Opening of Europe Day & Keynote

The regulation of the Digital Single Market at EU level is becoming increasingly relevant for the media sector. With the European Media Freedom Act, a regulation will become applicable in October 2025 that directly establishes a range of rights and obligations for media services “while safeguarding the independence and pluralism of media services”. Other regulations such as the Digital Services Act and the Regulation on Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising also contain at least cross-references to freedom of the media and freedom of expression. As the EU advances into an area that has so far been largely regulated by the member states and has led to different developments based on legal traditions and economic circumstances, follow-up questions arise. How can the different approaches be harmonized in a coherent and consistent manner? What room is left for the consideration of national particularities? And who will actually interpret media freedoms in the future, when and how? The opening of Europe Day looks at these questions from an EU or national perspective and highlights possible commonalities and areas of tension.