Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-09-07-Speech-2-546"
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"en.20100907.33.2-546"2
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"Madam President, thank you, Commissioner, for your introduction. I know your personal commitment to freedom and democracy, so I am sure that our press freedom is in good hands with you.
However, you say that the European Commission has no general powers to protect freedom of the press, but I would say that that is a rather narrow interpretation of your powers, because first of all, protecting democracy and freedom and civil liberties is enshrined in the treaties, and you are the custodian of the treaties.
Secondly, if we as a European Union demand from candidate Member States that they meet certain standards, then we may assume that the Commission will protect those standards within the European Union as well.
Another element is that media ownership is increasingly a cross-border issue, and we could even imagine that there are non-EU companies who own European media. Would you still say that if, for example, Russian or Chinese owners interfere with European media, it is not our business? I do not think so.
The second issue at stake here is whether we should name and shame, whether we should single out individual Member States. Yes, I think we should. It may be unpleasant, and I would certainly not like my Member State to be criticised, but if we are no longer capable of self-criticism, then how can we protect fundamental rights? I would like to remind Mr Busuttil, my esteemed colleague, that this Parliament, in a previous mandate, adopted a resolution on the Berlusconi Government and freedom of the media that went way beyond the one that was rejected last year. So we do have a precedent.
This House has repeatedly called for legislation – specific legislation – to give the European Commission the tools to intervene and protect freedom throughout the European Union."@en1
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