IRIS newsletter 2025-8
Publisher:
European Audiovisual Observatory
76, allée de la Robertsau
F-67000 STRASBOURG
Tel. : +33 (0) 3 90 21 60 00
E-mail: obs@obs.coe.int
www.obs.coe.int
Comments and Suggestions to: iris@obs.coe.int
Executive Director: Pauline Durand-Vialle
Maja Cappello, Editor • Amélie Lacourt, Justine Radel, Sophie Valais, Diego de la Vega, Deputy Editors (European Audiovisual Observatory)
Documentation/Press Contact: Alison Hindhaugh
Tel.: +33 (0)3 90 21 60 10
E-mail: alison.hindhaugh@coe.int
Proofreading of machine translations:
Aurélie Courtinat • Paul Green • Udo Lücke • Marco Polo Sarl • Erwin Rohwer • Sonja Schmidt • Nathalie Sturlèse • Ulrike Welsch
Proofreading of original texts:
Amélie Lacourt, Alexandra Ross and Diego de la Vega • Linda Byrne • David Windsor • Aurélie Courtinat • Barbara Grokenberger
Web Design:
Coordination: Cyril Chaboisseau, European Audiovisual Observatory
ISSN 2078-6158
© 2025 European Audiovisual Observatory, Strasbourg (France)
To promote inclusive language, we follow the guidelines of the Council of Europe.
Editorial
Some things are meant to change. One thing, though, should stand the test of time: Freedom of speech. In ancient Greece, parrhesia (candid or free speech) was already a key concept in rhetoric. Yet, millennia later, we are still trying to find the best ways to ensure this fundamental principle.
On the other side of the pond, dismissals of talk-show hosts and journalists are multiplying and conflicts around the world provide daily examples of the risks and difficulties journalists face in carrying out their crucial work. The European Commission's recently published 2025 Rule of Law report further addresses the issues of media pluralism and freedom, the independence regulators and journalists in the EU and four enlargement countries.
Further safeguards may, however, be on the horizon, as the EU has finally seen the EMFA become applicable on 8 August. At national level, things have been moving too, with the French Council of State providing clarification on how the regulator should assess the pluralistic expression of different schools of thought and opinions in programmes. In the UK, a report by the media watchdog has called for urgent action to secure and sustain UK public service media.
Additionally, the role of journalists in the context of AI remains a key topic under discussion. In Cyprus, new additions have been made to the Code of Ethics for Journalists, and the French Council for Journalistic Ethics and Mediation has issued its first opinion on the use of AI. Amidst these developments, it is worth noting that part of the AI Act has now come into force for GPAI models.
Much has happened over the summer, and you will find plenty more food for thought to stimulate freewheeling conversations in this back-to-school edition.
Enjoy the read!
Maja Cappello, Editor
European Audiovisual Observatory
International
EUROPEAN UNION
EU: European Commission
2025 Rule of Law Report
The sixth edition of the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report was published on 8 July 2025. It examines developments in the 27 EU member states and in four enlargement countries (Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia) in four key areas: the justice system; the anti-corruption framework; media pluralism and freedom; and other institutional issues related to checks and balances. Based on contributions and country visits, the report delivers qualitative information on each country's situation since the previous edition. Alongside the report, the European Commission also...
EU: European Commission
Early application of the AI Act: what are the new rules?
Though the AI Act sets its date of application for 2 August 2026 (Art. 113), some provisions have already been applicable since 2 August 2025. As explained in Recital 179, this earlier application targets providers of general-purpose AI models (GPAI), to reflect the rapid pace of technological advancements and adoption of such models. Under Art. 3(63), a GPAI model is an AI system trained with a large amount of data using self-supervision at scale, which displays significant generality and is capable of competently performing a wide range of distinct tasks. Consequently, Chapter...
EU: European Commission
European Commission publishes guidelines on the protection of minors under the DSA
On 14 July 2025, the European Commission published its guidelines on the protection of minors under the DSA, to ensure a safe online experience for children and young users. The guidelines, using a risk-based approach and acknowledging the fact that platforms may pose different risks to minors (due to their size, purpose and user base), are set to apply to all online platforms accessible to minors. Micro enterprises (with fewer than 10 persons and whose annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet total does not exceed EUR 2 million) and small enterprises (with fewer than 50 persons and whose...
EU: European Commission
The European Media Freedom Act becomes applicable
Since the proposal of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) in September 2022, significant progress has been made in regulating media pluralism and independence. Following a political agreement in late 2023, the Act came into force in May 2024, though it has only been fully applicable since 8 August 2025. The EMFA aims to protect and ensure a pluralistic, free and independent media landscape. It notably addresses the following issues: - Protection of editorial independence and journalistic sources - Transparency of media ownership - Measures to protect the media, journalists and their...
