OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media concludes visit to EU institutions
On 28 and 29 March 2022, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro visited the institutions of the European Union in Brussels.
The Representative had a hearing before the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament (DROI). She also met with the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), with its Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, and with the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Michael Šimečka.
Additionally, Ribeiro met with European Commission Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Competition and Digital Agenda Margrethe Vestager, with Vice-President and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová, and with Commissioner for Equality Helen Dalli.
Ribeiro also met with the Permanent Representative of France, currently holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union, and with the Chair of the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA). She also met with several representatives of media freedom and digital rights organizations.
Ribeiro discussed current challenges to media freedom in the context of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, and the overall situation related to media freedom and media pluralism across EU Member States. In addition, Ribeiro and her EU interlocutors discussed upcoming and currently negotiated EU legislation, including the Digital Services Act, the AI Act, the Anti-SLAPP directive and the Media Freedom Act. They discussed strengthening co-operation and synergies to promote independent and pluralistic media, to ensure the safety of journalists, on the rule of law, on independence of media regulators, and on the support to journalists working in Ukraine, under the extreme and challenging conditions during the ongoing war, and those fleeing the Russian Federation.
The Director of the Office of the OSCE Representatives on Freedom of the Media and other team members also met with the European Data Protection Supervisor and Directors General and Heads of Units at the European Commission, discussing issues including fundamental rights in the digital context, strategic litigations against public participation, the prevention of radicalization, and media and information literacy. They also met with the Managing Director for Human Rights, Global and Multilateral Issues and Head of Unit for the OSCE at the European External Actions Service, and with the Vice-Chair of EPRA, the European Platform of Regulator Authorities.
It was agreed that the RFoM will meet virtually with additional Commissioners (for the Internal Market, Neighborhood and Enlargement, Justice, and International Partnerships) and the EU Special Representative on Human Rights.