Mathieu Branders, spokesperson of the Belgian National Security Authority, said that he had taken note of concerns voiced by journalists, but also by the Commission, and intended to take these on board in possible future adjustments, the news agency Reuters reports in an article dated 1 August.
“The implementation of the new measures will be evaluated and may, if necessary, be adjusted in the future”, he told the British news agency, in an attempt to assuage the growing concerns among the 1,000-strong body of journalists working in Brussels and following European policy.
There has been considerable dissatisfaction expressed by journalists, but also by European Commission sources, following the Council's announcement of the introduction of a charge of €50 for a period of six months for security controls at European summits (see EUROPE 12075).
This new charge, which is likely to hit freelance journalists and small media hard, particularly those of low-income states, was brought in following a revision of the Belgian law on security classification and authorisations of 1998, the new provisions of which entered into force on 1 June.
The International Press Association (API-IPA) calls for the measures to be scrapped as they create many forms of discrimination. For its part, the European Federation of Journalists has called for an exemption for journalists. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)