Newspaper Publishers Warn of Risk to Press Freedom and Distribution in Proposed EU Data Protection Regulation

Athens, Greece 8th November 2013 – Newspaper publishers and national newspaper associations from around Europe warned today that the new EU Data Protection Regulation could jeopardise press freedom and distribution of press titles in Europe.

The General Assembly of European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA), meeting in Athens, adopted a Resolution calling on the European Union and national governments to ensure that the new Data Protection Regulation includes a clear and binding exemption to protect journalistic data processing.

ENPA delegates also unanimously called for a Data Protection Regulation which does not destroy longstanding direct marketing practices used to contact press subscribers.

The Resolution comes at a time when the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers are due to continue negotiations to find an eventual agreement on a new EU Data Protection Regulation. This follows a vote on a compromise package in the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament on 21^st October, 2013.

ENPA President, Ivar Rusdal, said: “The European Union and Member States have often declared the vital importance of press freedom and media pluralism. So newspaper publishers expect that the final Data Protection Regulation will be negotiated in full respect of European fundamental values. The democratic mission of the press to publish editorial content should not be undermined by new restrictions.

“The ability to reach new readers is also crucial for the future sustainability of the press. We therefore call on legislators to ensure that the final Data Protection Regulation will not destroy communication channels that have been used for decades to develop press circulation.”

About ENPA:

ENPA is an international non-profit organisation representing publishers of newspapers and news media on all platforms. ENPA represents over 5,200 national, regional and local newspaper titles, published in 23 EU Member States, plus Norway, Switzerland and Serbia. Website: www.enpa.be