Strasbourg, 22 January 2025
The European Parliament’s Working Group on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which held its constitutive meeting today, will scrutinise the implementation and enforcement of the EMFA in the coming years. The working group is chaired by Sabine Verheyen (PPE, DE), who was the main negotiator for the European Parliament in the previous term for the legislative negotiations with EU governments.
After the meeting, Ms Verheyen said: “The importance of media plurality for a functioning democracy cannot be overstated. But press freedom is under threat worldwide, including in Europe. The murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta, the erosion of press freedom in Hungary, and numerous other examples underscore this alarming reality.
The EMFA is our clear response to these challenges. It represents a milestone in European legislation, recognising and protecting the dual role of media: as businesses and as guardians of democracy.
The new rules will take full effect on 8 August 2025. A dedicated working group will closely monitor the implementation of the EMFA to ensure it is timely, efficient, and coherent. Key actions include establishing the new European Board for Media Services and its secretariat by February 2025, as well as conducting regulatory fitness checks in all member states to guarantee implementation is on track for August 2025.”
Composition of the group
The Working Group on the European Media Freedom Act is made up of one member per political group sitting in the Committee on Culture and Education. In addition, one member from the LIBE and IMCO committees were invited to join the Working Group.
The working group is composed by the following MEPs:
- Sabine Verheyen (EPP, DE)
- Sandro Ruotolo (S&D, IT)
- Catherine Griset (PfE, FR)
- Lara Magoni (ECR, IT)
- Hristo Petrov (Renew, BG)
- Diana Riba I Giner (Greens/EFA, ES)
- Mario Furore (The Left, IT)
Established by political group’ coordinators of the Committee on Culture and Education on 3 December 2024, the working group will organise debates with stakeholders and representatives of EU institutions, among others. Meetings will be held “in camera”, unless decided otherwise, and the chair will regularly report to the committee on the group’s activities.
Background
Council and Parliament reached a political agreement on 15 December 2023 on the European Media Freedom Act, published in the EU Official Journal on 17 April 2024.