Hungarian media law faces fresh criticism from EU

Feb 9, 2012, 14:14 GMT

Brussels - Hungarian media law faced fresh criticism from the EU commission on Thursday, suggesting that the EU executive intends to take renewed action on the issue.

In comments released before she was due to appear before a European Parliament committee, EU media and internet regulation commissioner Neelie Kroes said there were 'grave concerns about the current situation in Hungary.'

The conservative government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban has already been told by Brussels it needs to change new legislation on its central bank and ensure judicial independence before talks can start on a stand-by loan agreement. The country needs the loan to protect itself against insolvency.

Kroes on Thursday took particular issue with provisions giving a government-appointed watchdog the power to slap hefty fines on media it finds guilty of violating its own guidelines.

'The following is a fact, not a myth: the danger of high fines for breaching unclear rules can result in self-censorship - even if no fines are imposed,' Kroes said.

Kroes suggested that Hungary should submit its media law to a comprehensive review by the Council of Europe, a human-rights watchdog based in Strasbourg, France.

The request was delivered personally to Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics in a meeting in Brussels before Kroes' hearing in the EU parliament, a statement from her office said.

Last month, an independent panel of experts appointed by the commission expressed concerns about the Hungarian media law.

EU authorities had already spoken out a year ago, just after the media law was passed. But their intervention resulted in Hungary adopting only a few amendments, while the commission acknowledged that it had no legal power to force more fundamental changes.

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