Strasbourg, 21/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - According to a well-known scenario, the European Parliament was unable - because of confrontation between Left and Right - to come to a position on freedom of information in Italy and in the other European Union countries. Voting on Wednesday 21 October (the debate being held during the first October session in Brussels) ended with a series of rejections, nine resolutions each time rejected by very slim majorities.
First of all, the Parliament rejected (297 votes for, 322 against and 25 abstentions) a resolution put forward by the EPP, ECR and EFD groups, which underlined the role that the local and regional media play in Italy in promoting pluralism of information sources and in safeguarding language diversity and regional cultures. The Parliament Right-wing also said that pluralism of information in Italy is ensured by broad and free access to the most modern sectors of communication such as internet and digital technology, satellite and cable.
Parliament also rejected (335 votes to 338 and 13 abstentions) a common resolution from the S&D, ALDE, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups, which deemed it necessary to remedy the anomaly consisting of a conflict of interest between political, economic and media powers, as well as concentration of control - whether direct or indirect - of public and private media. The text underlined the need to ensure that, in all member states, public operators should be independent and protected from any interference on the part of government authorities. The Left said it was particularly concerned by the situation in Italy and considered that this could have consequences on the whole of Europe and that, without a response from the EU, this could weaken its credibility regarding the definition of criteria for fundamental rights in external relations and in the accession process. It deplored the pressure and intimidation exercised by Italian authorities on Italian and European newspapers.
The above resolution also called upon the European Commission to develop and present without delay and with the full participation of the future commissioner for fundamental freedoms, a proposal for a directive on the concentration of media and protection of pluralism (342 in favour, 327 against and 15 abstentions). Those against such a directive belong to the EPP, ECR and EFD. It should be noted, however, that six EPP members (including Jean-Marie Cavada of France) supported this request for a directive, and Belgians from the same group - Ivo Belet, Jean-Luc Dehaene, Anne Delvaux and Marianne Thysen - abstained from the vote.
During the final vote on the Left's resolution, only four more votes were needed for those backing the resolution to carry the vote. Those voting in favour were all Social Democrats, the Greens, the European United Left and the Liberals and Democrats, except for Vincenzo Iovine of Italy who voted against and three Irish members, Liam Aylward, Brian Cowley and Pat Gallagher. Voting against the conservatives were EFD members and the EPP except for Italian members Antonello Antinoro, Carlo Casini, Luigi De Mita Tiziano Motti and Herbert Dorfmann, as well as Anne Delvaux of Belgium and Jean-Marie Cavada of France.
A resolution of the ALDE Group which simply called for this directive and invited the Commission to study the risks represented by media trusts in Italy, was not adopted by equal numbers of votes (338 votes to 338 and 9 abstentions). (O.J./transl.jl)