The new law, in force as of today, May 7. The established norms are

The European Commission announces that the law on media freedom has entered into force

The European Commission announced on Tuesday the entry into force of the European law on media freedom, marking a historic moment in the European Union’s efforts to protect the independence and pluralism of the media. This new legislation, proposed in September 2022, aims to provide safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions and against surveillance of journalists.

The new rules will apply in full starting from August 8, 2025.

The main aspects of this law include guaranteeing easier operation of the media in the domestic and online market, ensuring the independence and stable financing of public media services, and transparency regarding the ownership and expenditure of state advertising.

Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values ​​and Transparency at the European Commission, emphasized the importance of this law, stating that “for the first time, the EU has a legislative act that protects media freedom”. She asked member states to implement the new rules as soon as possible to ensure the protection of journalists.

“The EU is aware that journalists have an essential role for democracy and that they must be protected. I ask the member states to implement the new rules as soon as possible”, said Věra Jourová.

Common measures are established at the level of the European Union

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton added that media companies face threats to media freedom and pluralism, as well as different national rules.

The European Media Freedom Act establishes common EU-wide guarantees to ensure a plurality of voices and allow media companies to operate in the European single market without any interference, Breton said.

The regulation, which was proposed by the European Commission in September 2022, became applicable after 6 months and includes several measures to protect the right to media plurality. Infographics and further information on the timetable for the application of the regulation are available online, and the European Commission has underlined its commitment to support media freedom and pluralism, as well as the safety of journalists.