Activities of Rui TAVARES related to 2011/2246(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the EU Charter: standard settings for media freedom across the EU PDF (238 KB) DOC (149 KB)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the EU Charter: standard settings for Media Freedom across the EU
Amendments (46)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that free and independent media are one of the foundations of democracy and the rule of law; notes the role of free media and the free exchange of information in the democratic transformations taking place in non- democratic regimes; calls on the Commission to support iandependent media whose activities are restricted by authoritarian regimes ensure the existence of independent media;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Underlines that the primary concern of media businesses may be financial profit, media remains an ideological and political tool of considerable influence, which should not be treated solely on economic terms;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Notes that an increasing proportion of journalists find themselves employed under precarious conditions, lacking social guarantees common on the normal job market;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8
Citation 8
– having regard to the work carried out by OSCE on media freedom, and in particular by its Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the related reports, and the speech delivered through video in the hearing of the Civil Liberties Committee on media freedom on 6 November 2012,
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Stresses that commercial publications are increasingly using user-generated content, especially audiovisual content for a nominal fee, raising questions of unfair competition among media professionals;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to the independent study "The indicators for media pluralism in the Member States - Towards a risk-based approach" requested by the Commission in 2007 and issued in 2009, drafted by K.U.Leuven – ICRI, Jönköping International Business School - MMTC, Central European University - CMCS and Ernst & Young Consultancy Belgium,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to the ongoing citizens' initiative 'European Initiative for Media Pluralism'1, __________________ 1 www.mediainitiative.eu
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
– having regard to the report of the EP Committee on Culture and Education on the "Public service broadcasting in the digital era: the future of the dual system" (2010/2028(INI)),
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 b (new)
Citation 12 b (new)
– having regard to the report of the European Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education on concentration and pluralism in the media in the European Union (2007/2253(INI)),
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas freedom of the media is a cornerstone of the values enshrined in the Treaties, such as democracy, pluralism, and respect for the rights of minorities and whereas the history thereof, under the name of "freedom of the press", has been constitutive of the progress of democratic ideas and of the development of the European ideal in history;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas freedom of expression in the public sphere has been shown to be formative of democracy and the rule of law itself, and coaxial to its existence and survival;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas media freedom, pluralism and the independence of journalism are essential elements to the very exercise of the media service throughout the entire Union, and particularly in the single market; thus any restrictions to media freedom, pluralism and the independence of journalism are restrictions to the freedom of opinion and also to economic freedom;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas information by its own nature, and in particular in view of the technological changes of the last decades, goes beyond geographical boundaries and performs a crucial role in informing national communities living abroad, and provides tools that allow for the mutual knowledge and understanding across borders and state; whereas including online, but not limited to it, media have acquired a global character on which the expectations and needs of the public and in particular consumers of information, are now dependant;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recalls that the European Court of Human Rights has derived a positive obligation for Member States to ensure media pluralism from Article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which includes similar provisions to those contained in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Recalls the importance of enabling the implementation of an already existing Media Pluralism Monitoring Tool for assessing media freedom across the EU on the basis of the framework already developed and described in an independent study on "Indicators for Media Pluralism in the Member States – Towards a Risk-Based Approach" ordered by the EC in 2007;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas an European-wide public sphere based upon continuous and uninterrupted respect for media freedom and pluralism is a crucial element for the integration process of the Union in accordance with the values enshrined in the Treaties, the accountability of European Institutions and development of European democracy, for example in what regards the elections for the European Parliament;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2 c. Recalls the European Parliament's Resolution of 25 November 2010 on "public service broadcasting in the digital era: the future of the dual system", which stresses the important societal role of public service media;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes the dynamic changes in the media world that are redefining the arena of information exchange; draws attention to the fact that the development of the Internet is opening possibilities for unrestricted, individual expression by citizens of EU Member States and other countries and that the mere existence of online media does not ensure per se freedom of speech;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas on 16 January 2007 the Commission launched a ‘three-step approach’, comprising a Commission Staff Working Paper on Media Pluralism, an independent study on media pluralism in EU Member States, with indicators for assessing media pluralism in the EU Member States (in 2007), and a Commission Communication on the indicators for media pluralism in the EU Member States (in 2008), followed by a public consultation12 ; whereas the media pluralism tool developed in the independent study was not yet implemented;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes that in a multi-media society, where the number of purely commercially-driven global market players has increased in recent years, a strong public service media is essential to guarantee a pluralistic media landscape, as long as it can keep its necessary distance from governmental influence;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Stresses that there is a strong need to support a new business model for journalism that would ensure the distinction of infotainment from true information;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas concerns arise in relation to the challenges facing public service broadcasters in terms of editorial independence, staff recruitment, self censorship, pluralism, neutrality and quality of information, access and funding, caused by undue political and financial interference, as well as the economic crisis;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Recalls that the current financial crisis puts media pluralism on risk and has originated problems of freedom of speech and censorship that affected the public media in several Member States;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. whereas the European public has, throughout numerous inquests, opinion studies and public initiatives, voiced its concerns about a deterioration of the state of media freedom and pluralism, and repeatedly demanded EU action for the preservation of media freedom and development of a strong, independent and plural mediascape;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)
Recital M b (new)
Mb. whereas petitions have been sent to the European Parliament regarding the same concerns and demands by citizens, thereby showing a request for action on the part of the European institutions, and namely the Parliament;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M c (new)
Recital M c (new)
