Free movement of the press in Europe

11.2.2016

Question for written answer P-001243-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
David-Maria Sassoli (S&D)

The distribution of newspapers and magazines in Italy is carried out by 80 private distributors who operate as franchisees and select which outlets to serve and the product quantities to be sent.

Italian Law No 416/1981 provides that distribution companies must ensure that all newspapers/magazines which so request do actually receive this distribution service, but many newspapers are not delivered on the grounds that the outlet is allegedly not profitable enough.

We therefore have a situation in which, in the absence of alternative supply channels beyond local distributors, many outlets are effectively being excluded from the market and many areas find themselves without sales outlets for these publications. This also applies to foreign newspapers and magazines, which are finding it difficult to reach retail outlets which might be interested in selling them, again because of an arbitrary decision taken by a local distributor.

In the light of Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights (freedom of the media and pluralism), Article 26 TFEU (internal market without internal borders and free movement of goods) and Articles 101 and 102 TFEU (distortion of competition to the detriment of economic operators and final consumers), would the Commission not agree that this constitutes an obstacle to the exercise of free competition between operators and the movement of goods within the European internal market?