Brussels, 18/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The amendments announced by Hungary (to the European Commission) to change its new media law do not go far enough, explained the International Press Association (IPA) in a press release on 17 February, calling for the law to be withdrawn. The IPA says that matters still not settled include the fact that the Hungarian Media Authority is not an independent body and has no protection from political or any other type of influence, the fact that media have to be officially registered before they can operate in Hungary, and the measures introducing fines for encouraging hatred are unclear for media operating in the country. The IPA highlights the lack of guarantees to protect journalists' sources and the way Hungarian media can be fined for very vague reasons, leading to self-censorship. In addition, the law does not ensure any media plurality or freedom of expression, as stipulated in Article 11 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. (S.P./transl.fl)