Mc. whereas the technological changes brought by the internet, personal computing, and more recently mobile computing have profoundly changed the informational infrastructure in ways that have had consequences on the business model of more traditional media, in particular its reliance on the advertisement market, thereby imperilling the survival of media titles that perform an important civic and democratic role; whereas it is therefore the obligation of public authorities, at the Member State as well as the Union level, to create a toolbox available during this transition period that will help guarantee the survival of the values and tasks performed by independent media, regardless of the technological platform they will assume now or in the future; in this respect calls on the Commission to conduct a study on the effects of technological changes on the media business model and its consequences for media freedom and pluralism;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M d (new)
Recital M d (new)
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M e (new)
Recital M e (new)
Me. whereas technological change, a diverse population of independent journalistic professional, and the acquisition of the plural competences needed to gather and produce quality today also create opportunities for the creation of new crossplatform and transnational journalistic ventures that can be supported through both public and market-based policies;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the devising of legally binding EU minimum standards for procedures and mechanisms for the selection and appointment of media heads, management boards, media councils and regulatory bodies that are transparent, based on merit and indisputable experience and that ensure professionalism, integrity, independence, and, as far as the management of public service broadcasting is concerned, consensus across the political and social spectrum and continuity, instead of political or partisan criteria in the framework of a spoil system linked to the results of elections or the will of those in power;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that media pluralism is a pillar of media freedom, in terms of ensuring that media are diversified, ensure access to different social and political actors, opinions and viewpoints (including NGOs, citizens' associations, minorities, etc), and offer a wide range of views; stresses the importance of exercising the right to freedom of speech without discrimination of any kind and on the basis of equality and equal treatment;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that media pluralism is aand journalistic and editorial independence are pillars of media freedom, in terms of ensuring that media are diversified, ensure access to different social and political actors, opinions and viewpoints (including NGOs, citizens' associations, minorities, etc), and offer a wide range of views;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that media ownership and management should be transparent and not concentrated; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure competition so as to address and prevent dominant positions and guarantee the access of new entrants on the market; calls for rules to ensure that conflicts of interest are properly addressed and resolved; highlights that advertising and sponsoring may cause interference with the editorial line of media and, in particular, to ensure that the beneficiary owners of media conglomerates are always public and to avoid conflict of interests; highlights that advertising and sponsoring may cause interference with the editorial line of media, and thus calls for legislation and good practices that ensure the autonomy of the editorial sections of media titles from unduly pressure from the advertisement, administrative sections, or unduly pressure from the ownership in editorial and journalistic matters;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that media ownership and management should be transparent and not concentrated; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure competition so as to address and prevent dominant positions and guarantee the access of new entrants on the market; calls for rules to ensure that conflicts of interest are properly addressed and resolved, such as those resulting from the amalgamation of political office and control over media outlets; highlights that advertising and sponsoring may cause interference with the editorial line of media;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines the importance of ensuring the independence of journalists, both from internal pressures from editopublishers or owners and externally from political or economic lobbies or other interest groups; highlights the fact that the right of access to documents and information is fundamental and calls for the full protection of the confidentiality of sources principle and for the strict application of the European Court of Human Rights case- law in this area, including in relation to whistle-blowing; calls for journalists to be protected from threats and violence, as investigative journalists are often threatened as a result of their activities; highlights the need to support and promote investigative journalism and to promote ethical journalism in the media by developing professional standards and appropriate redress procedures;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines the importance of ensuring the independence of journalists, both from internal pressures from editors or owners and externally from political or economic lobbies or other interest groups; regrets that political pressure is exercised against the media in many EU Member States, raising concerns amongst European and international organisations, academic and civil society; emphasises the importance to engage in dialogue with authorities in order to prevent the adoption of legislation that endangers media freedom and independence and seeks to curb critical to the majority voices; highlights the fact that the right of access to documents and information is fundamental and calls for the full protection of the confidentiality of sources principle and for the strict application of the European Court of Human Rights case-law in this area, including in relation to whistle-blowing; calls for journalists to be protected from threats and violence, as investigative journalists are often threatened as a result of their activities; regrets the violence against journalists manifested in some Member States such as Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Italy, Greece, Spain; underlines the importance of preventing violence against and harassment of journalists while covering demonstrations and public events, as was witnessed in countries such as Greece, Portugal, Romania, Spain, while stressing the need for law enforcement to respect the role played by the media and ensure they can report freely and safely; highlights the need to support and promote investigative journalism and to promote ethical journalism in the media by developing professional standards and appropriate redress procedures;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Regrets the reluctance of EU Member States to de-criminalise defamation, as shown by the fact that amongst the EU27 only 5 member states have de-criminalised defamation;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Underlines the importance of ensuring freedom of expression and information on the internet, notably through guaranteeing net neutrality;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on the Commission to follow-up on the report of the High Level Group on Media Freedom, in particular through the drafting of a proposal for a set of EU Guidelines on Media Freedom and Pluralism;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Commission to ensure compliance with the recommendations by the European Parliament, Commission and the Council of Europe on the preservation of the dual system of public and private TV and radio stations, namely by ensuring that "public broadcasting services have the resources and instruments necessary to guarantee an effective independence regarding political pressure and market forces";
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls on the Commission to gather information on legislation and good practices for the definition of public service standards, both in public and private channels;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Calls on the Commission to initiate procedures for the establishment of a directive on minimum standards for the respect of media freedom and pluralism in the EU;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10d. Calls on the Commission to implement the Media Pluralism Monitoring Tool (MPM) for assessing media freedom across the EU already developed in the independent study "The indicators for media pluralism in the Member States - Towards a risk-based approach" asked by the Commission in 2007 and issued in 2009;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the Commission to enforce competition law on the media market, specifically by taking into account pluralism, independence and media freedom as essential conditions to the service provision and fair competition in this market;