On Thursday 30 April - in the run-up to World Press Freedom Day on 3 May - the European Commission reaffirmed its commitment to protecting media pluralism in the EU. At a time when the European press is coming under increasing pressure (see EUROPE 13859/10), it firmly defends the ability of journalists to carry out their work “without fear or interference”.
With this in mind, the EU is building on the entry into force in August 2025 of the European Regulation on Freedom of the Media, which introduces guarantees to protect journalistic sources.
The Commission’s Executive Vice-President, Henna Virkkunen, pointed out that “independent journalism is the backbone of our societies”. The media must therefore remain “free from political interference and legal intimidation”, added the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law, Michael McGrath.
The Commission is counting on the new ‘European Shield for Democracy’ and the future AgoraEU programme with the €3.2 billion ‘MEDIA+’ strand, which will boost resources for the audiovisual and news press sectors. It also plans to update its recommendations on the safety of reporters and to step up the fight against strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)