Media ownership monitor

Deadline: Feb 9, 2021  
CALL EXPIRED

1. INTRODUCTION – BACKGROUND

Media freedom and pluralism are central pillars of any democratic society and crucial conditions for an open and free democratic debate as they help to ensure the availability and accessibility of diverse information and opinions. They are enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Article 11(2)).

Transparency of media ownership is an important element in ensuring that media pluralism is effective. It helps to conduct informed regulatory, competition and policy activities and enables the public to evaluate the information and opinions disseminated by the media. As highlighted in the Commission’s 2020 Rule of Law Report, some Member States have well-developed systems to ensure transparency of media ownership while in few others there are obstacles to an effective public disclosure of ownership, or there is no effective disclosure system in place1.

According to the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), Member States may adopt legislative measures requiring that media service providers under their jurisdiction make accessible information concerning their ownership structure, including the beneficial owners.

Legal Basis

Pilot Project within the meaning of Article 58(2)(b) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 (OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1).

The relevant annual work programme was adopted by Commission Decision C(2020) 2259 of 20.4.2020.

2. OBJECTIVE(S) – THEME(S) – PRIORITIES

This Call for Proposals aims at selecting an entity to carry out the Pilot Project for a Media Ownership Monitor.

2.1. Objectives

While digital technology has lowered the entry costs of mass media and opened up a tightly regulated market to a wide range of new players, it has also brought about a trend towards concentration of ownership as the business model of traditional media has come under stress. Market failure, regulatory shortcomings and algorithmic news distribution have led to new risks in terms of media pluralism. Transparency of media ownership is consequently crucial, as it is a pre-requisite for meaningful understanding of the market, which, in turn, is required for any concentration control and/or regulatory intervention as well as meaningful media literacy.

The Media Ownership Monitor aims at addressing such shortcomings by providing a country-based database containing information on media ownership and by a systematic assessment of relevant legal frameworks as well as risks to media ownership transparency. This mechanism will make potential issues visible and provide valuable information for a better understanding of the market. It will be carried out in collaboration with European, regional and local stakeholders in the field of media freedom and pluralism.

2.2. Expected outputs

This project is expected to create a publicly available country-based database that will aggregate information on media ownership, collected as a result of systematic monitoring of ownership and/or controllership of main media outlets in at least ten European Union countries.

Applicants will have to detail the criteria for the selection of those European Union countries, and such list of countries will have to be agreed with the Commission.

As regards the systematic assessment of relevant legal frameworks as well as risks to media ownership transparency, the project will take account of the work carried out by the Media Pluralism Monitor in the area of media ownership and control.

2.2.1. Description of the activities
The activities to be covered under this Pilot Project are the following:

1. a)  Create a publicly available country-based database containing data on the main media outlets that shape public opinion and the corporate entities and individuals which own or otherwise control them. The database will have to cover at least ten European Union countries, including at least several countries with identified media ownership transparency risks. The database is expected to cover as many relevant national, regional and local news media as possible. Online news media will also need to be covered. The applicants are invited to indicate the number and types of media they intend to monitor as well as the criteria for selecting them.

2. b)  Include contextual narratives of the country-specific environment and a detailed legal assessment which lends itself to comparative analysis;

3. c) Building on the existing work of the Media Pluralism Monitor, the project will analyse and monitor a wide range of risk indicators in the legal, economic and technical domains, focusing on media ownership and control; Applicants are invited to describe the rational for selecting the risk indicators and the methodology they intend to use.

4. d) Ensure dissemination of the results via a dedicated online platform, launch events, press conferences and appropriate social media coverage. The use of interactive databases, maps and data visualisation is encouraged. Applicants are invited to describe their dissemination strategy and ways to ensure that the online platform they intend to set up is user-friendly and accessible.

Applicants will have to present an offer covering at least the activities listed above. They are encouraged to develop their offers further and propose additional activities for this Pilot Project.

