site.btaCulture Minister Todorov: "Identifying Media Beneficial Owners Would Help Fight Disinformation"

Bulgarian Culture Minister Nayden Todorov attended a meeting of the EU Culture, Audiovisual and Education Council here on Tuesday.

"Identifying media beneficial owners would help fight disinformation," Todorov told Bulgarian journalists in Brussels. He described the proposed EU media legislation as "a huge step forward" and "a possibility to support Bulgarian media".

At the Council meeting, ministers discussed important issues concerning protection of journalists, their families and sources, media ownership transparency (legal and actual), and settlement of relations between content providers and large internet platforms. In his words, it is important for media to know that the content they provide will not be modified or removed without their knowledge by virtue of the future legislation.

The Minister expects the European Parliament to debate the European Media Freedom Act Regulation this coming autumn, and the new rules are to be approved at the beginning of next year. Todorov believes that the matters discussed are particularly important for Bulgaria. "We have always taken a somewhat liberal attitude to legal issues, especially when media freedom is concerned," the Minister commented.

"We are duty bound to help Ukrainian artists and Ukrainian culture in every possible way because protecting Ukraine's culture implies protecting its cultural identity," Todorov explained. Considering that libraries in Germany have turned into a social venue for refugees from Ukraine, Bulgaria has a large potential in this respect, he added.

"We should give unqualified support to the setting up of a cultural heritage protection fund on private, state and European financing. "I believe that this would be a huge help, considering all problems that Bulgaria is having with its cultural heritage," Todorov observed.

Earlier in the day, Todorov had talks with Susanne Raab, Minister for Women, Family and Youth of Austria, with his Romanian counterpart Lucian Romascanu and with Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova. In the context of the European Act on Freedom of the Media, Jourova underlined that she appreciated Bulgaria's support on the issue.