Changes from resolution motion to resolution motion joint

Change 17

Changed6.7. Considers that the proposed amendments to lower the safeguards for the early dismissal of the LRT’s Directordirector Generalgeneral risk enabling arbitrary political interference and are incompatible with both constitutional guarantees and EuropeanEU standards for public service media independence, including Article 5(2) EMFA;

Change 18

Removed7. Considers that the swift pace of these legislative initiatives in Lithuania, combined with their potential to undermine the institutional autonomy of the LRT, fail to meet the standard of predictable and objectively justified regulation required by the EU in Article 21 EMFA, and infringe upon the right of citizens to access independent information as guaranteed by Article 3 EMFA; considers that these actions threaten not only the Lithuanian media landscape, but also the broader rule-of-law framework of the internal market;

Added8. Strongly condemns any form of ad personam legislation and recalls that laws designed to target specific individuals because of the independent performance of their professional activities are incompatible with the principles of pluralistic democracy and the rule of law;

Removed8. Calls on the Commission to urgently assess the situation and initiate infringement procedures in response to all attempts to undermine the independence of the LRT, particularly for violation of Article 5 EMFA on protecting public service media management from political dismissal and ensuring the stable funding of the public broadcaster, which undermines the right of citizens to access a plurality of independent information under Article 3 EMFA, and fails to meet the requirement of proportionality and justification for national measures under Article 21 EMFA; stresses that these actions create legal uncertainty and distort the level playing field for media providers, and therefore represent a direct threat to the proper functioning of the internal market; calls on the Commission, therefore, in its capacity as the guardian of the Treaties, to ensure that the EMFA is fully enforced to protect both our democratic values and the integrity of the European media market;

Added9. Underlines that the use of accelerated legislative procedures for these amendments lacks objective and constitutionally justified grounds, fails to ensure transparency, inclusiveness and the meaningful participation of key stakeholders and civil society, and falls short of the requirements of a transparent, accountable, inclusive and democratic lawmaking procedure inherent in the principle of the rule of law and European best practice for the lawmaking process;

Removed9. Underlines that the use of accelerated politicised legislative procedures for these amendments lacks objective and constitutionally justified grounds, fails to ensure transparency, inclusiveness and meaningful participation of key stakeholders and civil society, and falls short of the requirements of a transparent, accountable, inclusive and democratic lawmaking procedure inherent in the principle of the rule of law and European best practice for the lawmaking process;

Added10. Urges the Seimas to reject the pending amendments, including lowering the threshold for dismissing the LRT director general, removing the requirement that the dismissal be based on objective considerations of public interest, and introducing secret ballots, and to ensure that any legislative amendments, if needed, are only adopted after the Venice Commission issues its opinion, and to respect the EMFA and the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the OSCE’s Representative on Freedom of the Media;

Removed10. Strongly condemns any form of ad personam politicised legislation and recalls that laws designed to target specific individuals because of the independent performance of their professional activities are incompatible with the principles of pluralistic democracy and the rule of law;

Added11. Calls on the Seimas and the Lithuanian Government to minimise political influence in the formation of the LRT Council, including by reducing the number of seats allocated to the appointees of political bodies and establishing adequate professional requirements for the Council members; calls, further, on the Seimas and the Lithuanian Government to refrain from adopting and to repeal already adopted legislative measures and budgetary frameworks that undermine the independence of LRT and to ensure stable, predictable and adequate funding for it, consistent with EMFA requirements, particularly those violating Article 5 EMFA regarding the protection of public service media management from political dismissal and ensuring stable funding of a public broadcaster;

Removed11. Notes, with concern, the pattern of cumulative political pressure being exerted on the LRT through repeated audits, inspections and information requests, despite the absence of substantiated findings of wrongdoing, and considers that such practices constitute indirect political interference; calls on Lithuania’s ruling coalition to cease such practices immediately;

Added12. Requests that the Commission monitor any developments concerning media freedom and public service media independence in Lithuania, to assess the compliance of the adopted and pending amendments with the EMFA and the principle of the rule of law, to inform the Lithuanian authorities accordingly, and to use all tools, including infringement procedures and the EU’s Rule of Law Toolbox, in the case of non-compliance;

Removed12. Recalls that experience from other Member States and around the world demonstrates that attempts to capture public service media often constitute the first stage of broader democratic backsliding, leading to the erosion of media freedom, judicial independence and electoral integrity;

Added13. Invites the Lithuanian authorities to reinforce broad and transparent consultations with civil society, media professionals and the European institutions on public service media governance and funding; invites political parties to consider carefully the proposed amendments to the Law on LRT and to ensure that any future legislative changes are subject to public consultation, including input from national and international journalists, media freedom organisations and LRT management;

Removed13. Calls on Lithuania’s ruling coalition to suspend, repeal or refrain from adopting politicised legislative measures that undermine the independence of the LRT and to ensure that national legislation complies fully with national constitutional requirements, EU law, including the EMFA, and other European standards on media freedom, including those developed by the Council of Europe and relevant international bodies; calls, in particular, for political influence to be minimised in the formation of the LRT Council, including by lessening the disproportionate influence of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, and for adequate professional requirements to be established for the members of the LRT Council, in order to ensure that the composition and functioning of the LRT Council properly reflect the principles of independence of the national public broadcaster, pluralistic democracy and an active civil society;

Added14. Recalls that experience from other Member States and around the world demonstrates that attempts to capture public service media often constitute the first stage of broader democratic backsliding, leading to the erosion of media freedom, judicial independence and electoral integrity; notes with great concern that public service media and public broadcasters across Europe are increasingly subject to political and ideological attacks, smear campaigns, intimidation and attempts to undermine their editorial independence and stable funding by far-right actors seeking to weaken independent journalism and democratic checks and balances;

Removed14. Calls on the Commission to urgently assess the compatibility of the recently adopted and proposed politicised legislative measures affecting the LRT’s funding and governance with the EMFA and EU rule-of-law standards;

Added15. Recalls the important role played by public broadcasters in preserving media pluralism, as recognised in Protocol (No 29) to the Treaties; calls on the Member States to provide adequate financial and technical means to fulfil public broadcasters’ social function and serve the public interest; calls on the Member States, further, to guarantee public broadcasters’ editorial independence by protecting them, through clearly defined regulatory frameworks, from any form of governmental, political or commercial interference, while ensuring full management autonomy and independence for all public bodies and entities that exercise powers in the areas of broadcasting and telecommunications;

Removed15. Calls on the Commission to make use of all available instruments under the EU’s Rule of Law Toolbox, including the mechanisms provided for in the EMFA, and, where appropriate, infringement proceedings under Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

Removed16. Welcomes the involvement of the Venice Commission and calls for its opinion to be fully taken into account by the Lithuanian authorities and the EU institutions;

16. Emphasises that safeguarding the independence of public service media is a shared European responsibility and an essential condition for the credibility of the EU as a community founded on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights;

Change 19

Removed18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Seimas, the President and Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Council of Europe.

Added17 . Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to strengthening media resilience across the EU, including through increased funding and targeted support for independent, local and public service media; stresses that such support is essential for preventing democratic backsliding and safeguarding informed civic participation;

Added18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Seimas, the President and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Council of Europe.