EU: The European Commission urged the media to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for reporting on sensitive religious issues yesterday but insisted it had no plans to regulate press freedom.
EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini, who has responsibility for promoting the respect of fundamental rights within Europe, said it was up to the media themselves to self-regulate on such issues.
"It is up to the media to formulate such a voluntary code of conduct if it is found necessary, appropriate and useful by them," said Mr Frattini. "There have never been, nor will there be any plans by the European Commission to have some sort of EU regulation, nor is there any legal basis for doing so."
Mr Frattini made the comments in a statement issued to the media to clarify his earlier comments made in an interview published by the Daily Telegraph yesterday.
In the article, Mr Frattini said the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published in Danish paper Jyllands-Posten "humiliated" millions of Muslims. He also said that by agreeing to a charter the press would give the Muslim world the message that: "We are aware of the consequences of exercising the right of free expression, we can and we are ready to self-regulate that right."
Mr Frattini, who last week said he believed publication of the cartoons was "imprudent", has raised concerns among journalist unions that he would interfere with the freedom of the press.
Last September Mr Frattini launched an initiative to examine ways to counter the growth of extremism among Muslims in the EU. This included an examination of the EU instruments that are available in the field of broadcast media and the internet that could be used to stem further the spreading of terrorist propaganda. Mr Frattini has also examined how to build on existing rules which prohibit incitement to hatred on grounds of race, sex, religion or nationality in broadcasts.
Last year the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) met Mr Frattini to express its concerns that the commission was considering some form of code of conduct for the media. "We have already made it abundantly clear that ethical issues must be left to media professionals without any political interference. As far as we are concerned this principle has been agreed," said Aidan White, IFJ general secretary.