Document: EU countries mull media-friendly reboot to protect democracy
POLITICO - Tuesday, July 8, 2025BRUSSELS — The EU should ensure fairer competition between news media and digital platforms as it considers a set of wide-ranging initiatives to protect democracy, EU countries propose in a draft document obtained by POLITICO.
As part of the European Commission’s Democracy Shield, EU capitals should support an independent, pluralistic media landscape — with a strong emphasis on countering disinformation and Big Tech dominance, the draft says.
These platforms act as “gatekeepers” and play a central role in distributing news content, without being directly involved in its production.
The draft conclusions, written by the Danish presidency of the Council of the EU in consultation with other countries and the Commission, will be discussed at a July 11 meeting of the Council’s Audiovisual Working Party.
The draft calls for a review of editorial responsibility and accountability, particularly for new media-like actors such as AI systems; fairer competition between news media and digital platforms; a possible exemption for media from certain regulations; and to ensure that media policy is part of broader geopolitical, digital, and security strategies.
The Democracy Shield, a proposal for which is expected in the autumn, is a Commission initiative to strengthen democracy in the EU, including by fighting disinformation.
EU countries previously backed stronger EU rules on prominence measures to promote a pluralistic media landscape, among other things, as the bloc revises its Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
“Access to reliable news is a fundamental prerequisite for our democracies to function,” the document reads. “News media therefore play an important democratic role in safeguarding the information sphere, ensuring access to reliable news and upholding vibrant and resilient democracies.”