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On 25 February 2011, the Commissioner for Human Rights published an opinion on Hungary’s media legislation in light of Council of Europe standards on freedom of the media. The two main issues that are discussed in the opinion relate to encroachments on the freedom of the media and problems concerning the independence and pluralism of the media. In the second half of 2010, the Hungarian Parliament amended existing media-related provisions and issued new legislation on the freedom of the press and the fundamental rules regarding media content, as well as on media services and mass media (see IRIS...

Following an exchange of letters between the Hungarian Minister of Public Administration and Justice and Commissioner Neelie Kroes and discussions at expert level the Hungarian government and the European Commission have agreed on a set of amendments to the newly adopted Hungarian media Acts (Act CIV. of 2010 on Freedom of Expression and on the Basic rules of media content and Act CLXXXV. of 2010 on Media Services and Mass Media; see IRIS 2010-8/34, IRIS 2010-9/6, IRIS 2011-1/37, IRIS 2011-2/3 and IRIS 2011-2/30). The agreed amendments comprise four issues. Their most important elements can be...

On 21 December 2010 the Hungarian Parliament adopted Act CLXXXV of 2010 on Media Services and Mass Media (Media Act). The new Act replaces Act I of 1996 on Radio and Television Broadcasting and Act II of 1986 on the Press. By adopting the new Media Act the Hungarian Parliament has completed the fundamental reform of the Hungarian media regulation (see IRIS 2010-8/34 and IRIS 2011-1/37). The main issues and features of the Media Act are as follows: - The Act implements the European Directive on Audiovisual Media Services. In line with the Directive it loosens advertising rules to a certain extent...

On 17 January 2011 Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, addressed the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in an extraordinary meeting on the state of play of the Commission’s examination of the recently adopted Hungarian Media Law (see IRIS 2011-2/30). Concerns have been raised regarding the compliance of the new rules with the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive, as well as, more generally, their respect for fundamental media freedoms, such as freedom of expression. Commissioner Kroes pointed...

On 2 November 2010 the Hungarian Parliament adopted Act CIV of 2010 on Freedom of Expression and on the Basic Rules of Media Content. This new piece of legislation is also dubbed as “Media Constitution” by its introducers, reflecting its fundamental nature. The promulgation of the Act was preceded earlier in the summer by an amendment of the Constitution relevant to the media and by the creation of the Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság (National Media and Communications Authority - NMHH) as a new “converged” regulatory authority (see IRIS 2010-8/34). The scope of the new Act covers a variety...