New watchdog to oversee state advertising under EU media freedom rules
Independent office is part of implementation of European Media Freedom Act
An independent office to oversee state advertising and media transparency will be established as part of Malta’s implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), following a government order issued on Thursday.
The new office on advertising and media will cover new mandates which are not currently overseen by any other media entity.
In a statement on Thursday, the government said the order will “facilitate and strengthen” the implementation in Malta of a European Union regulation on media freedom.
The EMFA is designed to strengthen media freedom by establishing uniform rules on the independent work of the media in the EU.
The act includes rules on the protection of the confidentiality of information received by media service providers, the allocation of state advertising, the editorial independence of the media including the public broadcasting service, and transparency on media ownership.
The government statement said this “affirmed its commitment to protect the role of the media in society and to further strengthen media freedom in a democratic environment both at national, European and international level.”
The implementation of the EMFA regulation will involve institutions such as the Broadcasting Authority and the Media Registrar.