The European Parliament adopted the Media Freedom Act on Wednesday, which aims to improve transparency in the sector and guarantee the freedom of journalists in their work.

We must not turn a blind eye to the fact that media freedom is under threat everywhere in the world, including in Europe,” said German MEP Sabine Verheyen of the Christian Democratic Union, the rapporteur for the report, which was adopted on Wednesday with 464 votes in favour and 92 against.

Verheyen emphasised that free media is the cornerstone of any democracy and cited threats against the media in Hungary and the murder of a journalist in Malta as negative incidents in Europe. This is the first European measure of its kind that is binding for all member states.

This is not a law against disinformation. This is an act for the freedom of the media, not for its control, she said.

The adopted report calls for transparency in the ownership of media organisations, setting minimum standards for the work of journalists and editors and guaranteeing their independence from the authorities.

In addition, the legislation is intended to counteract espionage against journalists, unless it is justified by legal offences. It also aims to combat pressure on the public media and promote the fair and transparent allocation of state advertising funds.

In addition, the act provides for protective measures for journalistic sources and communications and also addresses the problem of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP), which hinder journalistic activities in several member states, particularly in Croatia.

Among the most important provisions of the act is the prohibition for large online platforms to arbitrarily censor or remove media content they deem objectionable. In addition, the disclosure of hidden subsidies for media companies with close ties to government authorities is required, according to the German MEP.