European values and media pluralism

Petra Lea Láncos

Antecedents

• Act CLXXXV of 2010 on Media Services and Mass Media

• Widespread criticism– EU, Council of Europe, OSCE– Infringement of principles: democracy,

pluralism, HRs

Criticisms

• „Whereas criticism of a number of provisions of Hungarian media legislation has been voiced (…) on the promotion of right to freedom of opinion and expression(…)”– Tavares report,

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+REPORT+A7-2013-0229+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN

– „The new institutitional framework may (…) create (…) a scenario in the current term of Parliament, in defiance of the principle of the division of powers and of the checks and balances typical of liberal democracy.” • OSCE,

http://www.osce.org/fom/71218?download=true

Structure

• European values– Problems of definition– Normativity– Enforcement possibilities

• Values of democracy and pluralism in the media context– Convergence: EU – Council of Europe

EU Values: Principles under cover?

• European Union– system of multi-level governance– European constitutional space based on

principles (ex Art 6 TEU)

• Lisbon renamed principles to be values

Art 2 TEU values

• →Normativity of values = principles

• Art 2 TEU: „The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.”

Function of EU values

–Durability• Autonomy vis-á-vis politics

– Interpretative basis← permeate all legal relationships

–Conceptual opennes: • Identification• Adaptation

Normativity of EU values

–Binding – like legal rules

–Balancing – for establishing breach

–Sanction – in case of breach

European values as a minimum of public policy

– Art 2 TEU „prescribes the common standards of (…) human rights and democracy, and does so in respect of all supreme powers exercised in the European area, whether by the Union or the member states. In this sense Art 2 (…) lays down an element of public policy for the member states.”• von Bogdandy et al

– Art 2 TEU creates a „minimum of constitutional homogeneity”, limiting the constitutional autonomy of member states• Pernice

Art 2 TEU as the public policy minimum

• Art 2 TEU binds Member States in both

– Implementing EU law

–Regulating and implementing national law

Mixed nature of Art 2 TEU values

Problems of determinability and enforceability of values

• → Complex nature of Art 2– Values that correspond to Charter (CFR)

rights (dignity, non-discrimination)– Horizontal values (freedom)– Basic principles (democracy, rule of law)

→ Enforceable human rights and „constitutional principles”

Enforcing European values

→ Judicial route» Individual enforcement: MS courts (only

values corresponding to CFR rights)» Infringement proceedings: CJEU

→ Political route» Art 7 proceedings» „New EU framework to strenghten the rule of

law”

Judicial route – Individual enforcement• Before MS court – HRs violation„Reverse Solange doctrine”

• Art 2 TEU presumption:MSs guarantee the substance of HRs  – 1) refute presumption – 2) demonstrate serious HR violation

• Basis for claim: Art 20 TFEU + Art 2 TEU– Zambrano case: „ genuine enjoyment of the substance of the

rights conferred by virtue of their status as citizens of the Union”.

• (+ MS court: reference for a preliminary ruling)

• Critique: – Questionable jurisdiction– Possible divergent interpretations on Art 2

Judicial route – Infringement proceedings

• Before CJEU, against MS breaching Art 2 TEU

• No such judgments to date–

• Critique:– Clear jurisdiction of CJEU– Lack of Art 2 judgments leads to

uncertainty

Political route – Art 7 TEU procedure

• Political sanctions in case of “serious and persistent” breach of Art 2 TEU– Eg: breach of UN Charter or CoE– Systemic problem– Proof

• Critique:– Political nuclear bomb–MS do not expect it to be used

Political route:The „new EU framework to strenghten the rule of law”

• Preventive measure for breaches of Art 2 TEU– Preceeding and complementing Art 7

procedure– For systemic problems where MS

guarantees are insufficient to enforce Art 2 TEU

Political route:The „new EU framework to strenghten the rule of law”

• 3 step procedure:– Commission evaluation(confidential)– Commission proposals – deadline (public)– Commission reviews implementation – considers

launching Art 7 procedure

• MS bound by principle of loyal cooperation

• Critique:– Additional instrument – efficiency?– No authentic interpretation of Art 2 TEU as a

result

Conclusion

• Non-use of judicial and political instruments– Commission/MS-s fear repurcussions–MS-s do not expect them to be launched

• Way forward: – Use of judicial and political routes– Infringement proceedings to understand • Content/level of protection of EU values• MS obligatins