EU Institutions
Parliament and Council
At the political level, the European Parliament and the Council are expected to demonstrate transparency and accountability for EU spending, which can make it difficult to grant exemptions from visibility or reporting requirements, even when safety concerns are at stake.
European Commission
Within the Commission, different DGs (whether internal or external facing) have well-established procedures to safeguard financial probity and policy objectives, yet these procedures may not always align with the flexibility needed to protect media independence in sensitive contexts.
EU Delegations
EU Delegations operate under pressure to communicate EU action on the ground, while at the same time they must protect the safety and credibility of local media partners.
Embassies and cultural institutes
Member State embassies and cultural institutes add further perspectives and visibility priorities, reflecting their national mandates.
Balancing responsibilities
These are all legitimate responsibilities, but together they can create tensions that risk exposing media organisations or undermining their independence.
It is important to recognise that media outlets are not only implementing partners but also professional organisations with obligations towards their audiences, staff and the ethical standards.
They must remain credible, trusted, and safe in their own environments.
To uphold these obligations while also delivering on donor and funder requirements, support instruments need to integrate “do no harm” safeguards as standard practice — from safety budgets to visibility waivers — ensuring that EU support strengthens, rather than inadvertently endangers, the media sector.
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