The European Parliament approved the draft law on the protection of journalists of the European Union (EU) and freedom of the press. It obliges EU member states to protect the independence of the media, and also prohibits all forms of interference in editorial decisions.
This was reported by the press service of the European Parliament. 464 MEPs voted pro, 92 — contra, and another 65 — abstained.
The draft law provides that the authorities will not be able to pressure journalists and editors to disclose their sources. It is now legally prohibited to detain journalists, impose sanctions on them, search their offices, or install surveillance devices on their electronic gadgets.
The European Parliament has added significant safeguards to allow the use of spyware. Now it can be used only on a case-by-case basis and with the permission of a judicial body investigating serious crimes punishable by imprisonment. Even in these cases, subjects will have the right to receive information after the surveillance has taken place and be able to challenge it in court.
In order to prevent the use of public media for political purposes, their managers and board members should be elected according to transparent procedures for a sufficiently long term. They cannot be fired before the end of their contract if they no longer meet the professional criteria. At the same time, public media should be financed according to transparent and objective procedures.
The media must also report on funds received from state advertising and on state financial support, particularly from non-EU countries.
The European Parliament has taken care to include for large online platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, a mechanism to prevent arbitrary restriction or removal of independent media content.
Social networks should distinguish independent media from independent sources. Media will be notified when the platform intends to remove or restrict their content and will have 24 hours to respond. Only after (or in the absence of) a response can the platform remove or restrict content if it still does not meet its conditions.
The media will also have the opportunity to refer the case to the out-of-court dispute resolution body and request an opinion from the European Media Services Council (the new EU Council of National Regulators to be created by EMFA).