3. TIMETABLE

The indicative schedule for the different steps and stages of the selection procedure are as follows:

(a) Publication of the call

2nd December 2020

(b) Deadline for submitting applications

9th February 2021 23:59 CET

(c) Evaluation period

February-March 2021

(d) Information to applicants

Q2 2021

(e) Signature of grant agreement

Q2 2021

(f) Indicative start date

Not later than 1st July 2021

4. BUDGET AVAILABLE

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of the project under this call for proposals is estimated at EUR 1 000 000.

The EU co-financing is limited to a maximum co-funding rate of 90% of the total eligible costs.

The Commission expects to fund one proposal.
The Commission reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

5. ADMISSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

In order to be admissible, applications must be:

•  sent no later than the deadline for submitting applications referred to in section 3;

•   submitted in writing and in electronic form (pdf) (see section 14), using the application form available at < https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/news- redirect/693034 > and in electronic form (pdf format); and

•   drafted in one of the EU official languages.
  Failure to comply with those requirements will lead to rejection of the application.

6. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants shall submit a proposal covering at least all the activities listed in Section 2.2.1.

6.1. Eligible applicants

The call is open to:

•   A “sole” applicant (several legal entities forming together one legal entity or 'sole beneficiary')

•   A grouping of entities (consortia) – with the entities forming this consortia having or not entities affiliated to them.

  Proposals may be submitted by any of the following applicants or combinations of:

•   non-profit organisation (private or public);

•   international organisations;

•   universities;

•   educational institutions;

•   research centres;
  Natural persons are not eligible except if:

• They are self-employed persons or equivalent (i.e. sole traders) where the company does not possess legal personality separate from that of the natural person.

• They are part of a consortium. However, projects cannot be coordinated by a natural person.

General notice for UK applicants: Please be aware that following the entry into force of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement2 on 1 February 2020 and in particular Articles 127(6), 137 and 138, the references to natural or legal persons residing or established in a Member State of the European Union are to be understood as including natural or legal persons residing or established in the United Kingdom. UK residents and entities are therefore eligible to participate under this call.

Affiliated entities

Legal entities having a legal or capital link with applicants, which is neither limited to the action nor established for the sole purpose of its implementation, may take part in the action as affiliated entities3, and may declare eligible costs as specified in section 11.2.

For that purpose, applicants shall identify such affiliated entities in the application form.

Country of establishment

Only applications from legal entities established in the following countries are eligible:  EU Member States;

Sole applicant requirements
By way of exception, an application may be submitted by one applicant (the "sole"

applicant), whether established specifically or not for the action, provided that:

•   it is formed of several legal entities complying with the eligibility, non-exclusion and selection criteria set out in this call for proposals, and implementing together the proposed action;

•   the application identifies the said entities.

For the purpose of declaring eligible costs as specified under section 11.2, the entities composing the “sole” applicant shall be treated as affiliated entities in accordance with Article 187 of the Financial Regulation4 .

Supporting documents

In order to assess the applicants' eligibility, the following supporting documents are requested:

Examples of supporting documents :

•   private entity: extract from the official journal, copy of articles of association, extract of trade or association register, certificate of liability to VAT (if, as in certain countries, the trade register number and VAT number are identical, only one of these documents is required);

•   public entity: copy of the resolution, decision or other official document establishing the public-law entity ;

•   natural persons: photocopy of identity card and/or passport; certificate of liability to VAT, if applicable (e.g. some self-employed persons)

•   entities without legal personality: documents providing evidence that their representative(s) have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf. In the case of legal entities forming one applicant (the "sole" applicant), as specified in section 6.1, the above requirements apply to each one of those entities.

   

In the case of legal entities forming one applicant (the "sole" applicant), as specified in section 6.1, the above requirements apply to each one of those entities.

6.2. Eligible activities

The following types of activities are eligible under this call for proposals:

•   cooperation projects;

•   conferences, seminars, press conferences;

•   training activities;

•   awareness and dissemination actions;

•   actions aiming at the creation and improvement of networks, exchanges of good

  practices;

•   studies, analyses, mapping projects;

•   research activities;

•   actions aiming at the creation and improvement of digital tools.

6.3 Implementation period

The proposed maximum duration of this Pilot Project is 12 months.

Applications for projects scheduled to run for a longer period than that specified in this call for proposals will not be accepted.

(TRUNCATED)