Citizen’s Initiative on Media Freedom is submitted to the EC

9 August 2012 — The preparation process of a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for Media Pluralism and Press Freedom (EIMP) again made some progress with the final proposal and its submission for registration with the European Commission.

Today, after a long consultation process at transnational level, the European Citizen’s Initiative (ECI) on Media Pluralism and Press Freedom (European Initiative for Media Pluralism – EIMP) was submitted to the European Commission and a Citizens’ Committee of representatives from 9 member states (although the minimum requirement is only 7 member states) was formally constituted.

Our Initiative is pushing for a stronger role for European institutions in safeguarding and protecting the independence and pluralism of the media. In particular, the European institutions shall safeguard the right to independent and pluralistic information as sanctioned by the new European Charter on Fundamental Rights.

Our Initiative uses a new tool of participatory democracy allowing at least one million citizens to present a legislative proposal directly at the European institutions.

Aimed at increasing participation and direct democracy, the ECI was introduced with the Treaty of Lisbon, a 2007 international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU).

Starting on April 1, 2012 the Regulation to implement the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is applicable enabling one million EU citizens to call directly on the European Commission to propose legislation of interest to them in an area of EU competence.

What’s Next?

Once the European Commission will validate our proposal by its official registration, the signatures collection will start and from that date there will be one year to collect one million signatures to get the pluralism and the independence of the media on the European political agenda.

From after the summer, go further by building a strong and effective campaign to reach one million signatures from throughout Europe!

Source: Mediainitiative.eu