Cyprus is backing a regulation that concerns European institutions and allows the monitoring of journalists by government intelligence services for security reasons.
This was confirmed to Phileleftheros by a relevant official representing Cyprus who participated in the initial discussions about the relevant legislation.
The regulation in question is the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which is in the final stages of negotiations between the three relevant bodies, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the European Commission.
The contentious article is number 4, which permits the surveillance of journalists’ electronic devices (computers, personal phones) for national security reasons, provided that certain basic conditions are met by the government agencies conducting the surveillance.
While not widely reported, European media journalists have learned from leaked documents that, under the guise of strengthening electronic and press freedom, provisions are being promoted that, under certain conditions, infringe upon principles of freedom of the press.
To verify the information, Phieleftheros contacted the representative of the Ministry of Education and the Deputy Ministry of Culture at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the European Union.
The spokesperson confirmed the information, stating that Cyprus supports the addition of article 4, along with many other countries.
The final discussion among the EU’s competent institutions is scheduled for this Friday.
If the European regulation is approved, it will supersede the national legislations of EU member states.
A source from Brussels expressed the opinion that the European Parliament is unlikely to agree to a text that violates principles of press freedom, predicting substantial amendments in favour of the press.
European journalists involved in the investigation present a different view of Cyprus.
Cyprus is included among seven countries that do not strongly advocate for journalists in the negotiations, according to documents leaked and processed by journalist networks Investigate Europe, Disclose, and Follow the Money.
A journalist who participated in the research commented that the governments of France, Finland, Greece, Italy, Malta, Sweden, and Cyprus are trying to weaken the established EU law protecting media freedom in Europe.
These governments specifically seek to legitimize the surveillance of journalists, including the use of malicious software on their computers and phones if security authorities declare it a measure for “national security protection.”
It remains to be seen how the discussions on Friday will unfold and whether the controversial regulation will gain approval. If adopted, it may pose a challenge to the principles of media freedom in Europe.
The investigation results will be published by various media outlets across Europe.
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