Acknowledging the many forms of state interference with media freedom within EU countries, the Rapporteur on press freedom of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee has issued an initial report which calls for a step forward to strengthen safeguards for press freedom in the 27 EU member states. Renate Weber MEP refers to heightened concerns about the new media laws in Hungary and the decline in media freedom in Italy, Bulgaria and Romania. She lists possible courses of action including monitoring, “backup intervention”, stronger self-regulation and even EU legislation. The AEJ welcomes Mrs Weber’s proposals, which reflect the evidence and concerns discussed at the 8 May Seminar on Media Freedom in the EU Member States held in the European Parliament in Brussels to mark the 50th anniversary of the AEJ’s founding.
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