EditReport: EU member states are reluctant to implement the European Media Freedom Act
Balkan watchdog urges EU to tie accession progress to media freedom benchmarks
Media freedom across the European Union is deteriorating as governments continue to erode the rule of law and democratic institutions, according to the 2025 Media Freedom Report published by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties).
The annual assessment paints a grim picture of the state of press freedom, noting that some of the most concerning trends have not only persisted but intensified. The report warns that without robust and immediate action, the viability of independent media—and the democratic structures it supports—may be irreparably weakened.
The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) is a Berlin-based non-governmental organization founded in 2011 to promote and protect human rights and civil liberties across the European Union. It operates as a network of national civil liberties organizations from 20 EU countries, advocating for stronger enforcement of EU human rights laws, media freedom, rule of law, and protections against surveillance and discrimination.
The Liberties report warns that many EU member states appear unprepared—or outright unwilling—to implement the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the flagship EU legislation designed to counter critical threats to media independence and pluralism. Although EMFA enters into full force in August 2025, Liberties finds that several governments are stalling or evading key obligations.
EMFA establishes safeguards against political interference, ensures transparency of media ownership, and protects journalists from surveillance and undue pressure. It introduces rules for fair allocation of state advertising, strengthens public service media independence, and creates a European Board for Media Services to enforce compliance. It addresses issues like media concentration and government censorship, responding to concerns in countries like Hungary.
“Media freedom and pluralism in the EU are in deepening crisis,” said Jonathan Day, editor of the report and advocacy officer at Liberties. “Attempts to weaken the rule of law often begin with efforts to control the media. The resistance we’re seeing against EMFA implementation should raise serious concerns within the European Commission.”
The report underlines the central role of media freedom as a pillar of the rule of law, warning that backsliding in this area is often a precursor to democratic decline. While countries like Poland and Slovenia have made notable efforts to restore media independence, others—including Hungary and now Slovakia—are moving in the opposite direction.
Key EU-wide findings
Journalists remain vulnerable to hate speech and physical violence, especially during protests linked to the Israel-Palestine conflict. In some cases—such as in France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and Spain—police were responsible for violence against journalists. Harassment of women journalists is reported at significantly higher levels in Bulgaria, Italy, Slovakia, and Sweden. Meanwhile, spyware remains a threat, particularly against exiled journalists from Russia or Belarus.
Governments continue to manipulate the media through biased allocation of public funds, favouritism toward pro-government outlets, and direct interference in public media or regulatory bodies.
A high concentration of media ownership and lack of transparency persist in several countries, including Croatia, France, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Despite EMFA requiring publicly accessible ownership registries, many states have yet to comply.
Journalists face delays or denials when requesting information from public institutions in countries like Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Abusive legal actions intended to silence journalists remain widespread. Bulgaria is among the countries where these cases pose a serious threat. Slovakia is singled out for a case where the Prime Minister personally initiated such a lawsuit. Only Malta has transposed the new EU anti-SLAPP directive ahead of the May 2026 deadline.
Public media in Hungary remains under full government control, and recent legislative changes in Slovakia have removed remaining guarantees for editorial independence. In other countries such as Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Malta, and Croatia, a lack of financial transparency and political pressure continue to undermine public service broadcasting.
Liberties warns that the effective enforcement of EMFA will be a defining test for the European Commission’s commitment to defending democratic values. The report urges both EU institutions and national governments to take immediate action before further damage is done
The 2025 Media Freedom Report is the fourth annual assessment of media freedom in the European Union, compiled by Liberties.
The report was jointly prepared by 43 human rights organisations from 21 EU member states under the coordination of Liberties. It draws on data and information provided by Liberties’ members and partner organisations and complements the EU’s annual Rule of Law Report.
As in previous editions, the 2025 report covers four key areas: media freedom and pluralism; the safety and protection of journalists; freedom of expression and access to information; and EU legislation relevant to media freedom. It evaluates 21 EU countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
The report urges the European Commission to launch infringement proceedings against non-compliant states; create a single EU-wide beneficial ownership registry for media; enforce bans on spyware targeting journalists; strengthen anti-SLAPP protections across member states; safeguard funding for independent media and civil society through the upcoming long-term EU budget (2028–2034).
Focus on Balkans
Media freedom in the Western Balkans is in retreat due to political pressure, economic leverage and legal intimidation, the Balkan Free Media Initiative (BFMI) warned on Tuesday (30 April), calling on the EU to integrate media benchmarks into its enlargement conditionality.
In a statement responding to the Liberties report, BFMI echoed the report’s findings that independent journalism in the region is being suffocated through structural weaknesses, lack of institutional will, and the instrumentalisation of digital platforms.
“The decline of media freedom in the Western Balkans is not just a democratic failure—it is a growing risk to regional stability and to the credibility of the EU’s enlargement policy,” BFMI said, adding that civic actors defending pluralism remain underfunded and exposed to threats.
According to BFMI, digital platforms that once offered refuge for independent voices are now vulnerable to manipulation and coordinated attacks, while cross-border media collaborations lack stable support.
“The EU accession process has too often rewarded performative reforms while ignoring structural decay. Media freedom must not be treated as a checkbox in negotiations, but as a core indicator of readiness for membership,” the group stated.
BFMI called on Brussels to adopt a more principled and interventionist approach, including: tying the EU accession process to verifiable media freedom criteria, ensuring full transparency in the allocation of state advertising, strengthening protections for journalists at risk, and creating sustainable funding mechanisms for independent public-interest journalism.
“Without bold and sustained engagement, media capture will continue to erode democracy at the EU’s doorstep,” BFMI warned.
Read the full report here: https://www.liberties.eu/f/oj-aem
Updated: May 1, 2025 - 12:24
