Brussels, 17/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Hungarian government has wrong-footed MEPs in the Greens/EFA, ALDE, S&D and GUE/NGL groups at the European Parliament, who were planning to vote through a resolution on Thursday 17 February on the new Hungarian media law but had to postpone the vote because the Hungarian government announced amendments to the law on Wednesday 16 February (see EUROPE 10317). In the resolution, the four political groups were planning to criticise the controversial areas of the new law and call for its suspension if it is found to violate EU law. On Wednesday 16 February, EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that she had struck an agreement with Hungary on four controversial aspects on the EU broadcasting directive, the freedom of establishment principles and the freedom of expression section of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The amendments and Kroes' news were warmly welcomed by the European Commission (which suggested on Wednesday evening that the MEPs set up an expert group on media pluralism) as the four groups were putting the finishing touches to the resolution, they explained at the Conference of Presidents on Thursday morning.
The main problem for the S&D is the lack of time to examine the amendments and therefore the danger of a resolution that did not match the media law. There was also the danger that the resolution therefore would have been rejected explained a Green/EFA MEP. The four groups decided to examine the Hungarian government's planned amendments in more detail and hold back on the resolution. The Conference of Presidents is expected to announce on 3 March whether the resolution will be re-instated at the plenary.
The groups say that this postponement of the resolution does not amount to its withdrawal. In a press release, Martin Schulz, leader of the S&D group said that even if changes seem to be taking place, the original problems have not been corrected, like the membership of the Hungarian media council. He said that pressure from the EP and the Commission was, however, bearing its first fruit.
Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the ALDE, said the fact that the Hungarian government recognises the need to make some changes to its media law is a positive development but ALDE would not be letting down its guard and reserved the right to pass the resolution in the future depending on the outcome of the debate at the Hungarian parliament. ALDE says other issues need to be settled, like protecting journalists' sources.
Meanwhile, the EPP said on Thursday that it was pleased with the postponement of the resolution, pointing out that it did not oppose a resolution but wanted it to be tabled later on. The EPP had in fact prepared its own resolution for 17 February, noting Budapest's promise to change the law and criticising what it called the premature and unjustified attacks on the Hungarian government and manipulative, politically biased and often misplaced comments aimed at weakening the Hungarian Presidency. (S.P./transl.fl)