Italian Member of the European Parliament Silvia Costa has urged her colleagues to adopt a Resolution on the recent reform of the media law announced by the Polish government.

As Chair of the European Parliament Culture and Education Committee (CULT), Silvia Costa wants to initiate an investigation on the effective violation of media pluralism in Poland. She believes the situation in Poland for freedom of the press is ‘very serious’ and may warrant an intervention by the European Commission on the grounds of Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Values.

"The abolition of the procedure delegating to the Media independent authority the power to appoint top managers of Polish public TV and radio is a very serious fact”, she says.

The new Polish media law and the potential threat for European fundamental freedoms will be addressed during next week’s plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

A translation of MEP Silvia Costa’s press release is available here below. The original Italian version is available on Silvia Costa’s website. 

COSTA (PD): IN POLAND, FREEDOM OF PRESS IS IN DANGER. TOP MANAGERS OF PUBLIC TV AND RADIO SACKED. URGES AN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

(Brussels, 11 January 2016). “What is happening in Poland with regards to the freedom of press is very serious. Media freedom and pluralism are among founding values of the European Union and a common heritage for all Member States, to be preserved and defended. Art. 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Values of the European Union clearly states that every single person has freedom of expression. European Commission must intervene in all cases where such a freedom is not granted anymore”- MEP Silvia Costa said opening the CULT Committee meeting, moving from the adoption of two new articles of the media law promoted in Poland by the right-wing government led by Right and justice (Pis) party which, in fact, gives president Andrzej Duda the control over almost the entirety of public information. "The abolition of the procedure delegating to the Media independent authority the power to appoint top managers of Polish public TV and radio is a very serious fact - MEP Costa said.  Even though the governance of the public audiovisual services system is among Member States' competencies, it would nonetheless be important from the European Parliament to adopt a resolution on this matter. The issue is going to be addressed during next week's plenary session in Strasbourg, as the CULT Committee will be in the front line asking an investigation on the effective violation of media pluralism in Poland, in view of the overall reform of the media law announced by the Polish government”.