DG CONNECT

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🎯 Mandate

DG CONNECT (Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology) leads the EU’s work on the digital single market, media and audiovisual policy, and technology governance. It manages the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), Digital Services Act (DSA), and Digital Markets Act (DMA)—each critical for creating an enabling environment where independent journalism and trustworthy information can thrive.

DG CONNECT bridges industrial, digital, and democratic policy. Its challenge is to ensure that innovation, competition, and freedom of expression advance together—so that Europe’s digital transformation also protects media pluralism and information integrity.

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⚖️ Opportunities and Challenges

Opportunities:

• Media as Digital Infrastructure – DG CONNECT can frame public-interest journalism as an essential component of Europe’s digital and democratic infrastructure, aligning funding under Creative Europe and Horizon Europe with EMFA goals.

• Democracy Shield Integration – CONNECT’s oversight of the European Media Freedom Act gives it leverage to embed EMFA safeguards directly into the upcoming European Democracy Shield and related instruments.

• Innovation for Media Viability – Through Creative Europe – NEWS and Journalism Partnerships, DG CONNECT can support experimentation in audience engagement, AI-assisted news production, and digital safety tools for journalists.

• Platform Accountability – CONNECT can advance algorithmic transparency and fair-value distribution through DSA/DMA enforcement, ensuring that platform revenues support, rather than undercut, credible media.

• Public-Private Collaboration – By working with DG COMP, SG, and the European Investment Bank, CONNECT can scale up blended-finance mechanisms that treat media as SMEs and public-interest innovators.

Challenges:

• Balancing Market and Public Value – CONNECT must reconcile innovation policy with safeguards that protect editorial independence and societal trust.

• Uneven Implementation – National disparities in EMFA and DSA enforcement could widen gaps in media pluralism across the Union.

• Administrative Burden – Calls under Creative Europe often favour large consortia, limiting access for smaller, independent outlets.

• Dependence on Platforms – Reliance on big-tech infrastructure risks legitimising monopolistic systems that weaken Europe’s information sovereignty.

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🧭 Strategic Priorities for DG CONNECT

Area	Action	OECD Principle Link
Mainstreaming	Ensure full alignment between EMFA, DSA, and DMA implementation to strengthen the media’s operating environment.	3️⃣ Whole-of-System Approach
Media Viability	Expand Creative Europe – NEWS to include multi-year core support and digital-safety costs.	2️⃣ Increase Funding
Platform Accountability	Enforce DSA transparency obligations and demonetisation of disinformation through measurable benchmarks.	1️⃣ Do No Harm
Innovation & Inclusion	Prioritise R&I calls that support inclusive technologies for newsrooms and underserved communities.	4️⃣ Strengthen Local Ownership
Learning & Evaluation	Publish an annual synthesis of EMFA and Creative Europe impact data, shared with other DGs and Member States.	6️⃣ Invest in Knowledge

Field Voice

“Creative Europe has been a game-changer, but smaller outlets still struggle to access it. We need lighter compliance, bridge grants, and real coordination between EMFA and DSA priorities.” — DG CONNECT official, consultation 2025