A new benchmark on foreign media ownership restrictions shows that three countries out of the 12 countries surveyed have restrictions in place which prevent entities or citizens based outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) from acquiring full control of a media company established on their territory.

These countries choose to enact these regulations to help preserve the “national character or community” of the nation, and/or to safeguard media pluralism and freedom of speech.

The benchmark shows that at the moment, France is the country with the strictest thresholds. Non-EU/EEA companies/citizens cannot directly or indirectly hold more than 20% of the capital share or voting rights of a TV/radio channel broadcast in French on digital terrestrial networks.

In Poland, a highly controversial draft law is being debated in Parliament which proposes to prevent a foreign entity based in an EU/EEA country from being granted a broadcasting licence in Poland, if it is a subsidiary of a foreign company registered outside the EU/EEA. 

For more information and access to the full benchmark, please click on “Access the full content” - or on “Request Access”, in case you are not subscribed to our European Media service.