EMMA and ENPA support the open letter from hundreds of European press publishers of all sizes, press titles and press associations from across Europe to send to EU Member States a clear and strong political message at a critical juncture in the negotiations on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

In light of today’s adoption of the Council’s negotiating mandate (“General Approach”) on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), EMMA and ENPA, representing the vast majority of European publishers, regret that Member States have chosen to endorse a rushed compromise that both oversteps EU competences under the treaties while lacking ambition when it comes to very large platforms’ and search engines’ interference with legal media content and on shielding media companies from political interference.

EMMA and ENPA take note of the adoption of the e-Evidence Regulation by the European Parliament during the current Plenary session. After working on this file directly as well as with a coalition with other media, journalists, and fundamental rights’ associations, we regret that the final text does not provide adequate guarantees of the protection of journalists, journalistic sources and editorial secrecy, which are preconditions of press freedom.

The European Newspaper Publishers‘ Association (ENPA) and the European Magazine Media Association (EMMA), which represent the national associations of publishers in the majority of Member States of the European Union would like to express their concern about the news that the government of the Czech Republic intends to increase the VAT rate on the sale of print from the current rate of 10% to 21% for dailies and 12% for magazines as part of measures to improve State finances. At the same time, however, the government wants to reduce the VAT rate for the sale of books to 0 %.