The main goals of the law are to provide strong protection for the press and journalists, to make media ownership more transparent, to limit the use of spy programs by states against journalists, to increase the transparency of state advertising, and to strengthen the independence of public media.
Under the new law, as Euronews notes, EU governments can only use spy programs against journalists as a last resort if national security is threatened. Hungary and Poland have previously allegedly used Pegasus spy programs against journalists. The laws will be enforced by a new EU body called the European Media Services Council.
The new rules also strengthen protections for journalists and their sources. Social media platforms must also refrain from arbitrarily removing or restricting independent media content under the new regime. The law was drafted by the European Commission and supported by an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament in a plenary vote in 2024.
“The entry into force of EMFA is a milestone for press freedom in the EU. But its true value will be measured by actions, not words. Now the real work begins: ensuring that every EU Member State fully and faithfully implements the law. Media freedom is non-negotiable – it is the foundation of our democracy,” Euronews quoted Sabine Wehejen, a German EPP MEP who is chairing a parliamentary working group to study the implementation of the law, as saying.
The European Commission proposed the law amid a decline in media freedom in many EU member states. Recent EU reports on the rule of law have highlighted ongoing concerns about media freedom and pluralism in the EU, noting a worrying decline in media freedom and safety of journalists in some member states.
