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🇷🇸 Serbia /Culture & Society

EU Commission says safeguards protect Euronews’ editorial independence amid N1 acquisition questions

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The European Commission said it funds Euronews and applies criteria intended to safeguard its editorial independence.
  • A journalist asked whether the Commission was examining concerns surrounding Alpac’s acquisition of media holdings linked to N1 and Euronews in the region.
  • A Commission spokesperson said ownership concentration could fall under the European Media Freedom Act and promised to check whether officials had taken any related steps.

The European Commission says it has safeguards for Euronews’ editorial independence, but it has not yet provided a clear answer on concerns surrounding Alpac’s purchase of media holdings connected to N1 and other regional outlets.

The issue was raised by Dafid ab Jago, president of the Association of Foreign Correspondents and vice president of the Brussels Press Club. He asked whether the Commission was examining the acquisition of companies based in Luxembourg under the European Media Freedom Act.

When it comes to shareholders, we have specific criteria that, of course, guarantee Euronews’ editorial independence.

· Toma RenjijeThe European Commission spokesperson described safeguards attached to its funding of Euronews.

Commission spokesperson Toma Renjije said the EU does finance and provide funding to Euronews through its action plan for the media and audiovisual sector. “When it comes to shareholders, we have specific criteria that, of course, guarantee Euronews’ editorial independence,” he said, adding that the Commission’s funding included appropriate safeguards.

There is concern that the funding may have come from other sources, or that its origin is not clear at this point.

· Dafid ab JagoHe explained the concern behind his question about the ownership transaction.

Ab Jago clarified that his question did not concern the 12 million allocated to Euronews for reporting. He was asking about Alpac’s purchase of holding companies registered in Luxembourg, while the media outlets themselves operate in Serbia and Slovenia. He said there were concerns that some funding may have come from other sources whose origins were unclear, and referred to earlier questions about Euronews’ work and funds that investigative journalists had linked to Hungary.

Renjije said he was not arguing that those concerns were illegitimate. He acknowledged that ownership concentration could have a dimension covered by the European Media Freedom Act, but said he was unaware of any steps taken by the Commission. He promised to check and provide a later response. A Commission official had also recently said the institution was closely monitoring the announced sale of Adria News Network to Alpac Capital.

Of course, there may be a dimension of the European Media Freedom Act here, because it deals precisely with such questions.

· Toma RenjijeThe spokesperson acknowledged that ownership concentration could fall under the media freedom law.
About this summary

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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