01/07/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 29 June, eight European associations representing TV, radio and private media called for the withdrawal of the Hungarian bill stigmatising LGBTIQ people, which has caused a wave of outrage in recent weeks (see EUROPE 12748/1). This project, they point out, “seeks to ban or limit exposure to LGBTIQ communities and issues in programming and advertising content”. Being “openly discriminatory”, the text would, in their view, derogate from the principle of proportionality of measures to protect minors - a principle enshrined in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. It would also restrict freedom of reception - the freedom to refuse or accept advertising messages - and retransmission. “Beyond the ethical and value based issues at hand”, it could therefore set “a very negative legal precedent”, the associations fear. (AC)