Brussels, 11/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Late on Monday, Economic and Social Committee (EESC) President Staffan Nilsson called on the European Commission and the Hungarian government to involve press and national and European publishers' associations in the assessment and debate of media freedom in Hungary.
Cooperation between, and the expertise of representatives of media professionals and media businesses are essential for the evaluation of the effective media regulating framework in Hungary as in any other member state. With their professional and politically un-biased judgement, such civil society bodies, both at national and European level, can help in scrutinising the content and the conformity of regulations with the principles of media freedom, and also the context in which such regulations are to be enforced. This only makes the role of facilitator of such cooperation between the Commission as guardian of the Treaties, the media trade and professional associations all the more important. “For us, the value of participation of those to whom policies are addressed is unquestionable, and such dialogue should be a cornerstone at every stage of policy-making, including when it comes to enforcement,” said Nilsson. Freedom of expression for individuals, free flow of information and the freedom and pluralism of the media are fundamental principles guiding European integration and its core values. (Com-G.B./transl.rt)