On 26 March 2026, Kristina Irion (Associated Professor at IViR) and Ronan Fahy (Assistant Professor at IViR) presented a study on media regulators to the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Media Regulators in a Platform-Based Environment.
Dr. Irion and Dr. Fahy were commissioned by the Council of Europe to write an independent Background Study to Inform the Development of a Guidance Note on Media Regulators in a Platform-Based Environment. The study aims to serve as a foundation for initiating discussions within the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Media Regulators in a Platform-Based Environment (MSI- eREG) on a future Guidance Note on this topic. The forthcoming Guidance Note is intended to support member States, media regulators, and other relevant stakeholders in ensuring that media regulators can continue to fulfil their essential functions in the digital age – with independence both in law and in practice, and with the necessary remit, resources, and powers to operate effectively.
The Study highlights that any regulatory framework on media regulators in a platform-based environment must be consistent with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), particularly the right to freedom of expression and media freedom under Article 10 ECHR. It covers aspects of media regulators’ role and competences in a platform-based environment; the conditions necessary to ensure media regulators’ independence; and the need for strengthening national cross-sectoral coordination, cross-border cooperation and international assistance. It moreover explores how the country-of-origin principle and freedom of retransmission interact with mechanisms for effective cross-border cooperation. The Study begins with a brief overview of member States’ legal frameworks and institutional arrangements, as well as the challenges relevant to independent media regulators. It then provides an extensive mapping of Council of Europe law and standards relevant to media regulators in a platform-based environment. The Study further highlights developments in European Union law and the work of other international organisations, in particular the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It also identifies preliminary challenges that have been encountered by regulators and other stakeholders in the current digital environment. It concludes by presenting a Proposal for a Guidance Note on Media Regulators in a Platform-Based Environment for consideration by the MSI-eREG.
The study has been published on the MSI- eREG’s website, which also includes a report of the MSI- eREG’s first meeting on 26-27 March 2026.