Source: European Parliament
18.10.2024
Question for written answer E-002172/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE), Julie Rechagneux (PfE), Mélanie Disdier (PfE), Virginie Joron (PfE), Pascale Piera (PfE), Aleksandar Nikolic (PfE), Julien Sanchez (PfE), Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE), Marie Dauchy (PfE), Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal (PfE), Julien Leonardelli (PfE), Nikola Bartůšek (PfE), António Tânger Corrêa (PfE), Margarita de la Pisa Carrión (PfE), Pierre Pimpie (PfE), Hermann Tertsch (PfE), Valérie Deloge (PfE), Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE), Jorge Buxadé Villalba (PfE), Fabrice Leggeri (PfE), Mireia Borrás Pabón (PfE)
The Socialist Spanish Government intends to set up a media register as part of a democracy action plan to combat disinformation. Oversight of the register will fall to the National Markets and Competition Commission, led by Cani Fernandez, former adviser to prime minister Pedro Sánchez. The measure has raised concerns about the government indirectly exercising control over critical media.
The plan comes about at a time when the prime minister’s wife is under investigation for influence peddling and corruption. During the investigation, Mr Sánchez refused to testify before the courts and labelled news outlets covering the story as ‘far-right’ media.
The action plan raises a number of questions, particularly with regard to Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which guarantees freedom of the press.
- 1.Is the Commission aware of the measures taken by the Spanish Government, which have the potential to undermine press freedom?
- 2.Has the Commission looked into the compatibility of these measures with Spain’s freedom of expression and freedom of the press obligations under EU law?
- 3.What steps does the Commission intend to take to ensure that the fundamental principles of freedom of the press are upheld in Spain?
Submitted: 18.10.2024