Press releases
Ahead of the European Parliament Plenary vote on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), EMMA and ENPA joined other media and journalists’ and media workers’ organisations in a call to maintain Article 17 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) in Plenary.
Article 17 describes the procedure Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) have to follow when they decide to restrict legal content published by media outlets that comply with a specific set of requirements. It is in no way a “free pass”, rather a safeguard that complements the DSA obligations with a view to uphold media freedom and pluralism online. While VLOPs remain able to remove or restrict access to legal editorial content on the basis of their terms and conditions, the procedural safeguard laid down in Article 17 of the CULT report at least affords media service providers, including journalists, basic guarantees that constitute an indispensable minimum standard of protection from arbitrary interference with editorial content. The European Parliament must not settle for any less, neither in plenary nor in trilogue.
Ilias Konteas, Executive Director of EMMA - ENPA said: “We trust that this letter will help clarify our perspective and counter misunderstandings and unfounded narratives about Article 17. Our common message clearly stresses that it is a minimum protection for media that are already regulated.”
The European Magazine Media Association, is the unique and complete representation of Europe’s magazine media, which is today enjoyed by millions of consumers on various platforms, encompassing both paper and digital formats.
The European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) is the largest representative body of newspaper publishers across Europe. ENPA advocates for 14 national associations across 14 European countries, and is a principal interlocutor to the EU institutions and a key driver of media policy debates in the European Union.
