The dispute over press accreditation for events held under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU has escalated, with the Institute for Mass Media publicly backing the Union of Cyprus Journalists (UCJ) and criticising the government’s stance.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Institute expressed “dismay” that the Secretariat of the Cyprus Presidency is requiring Cypriot journalists to present press cards issued by the Republic’s Press and Information Office (PIO), while refusing to accept press cards issued by the UCJ.
According to the Institute, such a requirement does not appear to apply to other European journalists, who are being accredited on the basis of their national union press cards. It noted that, unlike in Cyprus, "the concept of state accreditation of the journalistic profession does not exist in the rest of the EU."
“Antiquated regulatory framework”
The Institute described the notion that journalists should be accredited by the state as a by-product of what it called an “antiquated regulatory framework” governing the media sector in Cyprus. It pointed to the "urgent" need for reform of the "essentially inoperative" 1989 Press Law, arguing that the state has delayed the introduction of a new regulatory framework capable of addressing the digital media landscape and eliminating state intervention in journalistic accreditation.
Mandatory state licensing of journalists, it added, is widely recognised as posing a risk to press freedom, as it can open the door to potential restrictions.
Call to rescind the requirement
The Institute for Mass Media said it stands by the UCJ and its members and calls on the government to rescind the requirement for PIO-issued accreditation. It urges the authorities to recognise the validity of UCJ press cards, stressing that they are recognised by the European Federation of Journalists and by journalism bodies worldwide.
The intervention follows the UCJ’s earlier objections to what it described as a “scandalous downgrade” of its status during the Cyprus Presidency accreditation process. The union has already raised the issue with the Deputy Minister for European Affairs and at European level through the European Federation of Journalists, which has called for the explicit recognition of UCJ press cards in all accreditation procedures.
The controversy adds pressure on the government to clarify its position as Cyprus is hosting high-level EU meetings under its rotating Presidency.