The Deputy Minister, in addition to the Prime Minister and Government Representative, Giannis Oikonomou, met with the Vice President of the European Commission, Vera Giurova, whose responsibility is Values and Transparency.
Initially, Mr. Economou expressed the support of the Greek government in the EU initiatives. to provide protection to all journalists covering the war in Ukraine, but also to Ukrainian journalists, to whom practical solidarity is due at all levels.
He then presented in detail and documented the institutional framework governing the operation of the press in Greece, legislative initiatives and government policies over the past two years, regarding the protection of freedom of expression and pluralism, the protection of the journalistic profession, supporting press companies and enhancing the transparency and independence of the media.
At the same time, Mr. Economou presented the positions of the Greek government regarding the criticism that has recently been exercised by specific bodies for the freedom of the press in Greece, presenting concrete facts that restore the reality and refute the accusations that have been made against our country. .
The relevant announcement, after emphasizing that freedom of the press is constitutionally guaranteed in Greece, underlines that “pluralism and the defense of journalistic work are guaranteed both institutionally and in practice. That is why our country is one of the most active partners in the EU.” .E., Regarding the assistance of future Commission initiatives “.
The meeting, which was attended by the Permanent Representative of Greece to the EU, Ambassador, Mr. Brailas, the Secretary General of Communication and Information, Mr. Galamatis, the head of the legal department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Mamouna and The Director of the Office of the Deputy Minister, Mr. Bakoyannis, took place following a request submitted by Mr. Oikonomou in a letter dated 31/03/2022 to the Vice President of the EU.
I welcome strong support for EU action on media freedom
The Vice President of the European Commission Vera Giurova had a meeting with the Deputy Minister under the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman Giannis Oikonomou in Brussels, on media freedom in Greece and in the EU.
According to the vice president’s office, they discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine and the importance of strong united EU action.
They also agreed on the need to support front-line journalists and to combat Russian war propaganda.
The Commission Vice-Chair stated that the Commission had spent more than EUR 6 million on emergency support for journalists in Ukraine, including protective equipment, training, psychological support and relocation when necessary.
Afterwards, Vera Giurova and Giannis Oikonomou focused on the safety of journalists within the EU, according to the relevant information.
At the same time, the Vice President of the Commission asked about the investigation into the murder of the investigative journalist G. Karaivaz and the action to improve the protection of journalists in Greece, as underlined in the 2021 report on the rule of law.
In particular, in her Twitter post, Vera Giurova stated that “we discussed the challenges for media freedom in Greece and the EU.
I was briefed on government initiatives to protect journalists and transparency. I welcomed the strong support for EU action on media freedom. ”
In addition, the Undersecretary to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman highlighted a number of measures for the implementation of the Commission Recommendation on the Safety of Journalists, with the participation of several ministries. The Vice President welcomed these efforts. Mr. Economou also described additional measures to support local media and transparency of media ownership.
The Vice President of the Commission insisted on transparency and fairness in the distribution of public resources, including state advertising, while the Deputy Prime Minister and Government Spokeswoman informed the Vice President that Greece will adopt new legislation to address these issues. objectives and transparent criteria in this direction.
Finally, Ms. Jurova referred to the preparation of the Rule of Law Report for 2022 as well as to the concerns expressed in several recent reports by organizations on media freedom, including legislative developments related to the criminalization of misrepresentation and of the national press agency.
Source: Capital
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