EU: General Court
General Court annuls implementing decisions determining the supervisory fee applicable to certain online platforms under the DSA
The General Court has delivered two judgments (cases T-55/24 and T-58/24) annulling the European Commission’s Implementing Decision C(2023) 8176 final of 27 November 2023 and Implementing Decision C(2023) 8173 final of 27 November 2023 determining the supervisory fee applicable to Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pursuant to Article 43(3) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act – DSA). Pursuant to Articles 43(1)...
NATIONAL
Cyprus
[CY] Decision by Commissioner for State Aid Control on the “Audiovisual Industry Promotion Scheme”
On 6 August 2025, the Office of the Commissioner for State Aid Control issued Decision No. 476 of 2025 concerning the State Aid Measure titled “Audiovisual Industry Promotion Scheme”. This State Aid Measure has been adopted within the government policy framework and is implemented through development, economic and fiscal incentives. The objective of the Measure is to promote the audiovisual industry, to increase the activities of companies producing audiovisual works, and consequently enhance employment within the audiovisual sector and promote the Republic of Cyprus as a preferred...
[CY] New addition to the Code of Ethics for Journalists in Cyprus: special provision on artificial intelligence
In late August 2025, the Cypriot press council, namely the Cyprus Media Ethics Committee (CMEC), announced the introduction of a new special provision to the Code of Ethics for Journalists in Cyprus. This new provision, entitled "Artificial Intelligence", addresses the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the production and facilitation of journalistic work and media operations. The Code of Ethics for Journalists establishes the ethical principles and professional standards and defines the rights and responsibilities of media practitioners in Cyprus. On 27 August 2025, the...
Germany
[DE] Federal film funding budget to be increased to record level in 2026
The federal government’s cabinet draft for the 2026 federal budget, which was adopted on 30 July 2025, provides for EUR 2.5 billion to be made available to the Minister of State for Culture and Media. Alongside other measures to strengthen the cultural sector, EUR 250 million would be channelled into the Deutsche Filmförderfonds (German Federal Film Fund — DFFF) and the German Motion Picture Fund (GMPF), almost doubling their current funding levels. Film and media promotion in Germany is organised at many different levels (federal and state) and by various funds and players....
[DE] Federal states propose new digital media treaty
On 4 June 2024, the Rundfunkkommission (Broadcasting Commission) of the federal states adopted proposals for a reform of the Medienstaatsvertrag (state media treaty – MStV). The new Digitale Medien-Staatsvertrag (digital media state treaty – DMStV-E) is intended to provide a package of measures to safeguard the communication-related foundations of a free and democratic society in Germany. The first part, which focuses on the implementation and transposition of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the Regulation on Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) and the...
[DE] KEK media concentration report documents new threats to diversity of opinion in Germany
On 8 July 2025, the Kommission zur Ermittlung der Konzentration im Medienbereich (Commission on Concentration in the Media – KEK) presented its 8th report on media concentration in Germany, entitled “Social Media, AI & Co - New threats to diversity of opinion”. The Commission was established in 1997 and is responsible, on behalf of the state media authorities, for ensuring compliance with rules on safeguarding diversity of opinion in the private television sector at national level. The report, in which it examines the development of media concentration every three years, contains...
France
Clarification of how ARCOM assesses pluralistic expression of schools of thought and opinion in programmes
A number of associations had asked the Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique (the French audiovisual regulator – ARCOM) to send a formal notice, on the basis of Articles 42 and 48-1 of the Law of 30 September 1986, to the television services France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, France Info, Arte, TF1, M6, TMC and BFM, and radio services France Inter, France Culture, RMC and RTL, urging them to “amend the list [of] presenters, columnists and guests other than politicians” appearing on their programmes “so that the various...
[FR] Conseil d’Etat reinstates age verification requirement for pornographic websites established in other EU member states
The French Minister for Culture and the Minister for AI and the Digital Economy had sought the annulment of the interim order of 16 June 2025 (see IRIS 2025-7:1/14) which, at the request of the operator of the Cyprus-based xHamster website, had suspended the order of 26 February 2025 requiring 17 pornographic websites (including its own) established in another EU member state to implement an effective system for verifying their users’ age. The Conseil d’Etat (Council of State) ruled that the interim relief judge of the Paris Administrative Court had erred in law by relying solely...
