Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, on behalf of the European Commission, has outlined the EU's legal arsenal to safeguard media freedom in Poland, responding to concerns over the planned launch of Newsmax Polska with Serbian and Russian-linked financing. The answer, given on 23 June 2026, reassures that the Commission monitors media independence and pluralism in Member States and has tools to counter foreign interference, directly impacting Polish media regulators, the Serbian co-owner Telekom Srbija, and EU citizens concerned about disinformation.
The response addresses a written question from MEPs Łukasz Kohut and Krzysztof Brejza (both PPE), who had flagged that Telekom Srbija, a Serbian public company previously co-financed by Russian bank Sberbank, is co-owning the new channel. The MEPs had asked what actions the Commission would take to prevent Russian interference in Member States and whether it would monitor the situation.
Virkkunen's answer is largely declarative, restating existing EU law and mechanisms rather than announcing new measures. It cites the European Media Freedom Act, which allows coordination among EU media regulators via the European Board for Media Services to act against rogue non-EU media providers posing risks to public security. It also notes that 32 Russian media outlets are already subject to an EU broadcasting ban under sanctions related to Russia's war in Ukraine, and that enforcement is primarily a Member State responsibility, with the Commission overseeing implementation.
the Commission relies on existing sanctions and regulatory coordination, not new legislative action. The answer signals that the Commission will continue to monitor media freedom through its annual Rule of Law Report, which covers Member States and four enlargement countries including Serbia. No specific timeline for further action on Newsmax Polska is given, but the reference to the European Board for Media Services suggests that any coordinated response would involve national regulators under the EMFA framework.