Several new reports on Hungary´s controversial new media laws have been published:
From Neelie Kroes´ blog:
Over recent weeks serious questions have been asked by the European Commission about 30 new laws in Hungary, including a major constitutional revision, and these concerns continue. These laws have passed against the backdrop of a media law adopted in late 2010, which was found by the European Commission to put fundamental rights at risk, and by the Hungarian courts to breach the Hungarian constitution.
The European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights clearly states that “the freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected,” and the EU has always stood up for media freedom and pluralism. Both the European Commission and I have defended press freedom and fundamental rights from the outset of the intense debate in Hungary over a year ago.
In parallel we have continued to push for the expansion of the internet and the opportunities it provides, including as a vehicle for new media and free expression. That is significant, because however worrying the general media environment may be in Hungary, the opportunities of Hungarians to express themselves and access the opinions of others has grown immeasurably because 98% of Hungarians now have access to broadband internet.
In 2011 the European Commission used the full extent of its legal powers to improve the Hungarian Media Law. The original version of that law could have breached fundamental rights and EU laws in four areas. Without hesitation I pushed for change and achieved those changes. These four issues comprise disproportionate application of rules on balanced information, application of fines to broadcasters legally established and authorised in other Member States, rules on registration and authorisation of media service providers and rules against offending individuals, minorities or majorities.
Read more of Neelie Kroes´ blog post on this subject here.
Tens of thousands gathered yesterday in the Hungarian capital Budapest, according to reports, to protest against changes to the country’s constitution which have been widely criticised as an attack on democracy.
The changes took effect on 1 January and follow a large number of new laws drafted by the ruling Fidesz party over the past year, including changes to media regulation which international organisations have warned are a danger to press freedom.
In a letter to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban sent on 23 December, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton expressed concern over changes to media regulation in the country, specifically over the recent withdrawal of the licence of a radio station known to be critical of the government.
Read more at www.journalism.co.uk
A high-level EU taskforce on media pluralism will examine whether a controversial Hungarian media law restricts press freedom, the European Commission said today.
A spokesman for Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner for the digital agenda, said Hungary’s media law had been put on the agenda of the taskforce’s next meeting on 25 January.
The task force, which was created in October, is chaired by Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, a former president of Latvia. The taskforce is meant to review national media laws and, if necessary, recommend how they can be improved to protect media freedom.
The Commission said Wednesday (4 January) that it had raised fresh concerns over the media law last month following a rulling by Hungary’s constitutional court on 19 December. The court found that the law limited press freedom.