amendments accordingly.

News Media Europe’s position paper on the European Media Freedom Act can be accessed here.

For more information, please contact Wout van Wijk.