Source: European Parliament
The Audiovisual Media Services Directive[1] obliges Member States to ensure that audiovisual media services do not incite to violence or hatred directed against a group of persons or a member of a group based on any of the grounds referred to in Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union[2].
In its role as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission monitors the correct implementation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive by Member States and, when needed, may decide to take appropriate action.
It is national authorities’ primary responsibility to assess the compliance of media programmes with the relevant legal requirements. The investigation and prosecution of individual cases of alleged hate speech remains a competence of national authorities.