European Parliament to create new media group

There is increasing concern about the media situation across Europe

The new intergroup, which will consist of MEPs from across all political groupings, will also invite journalists to participate in debates concerning the future of the press and media.

This comes after EPP chairman Joseph Daul stated that Brussels is not the right place to “settle scores” on the question of press freedom in individual Member States. His comments received much criticism from Parliament-based reporters.

“It is not the right place to discuss national issues”, he told the Parliament before arguing that tomorrow's scheduled debate on the matter should be removed from the agenda.

His group lost a vote today which would have seen the issue taken off this week's plenary session.

The issue has arisen following protests across Europe at the weekend over the concentration of media owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Burlusconi, and the lack of a free media in that country.

The left, particularly the Greens, have responded by reopening the idea that a European directive on media ownership should be introduced to uphold the principals of diversity in the media. Green leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit also suggested that Italy should be censured by the Council if it does not reasonably settle the issue at home.

They have the support of the Socialists and Liberals.

But, according to sources, the new group is keen to move away from the ownership question and focus more on ways in which the media industry is being undermined by companies and institutions draining advertising revenue from legitimate media.

Parliament is due to continue the debate in November.