A new strategy for media literacy and digital learning

Wording as published by the EP, in English.

1. Amendment 1Rejected

   Paragraph 3

   Tabled by Catherine Griset, Tomasz Buczek, Jorge Buxadé Villalba +82 · Members

   3. Removed: Stresses Added: stresses that media literacy and digital learning Removed: should be reflected within broader EU initiatives aimed at safeguarding democratic processes, including in the context of the EU Democracy Shield; Added: must not be exploited within the framework of the ‘Democracy Shield’, which risks promoting a uniform and ideologically biased view of information; recalls that democracy is based on free debate and not on institutional determinations of what constitutes legitimate information; expresses concern that such measures may lead to the marginalisation of opinions, including those critical of EU policies;

2. Amendment 2Rejected

   Paragraph 6

   Tabled by Catherine Griset, Tomasz Buczek, Jorge Buxadé Villalba +82 · Members

   … literacy and digital learning play in empowering users to navigate the digital Removed: environment safely, including in combating cyberbullying and other forms of online harm; highlights, in particular, that providing media literacy and digital learning skills throughout the entire education path and within lifelong learning activities is crucial for developing and strengthening critical thinking, self-awareness and responsible behaviour online; Added: environment; stresses that the acquisition of these skills is first and foremost the responsibility of parents and legal guardians as provided for in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, followed by the school system – the organisation of which falls to the Member States – and not a lifelong process supervised by EU institutions; warns against an overly broad interpretation of this oversight, which would make the EU an omnipresent actor in the education of citizens far beyond the scope of its powers; recalls that subsidiarity is not an optional principle and that education remains a national competence;

3. Amendment 3Rejected

   Paragraph 6 a (new)

   Tabled by Catherine Griset, Tomasz Buczek, Jorge Buxadé Villalba +74 · Members

   Added: 6a. Further emphasises that the EU cannot present itself as the guarantor of democracy in the Member States while measures such as the withholding of EU funds, non-transparent negotiation processes, the application of unequal standards between Member States or the communication surrounding such measures may influence domestic political debates and electoral processes; stresses that all actions undertaken by EU institutions should fully respect the principles of transparency, equal treatment, institutional neutrality and democratic self-determination of Member States;

4. Amendment 4Rejected

   Paragraph 10

   Tabled by Catherine Griset, Tomasz Buczek, Jorge Buxadé Villalba +82 · Members

   10. Highlights Removed: the importance of strengthening Added: that any cooperation between public and private Removed: stakeholders to promote media literacy across the EU; emphasises the important role of civil society organisations, community initiatives, volunteers and cultural actors in building trust, thereby fostering dialogue in public debate; Added: stakeholders, or civil society organisations involved in media literacy must comply with the highest standards of financial transparency and political neutrality and must not promote, support or engage in political campaigning; considers that where a systemic risk of conflicts of interest is identified, funding should be suspended and reviewed, applying the same standards and criteria to all organisations without discrimination; recalls that media literacy education can only take place within the framework of freedom of expression protected from all political control and the risk that media literacy programmes financed by the Commission, under the guise of combating disinformation, could be used to harmonise media content and discredit sources of information that are critical of the EU; calls on the Member States, consequently, to retain full control over the design and implementation of media literacy education, while fully respecting pluralism of opinion and freedom of expression;

5. Amendment 5Rejected

   Paragraph 33 a (new)

   Tabled by Catherine Griset, Tomasz Buczek, Jorge Buxadé Villalba +82 · Members

   Added: 33a. Recalls that education falls within the competence of the Member States in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity enshrined in Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and that the Commission has no legislative authority over school curriculums; recalls that the role of schools is to impart knowledge, whereas fostering critical thinking is first and foremost the responsibility of parents; therefore opposes any attempt by the EU to impose educational content through recommendations, funding, or legislation; emphasises the risk that media literacy programmes funded by the Commission, under the guise of combating disinformation, could be used to standardise diverse media content and discredit sources of information critical of the EU; calls on the Member States, therefore, to retain full control over media literacy education, from design to implementation, while fully respecting the plurality of opinions and freedom of expression;