The European Commission is currently monitoring compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) across all EU Member States, a spokesperson told Belga.
In Belgium, the Superior Council for Audiovisual Media (CSA) recently revealed it could not investigate complaints about controversial comments made by Wallonia-Brussels Media Minister Jacqueline Galant (MR) about public broadcaster RTBF under the EMFA.
Although the EMFA is directly applicable under Belgian law, legislative procedures to designate the CSA as the competent authority in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation have not yet been finalised.
When asked about the controversy involving Minister Galant, the Commission spokesperson declined to comment on "individual cases".
In comments made on 13 January at a conference in Walhain, Galant stated she hoped the forthcoming replacement of RTBF’s general administrator and news director would shift the broadcaster’s editorial stance to align more closely with her political views.
Next week, a no confidence vote will be held for the minister in the Federation Brussels-Wallonia Parliament, also known
More broadly, the spokesperson emphasised that media freedom and pluralism are fundamental values enshrined in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.
He explained that the EMFA introduces new rules designed to safeguard the pluralism and independence of media across the EU, including measures to protect editorial independence.
Most of these rules came into force across EU Member States on 8 August 2025, and the Commission is now scrutinising their implementation.
