Public broadcasting in Italy requires immediate protection measures, according to experts.

The European Commission has expressed concerns regarding Italy's public service media independence and its defamation laws. These issues were highlighted in an extensive report released on Wednesday, detailing various challenges across all 27 member states of the EU, including political influence over public broadcasters, legal threats against journalists, and difficulties in ensuring transparent ownership of media companies.

In Italy specifically, there have been growing concerns since the election of Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party in 2022. The report suggests that calls for safeguards to protect media independence are becoming increasingly urgent due to recent incidents and budget cuts reported by stakeholders.

The report also draws attention to the defamation law in Italy, which is considered one of the strictest within Europe. A recent court ruling mandated a journalist pay €5,000 for mocking the prime minister's height on social media. The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom has criticized this move as detrimental to press freedom in Italy.

In response, EU officials have recommended that member states introduce stronger protections against legal abuses targeted at journalists and human rights defenders. Commissioner Didier Reynders expressed a willingness to engage with Italian authorities on these issues and monitor the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act designed to protect media workers.

This comprehensive report underscores persistent or escalating threats against independent media in several EU countries, including Romania, Malta, Hungary, and Slovakia - where a recent law dissolving the current public broadcaster has been passed by the nationalist-populist government of Robert Fico.