Brussels 7-8 October Plenary: Lisbon treaty, economic crisis and Italy's media

In a debate on the freedom of information in Italy, MEPs speaking for the EPP, ECR and EFD groups warned against using the European Union as a forum for settling national political issues. For their part, the S&D, ALDE, Greens/EFA and GUE groups called on the European Commission to draw up Europe-wide legislation on media pluralism.

EU Media Commissioner Viviane Reding pointed out that the European Union had limited powers in the area of the written media but that all Member States had institutions for settling any problems over fundamental rights. She called on MEPs not to try to resolve issues through the EU institutions that should be dealt with at national level.

EPP leader Joseph Daul condemned the use of Parliament as a forum for debate on national issues and stressed that Italy was a democratic country where the rule of law was respected. The European Parliament had no power over the issue at hand and should not be used for settling scores.

David-Maria Sassoli (S&D, IT) said that Italy was a great democratic country, as was proved by yesterday's verdict of its constitutional court. However, he felt that the right of information should be guaranteed by common standards in all EU countries. He therefore called for a European directive with indicators applicable to all.

Belgian ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt said it should not be denied that there was a problem. The fact that three EU countries had been categorised by the organisation Freedom House as having only "partially free" media worried him and prompted him to call on the Commission to guarantee media pluralism.

Dutch Green Member Judith Sargentini believed that the attempt to remove this debate from the agenda had been shameful. As a result of pressure, Italian journalists exercised self-censorship and Italian democracy had become vulnerable. Existing Member States should respect the Copenhagen criteria as much as candidate countries.

Ryszard Czarnecki (ECR, PL) said that similar issues had arisen in other EU countries, including Poland, without being debated in the EP. It was for the Italians to solve internal Italian issues.

Patrick Le Hyaric (EUL/NGL) criticised the influence of the Italian Prime Minister over the media, which he said was incompatible with a modern democracy. He called for the creation of a European body to monitor press freedom.

Francesco Speroni (EFD, IT) stressed that in Italy the opposition had ample space in the media. If Parliament really was of the opinion that Italy lacked freedom of the press, it should use Article 7 of the EU Treaty to start proceedings for a breach of fundamental rights, but in his view there was no factual basis for doing so.

In her reply at the end of the debate, Commissioner Reding told MEPs that legislation on media pluralism would only be possible if there were internal market problems that would be solved by having such legislation.

Parliament will vote on a resolution on the freedom of information at its session of 19-22 October in Strasbourg.