Media Law
Apr 14th 2011, 11:33 am
#31
Veszprém Megye
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Sevenoaks Kent UK and soon near Tapolca Hungary
Posts: 371
Re: Media Law
It seems quite a switch to suggest that the Media Law was introduced to bring Hungarian laws to European standards, when it was European MEPs who, it was reported, shocked by an apparent attempt to Putinize Hungarian media control, have secured changes.
An English translation of the Media Law can be seen at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/46310168/Hungarian-Media-Law
See European comment
Guy Verhofstadt, the President of the Alliance of Liberals & Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament said on 10th December 2010
“The time of Pravda is over. This new law is unacceptable. Hungary must explain and the Commission must act.” said Guy Verhofstadt, Leader of the ADLE Group at the European Parliament commenting on the adoption by the Hungarian Parliament of a "Law on media services and mass communication", on 20 December, that according to him “is against all European Union standards”.
“Hungary is about to start its first EU Presidency. In that function it not only needs to accept and endorse but also defend all democratic principles that we commonly share, including freedom of information and press. No Member State can be allowed to put, in the name of undefined national security, restrictions to freedoms that lie at the heart of our Union of values.”
“We have witnessed a shocking precedent, whereby critical media and public debate will be silenced, the free market economy will be violated and political independence will be denied. What must we expect of Hungary after this?” he concluded.
Others from the Netherlands & Romania in January 2011 said
ALDE Vice-president of the LIBE Committee Sophie in 't Veld (D66, Netherlands) said: "Each time we criticise restrictions on media freedom in individual EU Member States, as we did in the case of Italy, the Czech Republic and Hungary, we see the same reflex. Those countries complain it is unfair that they are being singled out. The debate is then dominated by that, distracting from the core issue: gagging journalists is a violation of European fundamental rights. The EU needs a watchdog on media freedom and the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) would be suitable for this task. The European Parliament should grant a mandate to the FRA to issue an annual report on media freedom in each Member State of the EU on the basis of which the Commission and Parliament could assess the need for action."
ALDE LIBE coordinator Renate Weber (PNL, Romania) said: "The Hungarian media law is highly problematic since it introduces a set of restrictions never found before in a single EU Member State, running against EU legislation and the Council of Europe minimum standards on media freedom, as underlined by the OSCE analysis, whose recommendations should also be applied to the media law to ensure it is compliant with fundamental rights standards. Parliament needs to investigate the whole issue of press freedom in a comprehensive way across the EU and should mandate a committee to draft a report for plenary in this regard."
Following the changes the comment from Europe was as follows:
Changes by Hungarian Parliament to media law must be closely monitored Today's meeting of the European Parliament's group leaders (with exception of EPP) backed a proposal to postpone the vote to the next part session, but not withdraw a resolution, concerning the Hungarian media law in order firstly to take account of the announcement yesterday in Strasbourg by European Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, that Hungary has agreed to modify its controversial media law in line with her four principal criticisms* and secondly to keep the pressure on the Hungarian authorities to implement the necessary modifications. 17/02/2011
Today's meeting of the European Parliament's group leaders (with exception of EPP) backed a proposal to postpone the vote to the next part session, but not withdraw a resolution, concerning the Hungarian media law in order firstly to take account of the announcement yesterday in Strasbourg by European Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, that Hungary has agreed to modify its controversial media law in line with her four principal criticisms* and secondly to keep the pressure on the Hungarian authorities to implement the necessary modifications.
ALDE group leader, Guy Verhofstadt said: "The Hungarian Government's acknowledgement of the need to make some changes to its media law is a welcome development and a result of the pressure for change initiated by the Liberal group in early January following concerns raised by sections of Hungarian civil society and the OSCE. Our action was never politically motivated but driven by the desire to hold all Member States to the Community of values we have set ourselves."
"But we must not let down our guard just yet. Parliament should indeed postpone its vote but not withdraw the text from the table until we have concrete proof that the promised modifications have been carried through in practice. The Commission has a particular duty to monitor this process as well as the implementation of the law. Parliament should also be kept fully informed of the changes."
"Acceptance by the Hungarian authorities of the need to change the law is also a victory, if still to be confirmed in practice, for the primacy of Community law in asserting EU-wide standards of freedom and fundamental rights over national laws of the Member States. But this episode has highlighted the lack of concrete legal instruments for upholding press freedoms in particular."
Renate Weber (PNL, Romania) ALDE coordinator in the Civil Liberties committee and spokesperson on the Hungarian media law drew attention to the outstanding concerns that remain unaddressed by the proposed changes:
"Whilst it is a positive sign that the Hungarian Government have indicated a willingness to modify the four areas of concern outlined by the Commission, Liberals and Democrats remain concerned about other aspects of the Hungarian law which place huge powers of censorship in the hands of governing party appointees and reveal a lack of adequate protection for journalists' sources as well as insufficient provision for judicial review or appeal," she said. "If the Hungarian Government is serious about restoring its credibility in the area of press freedom it should consider a more fundamental overhaul of the law in line with the recommendations of the OSCE."
Of course party politics gets in the way of knowing who is right or wrong. As a guest in someone else's country I would not presume to become involved or comment too much or indeed to try to make a judgement. It is though I think not as simple as some might have us believe.
An English translation of the Media Law can be seen at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/46310168/Hungarian-Media-Law
See European comment
Guy Verhofstadt, the President of the Alliance of Liberals & Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament said on 10th December 2010
“The time of Pravda is over. This new law is unacceptable. Hungary must explain and the Commission must act.” said Guy Verhofstadt, Leader of the ADLE Group at the European Parliament commenting on the adoption by the Hungarian Parliament of a "Law on media services and mass communication", on 20 December, that according to him “is against all European Union standards”.
