On Wednesday 20 October, the European Parliament adopted by 577 votes to 47 with 76 abstentions, a resolution calling on the EU to help the media transform to adapt to future digital developments.
Overall, in their resolution the MEPs welcomed the actions dedicated to the media and audiovisual sector that the European Commission promised to implement in this respect last December (see EUROPE 12615/2).
However, they put forward some additional suggestions and insisted on the need to put in place tools and support actions that take into account the “low audiovisual production capacity of some Member States”.
Among the demands made in the resolution is a repeated call for the creation of a permanent European fund for the news media. The fund would, MEPs say, “empower independent news coverage, safeguard the independence of European journalists and journalism, and guarantee the freedom of the press”.
MEPs are also concerned about the risks posed by global online platforms - which dominate the data and advertising markets - and stress the need for a level playing field.
“Audiences are increasingly shifting to digital platforms, and the income from these is disproportionally flowing to the global players. Last year, the European media sector experienced a significant drop in advertising income, which is a crucial source of revenue for media organisations”, said MEP Dace Melbārde (ECR, Latvia), adding that the Covid-19 pandemic had further weakened the media ecosystem.
To consult the resolution: https://bit.ly/3C3KmdG (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)