Nicosia, Cyprus. The Union of Cyprus Journalists (UCJ) filed a request on Monday for an ex officio examination of accreditation procedures for coverage of Cyprus’ EU presidency, submitting it to the House interior committee. The request follows reports that journalists must present a state-issued press card to be accredited.
Request to Parliament and criticism of legal basis
UCJ said the requirement was based on the invocation of a law it described as inactive since 1990, with provisions it said are outdated and unenforceable. The union asked the House interior committee to clarify how the state could invoke an inactive 1989 law that, it said, ignores television, radio and internet journalists.
Concerns over press freedom and self-regulation
The union said the decision was not merely administrative and described it as a direct threat to press freedom. UCJ urged political factions to adopt a stance and to support its demands for transparency, legitimacy and respect for what it called the self-regulation of the journalistic community.
Journalistic identity cards and the press council
UCJ said that under legislation, the journalistic identity card is not issued by the state but by an independent press council, which it said has never functioned.
European obligations and references to Council of Europe and EMFA
Calling on Parliament to probe what it described as a violation of European obligations, UCJ sought clarifications on the government’s refusal, as it put it, to implement recommendation 2016/4 of the Council of Europe, which it said recognises trade union journalistic ID cards as legitimate qualifications and had been endorsed by the government. The union also criticised what it described as an attempt to impose state certification for coverage of European institutions, warning this conflicted with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), and called for respect for media self-regulation.
EFJ letter and potential complaint
UCJ cited a letter from the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) to the interior ministry, which said that government issuance of journalistic ID cards violates European legal standards and could be the subject of a complaint to the European media regulator and the European Board of Media Services (EBMS).
What do you think should be the criteria for accrediting journalists to cover Cyprus’ EU presidency?