A row in Poland over a proposed media law escalated on Friday afternoon when the European Commission announced it would start monitoring the situation surrounding US-owned news channel TVN, whose license has not yet been renewed.
At a press conference in Brussels on Friday, Christian Wigand, a spokesman for the Commission (EC), said that it was well aware of the new legislative proposal, which could limit the ownership of media companies in Poland to companies from the European Economic Area.
The new draft law is seen by some as an attack on the US-owned TVN24 television channel, which has been highly critical of the government.
Wigand said that all member states were required to ensure that their policies did not affect their commitment to allow for a free, independent and diversified delivery of news content. The spokesman also said that the EC was very concerned about the freedom of the media in Poland, a worry that was outlined in a rule-of-law report in 2020.