A new report “Balancing act: press freedom at risk as EU struggles to match actions with values” published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) was launched at the Press Club-Europe in Brussels on 29 September. Jean-Paul Marthoz, CPJ’s EU correspondent and author of the report, said at a press conference that “the future of the EU’s global influence will largely determined by its credibility and consistency by following a press freedom diplomacy based on principles and free of double standards.”
The report examines EU policies and institutions, finding that while they maintain an outward commitment to press freedom, in many cases they lack a robust mechanism to hold member states accountable when they are in violation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Hungary’s deteriorating pres freedom climate illustrates how ill-equipped the EU is when to reprimanding countries that renege their commitments