Source: European Parliament
The Commission is aware of the developments the Honourable Member refers to in the question. Royal Decree-Law 5/2024 was approved by the Spanish Government on 22 October 2024 and validated by the Spanish Congress on 30 October 2024.
The Commission attaches great importance to the principles of media freedom and pluralism, which are fundamental pillars of democratic societies.
The European Media Freedom Act[1], which entered into force on 7 May 2024 and will apply from 8 August 2025, aims to ensure editorial independence of public service media providers, in accordance with their public service remit as defined at national level in line with Protocol No 29 on the system of public broadcasting in the Member States, attached to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union[2].
Protocol No 29 recognises the Member States’ freedom to define, organise and finance public service broadcasting. Nevertheless, all Member States have agreed to a set of European standards and guiding principles relating to independence, the regulatory and policy framework, funding, appointments, accountability, management, transparency, and openness in this domain[3].
The Commission will continue to monitor developments concerning the public service broadcasters, both at national and regional levels, taking into account the provisions in the European Media Freedom Act.
- [1] Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act) (OJ L, 2024/1083, 17.04.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1083/oj).
- [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2012/pro_29/oj
- [3] Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2012)1 on public service media governance.