European Media Freedom Act : Arcom publishes its contribution to the Commission's public consultation
Arcom today submitted its contribution to the European Commission's public consultation on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). Arcom fully supports the European Commission's initiative to strengthen media freedom, editorial independence and plurality. As essential pillars of our democratic societies based on the rule of law, these principles are intended to enable citizens to form a free and informed opinion, and thus fuel democratic debate.
In line with ERGA's Statement of Purpose, Arcom reaffirms its unreserved support for the democratic, economic, social and cultural values and objectives enshrined in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
In its position on the Commission's initiative, Arcom considers that a legal instrument such as the EMFA would bring considerable added value by strengthening the guarantees of respect, throughout the European Union, for these fundamental principles. To this end, the EMFA could, on a European scale, strengthen transparency and introduce common norms, notably for the editorial independence of the media, balanced and impartial media coverage, audience measurement and the operation of public service media, or the assessment of the effects of media market transactions on media plurality.
With this in mind, Arcom stresses the importance of the existing national legal managerial framework, which has proved its effectiveness, and of European rules established with due respect for the principle of subsidiarity. It also stresses that the EMFA's articulation with other existing or future legislative instruments, such as the AVMS Directive, legislation on digital services and markets (DSA and DMA), the regulation on political advertising, or the EU Code of Practice on misinformation, must be designed in such a way as to make the scheme coherent and effective.
Arcom fully endorses the Commission's guidelines aimed at giving independent national regulatory authorities and ERGA a greater role and renewed means to promote media freedom, independence and plurality in the implementation of EMFA.
Finally, EMFA is intended to be the manager within which the fundamental issue of regulation of channels or media controlled by third countries, which has repeatedly raised difficulties of coherence and coordination, will be re-examined in depth. A more coordinated approach at European level, and strengthened cooperation, will help to ensure that such media are not able to cause serious damage in terms of disinformation, state propaganda, incitement to hatred and violence, and the destabilization of European democracies.
In a context where the conflict in Ukraine and related attempts at disinformation prove, if proof were needed, that media independence and plurality are more than ever fundamental to the preservation and strengthening of democracies in Europe, Arcom salutes the work of European journalists and their dedication to reporting the reality of this tragic conflict, on Europe's doorstep.
About Arcom :
"Arcom is an independent public authority that guarantees freedom of communication. Its mission is to ensure that the public has access to a plurality of audio and video supplies that respect rights and freedoms, to defend creativity and to contribute to the fight agains unlawful and problematic content on the Internet".
About ERGA:
The European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) is made up of the national regulatory authorities in the field of audiovisual media services. ERGA advises the European Commission and facilitates cooperation between regulatory bodies in the EU. Mr. Karim Ibourki, President of the Belgian French Superior Audiovisual Council (French Superior Audiovisual Council), is the current Chairman of ERGA.
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