The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) addresses gaps in media legislation at the European level, focusing on media ownership and state advertising transparency. The lack of regulation so far did not allow for proper oversight of beneficial ownership of media ,and resulted in an uneven media market due to underregulated state advertising.
This is why EPD, Civil Liberties Union for Europe and a group of 11 NGOs call for wide transparency and balanced safeguards for both media ownership and state advertising during the interinstitutional negotiations on the EMFA. The final text should adhere at least to the Report of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament, which brings broader transparency provisions than the original Commission proposal and the position of the Council.
An enlarged scope of available information about media ownership and state advertising and access to it is key for media freedom and pluralism, as well as ensuring economic growth and the internal market’s stability.