Reporters without Borders calls EU for firm stance on Polish gov't

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged the European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans to address the issue of Polish government interference in the state-owned media in the “opinion” on the rule of law in Poland that he is due to present on behalf of the commission on May 23, the organisation announced.

"It is vital that the European Commission does not allow media freedom to deteriorate within the EU," RSF said. "The Polish government’s stranglehold on the media must be clearly condemned in the opinion submitted by Frans Timmermans. We call on him to reiterate the EU’s concern about media independence to Warsaw." The publication of an opinion expressing European Union concern about Poland’s failure to respect the rule of law is the next step in a monitoring procedure that could possibly lead to sanctions. After the European Commission presents its opinion on May 23, Poland will have two weeks to respond, failing which it will be exposed to possible sanctions that could include the suspension of its voting rights.