Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

▸4 unchanged paragraphs

on a new strategy for media literacy and digital learning

(2025/2181(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Directive (EU) 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Directive 2010/13/EU on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive) in view of changing market realities1,

Changed– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act)2,Act),

Changed– having regard to 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)3,Act),

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act),

Added– having regard to its resolution of 25 March 2021 on shaping digital education policy,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 11 May 2022 entitled ‘A Digital Decade for children and youth: the new European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+)’ (COM(2022)0212),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign affairs and Security Policy of 12 November 2025 entitled ‘European Democracy Shield: Empowering Strong and Resilient Democracies’ (JOIN(2025)0791),

Changed– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2025 on the actionAction planPlan on basicBasic skillsSkills (COM(2025)0088),

Changed– having regard to the Commission communication of 103 FebruaryDecember 20262020 entitled ‘Action‘Europe’s planMedia againstin cyberbullyingthe –Digital “SaferDecade: online,An strongerAction together“’Plan (COM(2026)0071),to Support Recovery and Transformation’ (COM(2020)0784),

Removed– having regard to its resolution of 26 November 2025 on the protection of minors online4,

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 10 February 2026 entitled ‘Action plan against cyberbullying – “Safer online, stronger together”’ (COM(2026)0071),

Removed– having regard to the Resolution of the Council of the European Union and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on a framework for European cooperation in the youth field entitled ‘The European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027’5,

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2026 entitled ‘Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness’ (COM(2026)0110),

Added– having regard to its resolution of 26 November 2025 on the protection of minors online,

Added– having regard to the UN Pact for the Future of 22 September 2024,

Added– having regard to the Resolution of the Council of the European Union and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on a framework for European cooperation in the youth field entitled ‘The European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027’,

Added– having regard to the Commission publication entitled ‘Guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning for Educators’, published in 2026,

Added– having regard to the Commission publication entitled ‘Guidelines for teaching informatics: practical strategies for European classrooms’, published in 2026,

Added– having regard to the Commission publication entitled ‘Wellbeing and mental health at school – Guidelines for education policymakers’, published in 2024,

Added– having regard to the Joint Research Centre publication entitled ‘Social media usage and adolescents’ mental health in the EU’, published in 2025,

– having regard to UNESCO reports, in particular the report entitled ‘Media and information literacy for all: closing the gaps: global analysis of the current state of play of media and information literacy’, published in 2025,

Added– having regard to the OECD publication entitled ‘Pisa 2022 Results (Volume II): Learning During – and From – Disruption’, published in 2023,

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 10 October 2025 entitled ‘Guidelines on measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors online, pursuant to Article 28(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065’,

Added– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 20 November 1989, and to General comment No. 25 of 2021 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment,

Added– having regard to the OECD publication entitled ‘Recommendation of the Council on Children in the Digital Environment’, published in 2025,

Added– having regard to the Council of Europe Guidelines to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in the digital environment, published in 2018,

Added– having regard to the Council of Europe report entitled ‘Media Literacy for all: Supporting marginalised groups through community media, published in 2020,

Added– having regard to the policy document of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) entitled ‘National Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Strategies: Practical Steps and Indicators’, adopted in December 2025,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed– having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A10-0000/2026),(A10-0173/2026),

Change 1

ChangedA. whereas media literacy and digital learning provide basicare skillsessential into theempower moderncitizens societywith andthe arecritical crucialskills innecessary tacklingto theassess, proliferationverify, ofcreate disinformation,and declineshare ofinformation trustand inmedia thecontent media,autonomously and theresponsibly impactacross oftraditional and online platforms, new media actors and artificial intelligence; whereas media literacy andmake digitalinformed learningchoices arein necessarya inconstantly theevolving contextinformation ofenvironment; thewhereas changedthese patternsskills ofreinforce informationcivic consumption,participation, underpinnedsocial byinclusion theand ‘scrollingdemocratic culture’;resilience;

Change 2

RemovedB. whereas media literacy and digital learning are key to empowering people with the skills and knowledge needed to understand information in an environment that is constantly changing, so that they can verify the accuracy, reliability and source of information, challenge anti-democratic propaganda and, ultimately, make better informed, autonomous choices;

AddedB. whereas media literacy and digital learning provide basic skills in modern society and are crucial in tackling the proliferation of disinformation, decline in trust in the media, and the impact of online platforms, new media actors, such as influencers and content creators, and artificial intelligence; whereas media literacy and digital learning are necessary in the context of changed patterns of information consumption, underpinned by ‘scrolling culture’;

RemovedC. whereas media literacy and digital education must be regarded as integral components of a comprehensive lifelong learning strategy, particularly for children and young people, in order to equip them with the critical thinking skills, resilience and digital competences necessary to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving information environment; whereas such efforts should not be limited to learners alone, but should be extended to all stakeholders in the education ecosystem, including educators, parents, caregivers, journalists, civil society organisations and new media actors such as influencers, who play an ever more significant role in shaping information consumption patterns and public discourse;

AddedC. whereas media literacy and digital learning are indispensable for ensuring the digital well-being of users;

RemovedD. whereas children access social media at an increasingly younger age, with 97 % of young people in the EU using the internet daily and social media platforms becoming the main source of information for young people aged 15-246;

