The European Parliament voted on Wednesday in favour of an act that will significantly bolster the protection and rights of journalists across the European Union. The most critical components of this act include:
– Protection of Journalists’ Sources: The act enshrines the confidentiality of journalists’ sources into law, ensuring that journalists can protect the identity of their sources, a fundamental aspect of press freedom and investigative reporting.
– Prohibition of Spyware Against Journalists: It introduces a ban on the use of spyware against journalists, addressing recent concerns over the safety and privacy of journalists in the digital age.
– Editorial Independence: The legislation aims to safeguard the editorial independence of media outlets, ensuring that journalistic content is free from external pressures and influences.
– Transparency in Media Ownership: It seeks to increase transparency around media ownership, allowing for greater public insight into who owns and controls media outlets, which is vital for assessing biases and influences on media content.
For the act to be implemented, it must be ratified by the national parliaments of all 27 EU member states, marking the next step in its journey towards enforcement. This legislative move has been broadly welcomed by media watchdogs and rights groups as a significant advancement in the protection of press freedom within the EU.
There were 307 members who voted in favour of the European Press Freedom Act, with 92 votes against, and 65 abstentions from a total of 464 participants.
The Act, responding to the decline in media plurality and independence in member states like Hungary and Poland, as well as the use of spyware against journalists, aims to address the challenges facing the European media landscape. Vera Jourova, Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, lauded the vote as “historic” on social media platform X, emphasising the indispensable role of independent media in democracies and the duty to protect it. Similarly, Julie Majerczak, RSF Brussels Head, welcomed the vote, highlighting it as a crucial step for the right to information within the EU, urging member states to implement the law.
The Act’s drafting was initially prompted by concerns over media diversity and independence in certain EU countries and the targeting of journalists with spy software like Pegasus and Predator. Before the vote, Jourova addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg, pointing out that the legislation aims to tackle “clear issues” facing European media, including governmental interference in editorial decisions, pressure on public media, surveillance of journalists and the lack of transparency in media ownership and state advertising, along with coordination issues among media regulators.
