MEPs David Cormand (Verts/ALE) and Anthony Smith (The Left) have asked the European Commission to clarify whether France's legal and institutional framework is ready to apply Articles 22 and 23 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), raising concerns that national authorities may not be adequately prepared to enforce the new rules on media pluralism and independence.
The written question, submitted on 15 April 2026, follows a Commission reply of 11 March 2026 in which the executive said it was liaising with French authorities to assess readiness. The MEPs now seek concrete details on what aspects of the French system still require clarification or adjustment, whether the existing Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) could oversee print media under the EMFA, and whether specific national legislative action is still necessary.
Articles 22 and 23 of the EMFA require member states to ensure that national media authorities are independent and adequately resourced, and that they can effectively enforce the regulation's provisions on media freedom and pluralism. The MEPs' questions target the French system's capacity to meet these requirements, particularly for print media, which falls outside Arcom's current remit.
The question reflects a broader push by the European Parliament to ensure timely and correct transposition of the EMFA, which entered into force in 2024. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will signal whether it considers France compliant or in need of further legislative or institutional changes.
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