The Committee of Experts on Safeguarding Media Pluralism in the Online Environment (MSI-ePLU) met in Strasbourg on 8–9 September to advance the drafting of a future recommendation to guide member states in addressing the impact of digital transformation on media pluralism.

The meeting, chaired by Aneta GONTA (Republic of Moldova), brought together representatives of member states, independent experts, international organisations and civil society.

An information ecosystem that enables individuals to form opinions based on accurate facts and diverse viewpoints is essential to democratic security and resilience. The role of states in promoting and protecting it is rooted in the right to freedom of expression, protected by Article 10 of the Convention.

In an era of information abundance, declining quality standards and increasingly mediated access to media content, responses to media pluralism must take account of the role of new and powerful actors in media markets. This requires going beyond traditional metrics, such as availability of a diverse range of media and media content or the market presence of individual media companies and groups. The actual exposure by the public in general and individual users of digital services to accurate and reliable content, produced by responsible media and media actors, becomes a key issue.

These considerations, together with existing standards on media pluralism, have guided the Committee’s work. The MSI-ePLU, a subordinate committee to the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI), is expected to complete its work by the end of 2027. Its next meeting will take place in February 2027.

• Composition of the Committee 
• For further information, see the MSI-ePLU website.