The European Media Freedom Act came into force today — an unprecedented set of rules to protect media independence and pluralism. This new legislation provides safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions and against surveillance of journalists. The law ensures that the media can function more easily in the domestic market and online. In addition, the regulation aims to ensure the independence and stable funding of public media, as well as the transparency of media ownership and the distribution of state advertising.
Deputy President of the Commission for Values and Transparency Vera Yourova said: “For the first time, the EU has a law to protect the freedom of the media. The EU recognizes that journalists play an essential role in democracy and should be protected. I urge Member States to implement the new rules as soon as possible.“
Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton added: “Media companies play a vital role in our democracies but face declining revenues, threats to media freedom and pluralism and a combination of different national rules. In line with the European Media Freedom Act, media companies will benefit from common guarantees at EU level to ensure a plurality of voices and to be able to take better advantage of the opportunities to operate in the single market without any interference , be it private or public.“
Proposed by the Commission in September 2022, the regulation introduces protective measures for the right to media pluralism, which will start to apply within 6 months. More details on the timetable for its implementation can be found in this infographic .