(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI press release: IPI Media Workshop Confronts Issues of Concern in EU Charter of Fundamental Rights On 26 – 27 October, the International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and media executives, will open its international media workshop on the proposed EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. To […]
(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI press release:
IPI Media Workshop Confronts Issues of Concern in EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
On 26 – 27 October, the International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and media executives, will open its international media workshop on the proposed EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. To be held in Zurich, with participants from 36 nations, the goal of this workshop is to stimulate public debate on the potential conflicts when defining a new political morale for Europe, the so-called “European Values”.
“In the field of international politics, we have, unfortunately, time and again, been witness to well intentioned projects that have resulted in confusion or newly created restrictions and limitations”, said Johann Fritz, the director of IPI. “The present legal provisions for press freedom are, for example, substantially watered down, since the Charter now only defines them as ‘to be respected’ instead of ‘to be guaranteed'”.
In support of this view, IPI would cite the growing reservations among European Union citizens on issues such as the re-definition of existing treaties, a two-tier strategy for a federal union, enlargement, reform of the institutions and a common currency.
At present, the most popular argument to be heard is that decisions of such magnitude obviously need further democratic legitimisation and should not be left to heads of government and bureaucrats. Furthermore, the president of the European Commission is also concerned about the growing tendency of European governments to make important decisions outside of normal community procedures. In view of this, the conference will be a platform for passionate debate between journalists and top-level representatives from the various European countries.
The list of the more than two dozen invited speakers reads like a “who’s Who” in international politics: Walter Schwimmer, Secretary-General, Council of Europe/ Egon Klepsch, former President, European Parliament/ Luzius Wildhaber, acting President, European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg/ Daniel Tarschys, former Secretary-General, Council of Europe/ Stefan Drechsel, former president of the European Commission for Human Rights/ Jean Luc Dehaene, former Prime Minister of Belgium/ Abel Matutes, former Spanish EU Commissioner and former Minister of Foreign Affairs/ Jacob Söderman, European Ombudsman/ Enrique Múgica, Spanish ombudsman and former Minister of Justice/ Manuel Dias Loureiro, former Portuguese Minister of Home Affairs/ László Kovács former Minister of Foreign Affairs Hungary/Algan Hacaloglu, former Turkish minister of human rights/ and other experts on European Affairs. In addition, the Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel, will be available for a question and answer session on Thursday evening over dinner.
