The European Commission has confirmed it is in contact with Italian authorities over a festival held in Bologna on 11-12 April 2026 that may have broadcast content from RT, a Russian media outlet subject to EU sanctions. In a written answer on 15 June 2026, Commissioner for Financial Services Maria Luís Albuquerque, on behalf of the Commission, stated that the Commission rejects efforts by Kremlin-linked media to circumvent sanctions and undermine EU values, but stressed that enforcement is primarily a Member State competence.
The answer responds to a parliamentary question submitted on 15 April 2026 by 18 MEPs from across political groups, including Pina Picierno (S&D), Petras Auštrevičius (Renew), and Nathalie Loiseau (Renew). The MEPs had asked whether the Commission was aware of the event, whether it violated EU sanctions, and what actions it could take to prevent similar events in Member States lacking national implementing legislation.
The Commission confirmed it was aware of reports of the event, which allegedly screened RT documentaries and featured contributions from the outlet, whose editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan praised the festival. RT is subject to a broadcasting ban in the EU under Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014, which prohibits dissemination of its content via any format, including television and online media. Additionally, individuals linked to RT face individual restrictive measures under Regulation (EU) 269/2014.
While the Commission monitors sanctions implementation, it noted that enforcement falls to national authorities. Where violations are established, Member States must apply appropriate penalties under Directive (EU) 2024/1226, which defines criminal offences for violating EU restrictive measures. The Commission declined to comment further on any national enforcement actions at this stage.
The answer signals the Commission's firm stance against Kremlin propaganda but leaves concrete action to Italy, which currently lacks specific legislative measures implementing the EU's media sanctions. The episode highlights ongoing tensions between EU-level sanctions and national enforcement gaps.