[FR] Decree specifies content of compulsory message warning of the illegal nature of certain pornographic content
Article 1-3 of the Law of 21 June 2004 on confidence in the digital economy (LCEN), created by Article 12 of the Law of 21 May 2024 aimed at securing and regulating the digital space, requires any producer of pornographic content simulating simple, aggravated or incestuous rape to display, before and during its distribution, a message warning all users, regardless of age, of the illegal nature of the behaviour depicted. Decree no. 2025-767 of 4 August 2025, which implements this provision, specifies the wording of the message warning users of such pornographic content, as well as how it should...
[FR] First opinion of the Council for Journalistic Ethics and Mediation on the use of AI
The Conseil de déontologie journalistique et de médiation (Council for Journalistic Ethics and Mediation - CDJM), a body for self-regulation and mediation between journalists, the media, press agencies and audiences, on all issues relating to journalistic ethics, was contacted by a private individual in March 2025 regarding an article on the Jeuxvidéo.com website, alleging a lack of respect for accuracy and an affront to dignity. The article, referring to a survey, concluded that people from generation Z have a problem with punctuality. The article's author introduced the...
United Kingdom
[GB] Ofcom calls for urgent action to secure and sustain UK public service media
The UK’s public service broadcasters (PSBs) – the BBC, ITV, STV, Channels 4 and 5, and S4C – remain central to public service media (PSM). Yet Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, warns that their survival, and with it a cornerstone of UK culture, is threatened by mounting financial pressures, technological change, and global competition. Ofcom’s July 2025 review presents stakeholder proposals, weighing their benefits and practical implications, building on its statutory five-year assessment under section 264 of the Communications Act 2003. In December 2024,...
[GB] The Data (Use and Access) Act receives Royal Assent
The Data (Use and Access) Act (“the Act”) received Royal Assent in the United Kingdom Parliament on 19 June 2025. The Data (Use and Access) Bill was described when introduced to the House of Lords (IRIS 2025-1:1/13). The provisions of the Act will come into force automatically by virtue of section 142 of the Act. This includes any regulation-making powers in the Act, including those in Part 1 allowing for the future development of smart data schemes. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No.1) Regulations 2025 (The Regulations) came into effect on the 21st July...
Georgia
[GE] New Amendments to Law on broadcasting enter into force
Amendments to the 2005 Law of Georgia “On Broadcasting” were adopted by the Parliament of Georgia on 12 June 2025, and entered into force on 13 June 2025. The Law provides stricter accountability requirements for “media service and video sharing service providers” and “media service and video sharing service platforms” to the national media regulator, the Communications Commission (ComCom). It rephrases para 9 of Article 70 (last amended on 22 December 2022 by Law No 2482-Xრს-Xმპ) by stipulating that the media shall also provide, if requested by the...
Italy
[IT] AGCOM Adopts New Measures to Strengthen Press Coverage Rights in Audiovisual Sports Events
Following a public consultation through a dedicated technical working group involving sports leagues, the National Federation of the Italian Press, the Italian Sports Press Union, the National Order of Journalists, the Usigrai journalists’ union, and leading associations representing the national and local broadcasting and print media sectors, Italy’s Communications Authority (AGCOM) has approved new provisions governing the exercise of press coverage rights in relation to so-called “related images” from Serie A and Serie B football matches and Lega A basketball games. In...
[IT] AGCOM Approves Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Influencers
AGCOM – Italy’s Communications Authority and designated Digital Services Coordinator – has formally adopted its Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Influencers. Given the relevance and innovative scope of the matter, AGCOM established a dedicated multi-stakeholder working group, involving representatives of the industry and institutional actors, to develop a shared framework. The draft text was subsequently submitted to a public consultation process at the end of 2024 (see IRIS 2025-1:1/18 and 2024-2:1/26). The final Guidelines revise the initial version adopted in 2024, integrating...
[IT] AGCOM amends the Regulation on the protection of copyright on electronic communications networks
On 30 July 2025, following the conclusion of a public consultation, the Italian Communications Authority (AGCOM) approved amendments to its Regulation on the protection of copyright on electronic communications networks (the Regulation). These amendments aim to strengthen the fight against illegal distribution of copyright-protected content online and align the Regulation with recent regulatory changes, including the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), Italian Law No. 93 of 2023 (Italian Antipiracy Law), and the Italian Audiovisual Media Services Code. As a result, AGCOM was granted extensive...
Ukraine
[UA] Policy on the national memory adopted
On 21 August 2025, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the Law on the Principles of State Policy on the National Memory of the Ukrainian People, which had earlier been adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament). The law entered into force on 30 August. The document concerns Ukraine’s information policy. One of the directions of the policy is to popularise the history of Ukraine, including promoting the creation of informational products to restore and preserve national memory (Art. 7, para 1). One of the international aspects of the policy is an obligation of the State to organise informational...
