EU: Economic and Social Committee Plenary, “securing media freedom and diversity in Europe”. Migration and trafficking also on the agenda

“Securing media freedom and diversity in Europe” - this is the theme of the debate that will open the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels on 22-23 September (hybrid meeting). Speakers will include Ricardo Gutiérrez, Secretary-General of the European Federation of Journalists, and Julie Majerczak, Head of Brussels Office of Reporters without Borders. The EESC prepared an opinion on this subject, that will be voted on by the assembly, urging the EU and Member States to take “urgent steps” to end the “alarming developments” that have claimed the lives of several journalists in recent years. According to the EESC, the “new general regime of budget conditionality” should also be used to combat media repression. One of the guest speakers at the plenary will be European Commissioner Elisa Ferreira (on 23 September) who will contribute to the debate on cohesion policy in the fight against inequalities and the implementation of e-cohesion. Other “opinions” that will be voted on in the plenary are that on the food policy to address imbalances in the food supply chain; the “Action Plan for the development of EU organic production”; artificial intelligence with a document on fundamental rights and one on algorithmic processes and transparency; and migration with an in-depth study on human trafficking and on “repatriation and reintegration”.Valentina Bombelli