On 16 September 2022 the European Commission (EC) published its MFA. The Proposed Regulation aims to foster media pluralism and independence, to safeguard journalists from surveillance, protect editorial decisions from political interference, and avoid market distortion through media market concentration and state advertising. MFA introduces new rights and obligations for providers of media services as well as rights for recipients of such services. The MFA would also strengthen the framework for regulatory cooperation through the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) which would become the European Board for Media Services (EBMS). While the Council secured its mandate in June, the EP agreed its approach in a plenary vote on 3 October. Parliament’s amendments will now form the mandate for the ‘trilogue’ negotiations with the EU Council and Commission on the final shape of this unprecedented new law regulating the press at the EU level.

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