AddedD. whereas the ways media and digital content are accessed have changed significantly, with users, particularly minors and young people, increasingly choosing tailored content on social media platforms, closely following influencers’ activities, relying heavily on algorithmic recommendations and often having a shorter attention span than when they used traditional media; whereas social media can quickly personalise their feeds, exposing users, particularly minors, elderly users and other vulnerable users, to risks of harmful content being amplified or captured in information bubbles;

RemovedE. whereas prematurely introducing digital tools or technologies to minors, before basic media literacy skills have been developed with analogue tools, exposes them to a plethora of digital risks that they are unable to mitigate, including cyberbullying, sextortion, sleep or eating disorders, social and emotional underdevelopment, shorter attention span or radicalisation;

AddedE. whereas certain design features of digital platforms, including algorithmic recommendation systems, can influence the selection and visibility of content and may contribute to risks related to users’ well-being and exposure to harmful content;

RemovedF. whereas introducing a minimum age for using online platforms has been discussed by policymakers at both the national and EU level;

RemovedG. whereas minors, young people, older people and vulnerable or marginalised groups remain at higher risk of being exploited in the digital environment, particularly as regards risks of exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, disinformation, foreign interference or financial scams; whereas minors are particularly vulnerable to risks related to AI-generated content, AI companions and chatbots, as their cognitive abilities are still developing;

RemovedH. whereas media literacy and digital learning are indispensable for ensuring the digital well-being of users; whereas they can help people develop skills in the areas of creativity and problem-solving in technology-rich environments, and may have a positive impact on civic participation, social inclusion or community building;

F. whereas in the current geopolitical situation, people in the EU should be equipped with a wide range of cognitive, technical and social skills to access and analyse media content effectively and thus remain resilient to potential manipulatory actions or hybrid attacks that aim to destabilise civic discourse and democratic processes;

Change 3

RemovedJ. whereas the ways media and digital content are consumed have changed significantly, with users, particularly minors and young people, choosing tailored content forms on social media platforms, closely following influencers’ activities, relying heavily on algorithmic recommendations and often having a shorter attention span when consuming forms of traditional media; whereas social media can quickly personalise their feeds, exposing users, particularly minors or vulnerable users, to risks of harmful content being amplified or being captured in information bubbles;

AddedG. whereas high-quality, independent and plural journalism is the cornerstone of democratic societies and plays a key role in strengthening media literacy, countering disinformation and increasing citizens’ trust in the information ecosystem, with a positive impact on the economic sustainability of the media sector; whereas public service media play a key role in pursuing these objectives and require adequate and sustainable funding;

RemovedK. whereas EU legislation provides a definition of media literacy, notably in the European Media Freedom Act;

AddedH. whereas media literacy and digital education must be regarded as integral components of a comprehensive lifelong learning strategy, which should cover the specific needs of learners, and of the stakeholders in the education and information ecosystem, including parents, caregivers, educators, media, journalists, libraries, civil society organisations and new media actors, such as influencers and content creators; whereas the Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness recognises lifelong learning, digital skills, media literacy and active participation of all age groups as key conditions for intergenerational fairness and the resilience of democratic societies;

RemovedL. whereas national approaches to media literacy and digital learning vary across the EU, with significant differences when it comes to their incorporation into school curricula and in the level of financial or administrative support provided for actions or programmes as well as regarding the competent authorities or bodies and the cooperation between them;

AddedI. whereas effective media literacy and digital learning require equal opportunities in access to education and a pluralistic information environment;

AddedJ. whereas children access social media at an increasingly younger age, with 97 % of young people in the EU using the internet daily and social media platforms becoming the main source of information for young people aged 15-24;

AddedK. whereas approaches to media literacy and digital learning vary across the EU, with significant differences with regard to their incorporation into school curricula and in the level of financial or administrative support provided for related actions or programmes, and with regard to the competent authorities or bodies and the cooperation between them;

AddedL. whereas General comment No. 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment adopted by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2021 establishes that the rights of the child must be respected, protected and fulfilled in the digital environment and that, in making their products and services available to children, digital service providers must follow the highest standards of ethics, privacy and safety, and age-appropriateness;

AddedM. whereas media literacy and digital learning skills should be developed from an early age, with their introduction in primary education contributing to better preparing children for the challenges of the digital environment, in a manner appropriate to their age and development; whereas these skills are equally essential throughout a person’s lifetime, requiring a lifelong learning approach;

AddedN. whereas prematurely introducing digital tools or technologies to minors before basic media literacy skills and critical thinking have been developed with analogue tools exposes them to a plethora of digital risks and online harms that they may not yet be equipped to recognise or manage;

AddedO. whereas all populations, particularly minors, young people, older people, persons with disabilities and people in rural or remote areas with limited digital infrastructure, remain at higher risk of being exploited in the digital environment; whereas citizens of all ages, especially minors whose cognitive abilities are still developing, are vulnerable to risks related to AI-generated content and chatbots;

AddedP. whereas introducing a minimum age for safeguarding minors when using online platforms, including discussions on minimum age, age verification and parental control, has been discussed by policymakers at both national and EU level;