“Hungary is about to start its first EU Presidency. In that function it not only needs to accept and endorse but also defend all democratic principles that we commonly share, including freedom of information and press. No Member State can be allowed to put, in the name of undefined national security, restrictions to freedoms that lie at the heart of our Union of values.”
“We have witnessed a shocking precedent, whereby critical media and public debate will be silenced, the free market economy will be violated and political independence will be denied. What must we expect of Hungary after this?” he concluded.
Others from the Netherlands & Romania in January 2011 said
ALDE Vice-president of the LIBE Committee Sophie in 't Veld (D66, Netherlands) said: "Each time we criticise restrictions on media freedom in individual EU Member States, as we did in the case of Italy, the Czech Republic and Hungary, we see the same reflex. Those countries complain it is unfair that they are being singled out. The debate is then dominated by that, distracting from the core issue: gagging journalists is a violation of European fundamental rights. The EU needs a watchdog on media freedom and the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) would be suitable for this task. The European Parliament should grant a mandate to the FRA to issue an annual report on media freedom in each Member State of the EU on the basis of which the Commission and Parliament could assess the need for action."
ALDE LIBE coordinator Renate Weber (PNL, Romania) said: "The Hungarian media law is highly problematic since it introduces a set of restrictions never found before in a single EU Member State, running against EU legislation and the Council of Europe minimum standards on media freedom, as underlined by the OSCE analysis, whose recommendations should also be applied to the media law to ensure it is compliant with fundamental rights standards. Parliament needs to investigate the whole issue of press freedom in a comprehensive way across the EU and should mandate a committee to draft a report for plenary in this regard."
Following the changes the comment from Europe was as follows:
Changes by Hungarian Parliament to media law must be closely monitored Today's meeting of the European Parliament's group leaders (with exception of EPP) backed a proposal to postpone the vote to the next part session, but not withdraw a resolution, concerning the Hungarian media law in order firstly to take account of the announcement yesterday in Strasbourg by European Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, that Hungary has agreed to modify its controversial media law in line with her four principal criticisms* and secondly to keep the pressure on the Hungarian authorities to implement the necessary modifications. 17/02/2011
Today's meeting of the European Parliament's group leaders (with exception of EPP) backed a proposal to postpone the vote to the next part session, but not withdraw a resolution, concerning the Hungarian media law in order firstly to take account of the announcement yesterday in Strasbourg by European Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, that Hungary has agreed to modify its controversial media law in line with her four principal criticisms* and secondly to keep the pressure on the Hungarian authorities to implement the necessary modifications.
ALDE group leader, Guy Verhofstadt said: "The Hungarian Government's acknowledgement of the need to make some changes to its media law is a welcome development and a result of the pressure for change initiated by the Liberal group in early January following concerns raised by sections of Hungarian civil society and the OSCE. Our action was never politically motivated but driven by the desire to hold all Member States to the Community of values we have set ourselves."
"But we must not let down our guard just yet. Parliament should indeed postpone its vote but not withdraw the text from the table until we have concrete proof that the promised modifications have been carried through in practice. The Commission has a particular duty to monitor this process as well as the implementation of the law. Parliament should also be kept fully informed of the changes."
"Acceptance by the Hungarian authorities of the need to change the law is also a victory, if still to be confirmed in practice, for the primacy of Community law in asserting EU-wide standards of freedom and fundamental rights over national laws of the Member States. But this episode has highlighted the lack of concrete legal instruments for upholding press freedoms in particular."
Renate Weber (PNL, Romania) ALDE coordinator in the Civil Liberties committee and spokesperson on the Hungarian media law drew attention to the outstanding concerns that remain unaddressed by the proposed changes:
"Whilst it is a positive sign that the Hungarian Government have indicated a willingness to modify the four areas of concern outlined by the Commission, Liberals and Democrats remain concerned about other aspects of the Hungarian law which place huge powers of censorship in the hands of governing party appointees and reveal a lack of adequate protection for journalists' sources as well as insufficient provision for judicial review or appeal," she said. "If the Hungarian Government is serious about restoring its credibility in the area of press freedom it should consider a more fundamental overhaul of the law in line with the recommendations of the OSCE."
Of course party politics gets in the way of knowing who is right or wrong. As a guest in someone else's country I would not presume to become involved or comment too much or indeed to try to make a judgement. It is though I think not as simple as some might have us believe.
Apr 14th 2011, 12:14 pm
#32
Veszprém Megye
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Sevenoaks Kent UK and soon near Tapolca Hungary
Posts: 371
Re: Media Law
Having looked at the European angle again, I reckon a more balanced, non party political summary can be found in the Commissions findings at
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleases...guiLanguage=en
Seems all is now well with the Media world in Magyarorszag
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleases...guiLanguage=en
Seems all is now well with the Media world in Magyarorszag
Apr 14th 2011, 1:00 pm
#33
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 51
Re: Media Law
John, i think your both comments are very accurate, first that indeed it was overenthusiastic in its wording and scope but that the comments made by left wing parties (which typically includes in europe most of the press....) were clearly polemic and initiated by party politics more than anything else. On the other hand i am happy that EU did enforce the most welcome changes in the law which today seems ok.
The democracy is still very young in hungary, and lot of things that are taken for granted in e.g. UK are simply missing in terms of political tradition. On the other hand, there are countries that have been longer democratic (italy, greece etc) that clearly are still pretty far away even from hungarian standards...
The democracy is still very young in hungary, and lot of things that are taken for granted in e.g. UK are simply missing in terms of political tradition. On the other hand, there are countries that have been longer democratic (italy, greece etc) that clearly are still pretty far away even from hungarian standards...
