OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media concludes visit to European Institutions and NATO

BRUSSELS, 8 March 2024 – Teresa Ribeiro, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), concluded a three-day visit to Brussels. Her itinerary included high-level meetings with Commissioners of the European Union (EU), the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European External Actions Service (EEAS), NATO and representatives from civil society.

During her visit, Ribeiro engaged in discussions with European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová; the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi; EEAS Managing Director Michael Siebert; and the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the EU, Willem van de Voorde. Their discussions centred around the pressing challenges to media freedom across EU Member States and the broader OSCE region. Topics included recent regulatory changes impacting the media and information landscape, such as the Media Freedom Act, the Digital Services Act, the Anti-SLAPP Directive, and the AI Act. Ribeiro underscored the importance of media freedom in maintaining security, a sentiment reiterated in discussions with NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, Carmen Romero.

Throughout the meetings, there was a focus on exploring opportunities to enhance co-operation between the OSCE and EU to promote independent and pluralistic media, ensure the safety of journalists, and to foster healthier information spaces.

Ribeiro also participated in the "Women in Public Life" Conference, hosted by Jourová, ahead of International Women’s Day 2024. Alongside fellow panelists Maria Ressa, Matthew Caruana Galizia and others, she emphasized the need to address gender-based violence against journalists to safeguard democracy's core principles of pluralism.

Prior to her visit, Ribeiro met with the Chair of the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA). Shortly, she will be meeting with the EU Special Representative on Human Rights and the newly appointed Director of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). These engagements also underline a concerted effort to address pressing issues surrounding media freedom and fundamental rights within the European context.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.