07/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The "Articolo 21-Liberali di" association has asked the EU to open infringement proceedings against the Berlusconi government under the Maastricht Treaty, for violation of the right to information. In its appeal to Mr Simitis, Mr Prodi and Mr Cox, the association, which is chaired by journalist Federico Orlando, cites the European Parliament's resolution of 15 January, stating that large-scale control of the media and the advertising market by one individual could constitute a serious violation of the rights guaranteed under Article 7 of the Treaty (see EUROPE of 17 January, p.6, on the report by Dutch socialist Joke Swiebel) on human rights in the EU. The association claims that, since 15 January, the situation has worsened, citing in particular: discrimination against RAI managers because they have spoken out against the government, repression (using disciplinary measures) of satirical programmes on members of the government, the fact that the RAI TV news magazine was forced to broadcast a pre-recorded tape of Silvio Berlusconi on his legal problems, the fact that Managing Director of RAI forbade the live transmission of a report on the peace demonstrations of 15 February. The document is signed by Federico Orlando, the lawyer Domenico D'Amati and MEPs Guiseppe Giulietti and Tommaso Fulfaro.