RSF and 25 organisations call on the President of the European Commission to provide stronger guarantees for press freedom
In the wake of Ursula von der Leyen's reappointment as President of the European Commission, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 25 organisations call on the leader to make media freedom, the protection of journalists and EU citizens’ access to public interest journalism major political priorities during her next term of office.
After being re-elected President of the European Commission for a new five-year term by the European Parliament on Thursday 18 July (401 for, 284 against, 15 abstentions), Ursula von der Leyen will now assemble her College of Commissioners.
In a joint letter, RSF and 25 organisations urge von der Leyen to “ensure that media freedom, the protection of journalists, and EU citizens’ access to public interest journalism remain high political priorities over the coming term of the Commission.” The first step would be appointing a vice-president who will take these concerns to heart.
“A new European ambition is now essential in order to continue the work carried out over the past five years by Vice-President Jourova in favour of press freedom and the right to information. President von der Leyen must choose a successor who can rise to the challenge and make press freedom a priority, as called for by the Heads of State and Government in their Strategic Agenda adopted at the European Council at the end of June and as she pledged to in her address to the European Parliament yesterday.
RSF and the 25 organisations that signed the joint letter call for the Vice-President to be given a sufficiently robust and far-ranging mandate to:
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pursue a policy in favour of media freedom and pluralism by strengthening the resources of the Directorate-General for Communication Networks, Content and Technologies (DG Connect);
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make European media law a reality;
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advance the safety of journalists;
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strengthen the plurality of media and ensure media sustainability online and offline;
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strengthen the EU’s action on the rule of law.
Read the joint letter.
RSF also supports the EU’s efforts to strengthen the right to reliable information on social networking platforms, search engines and generative AI bots, and in the fight against malicious foreign interference. The organisation calls for a European New Deal for the right to information based on 12 key recommendations.
