5 May 2026 Mission 16 – European experts and officials of Ukraine’s National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting met online for a working session devoted to media ownership concentration, audiovisual market analysis and the protection of pluralism and freedom of expression.
The meeting brought together regulatory expertise from the European level and the Ukrainian authority to address one of the most pressing challenges facing modern media systems: how to monitor ownership structures and assess the impact that market concentration can have on democratic debate.
Central to the exchange was the experience of AGCOM, in evaluating concentrations in the audiovisual sector. Participants explored both the conceptual framework and the practical tools used to map ownership links, analyse market dynamics and identify potential risks to a diverse media landscape.
Discussion then turned to the European Media Freedom Act, with particular attention to Articles 21 to 23 – and especially Article 22, which governs the assessment of media market concentrations. The experts reviewed the progress made on the draft guidelines under Article 22 and the challenge of translating broad European principles into concrete, workable criteria for national regulators.
One of the main issues discussed was how to define “media markets” in an increasingly complex digital environment. ” in today’s digital ecosystem. As traditional broadcasting, audiovisual services, online platforms and digital information providers increasingly overlap, regulators must assess markets that are far more complex and interconnected than in the past. The discussion also covered the economic, technical and regulatory dimensions of this analysis, alongside the value of coordinated enforcement and close cooperation between national and European authorities.
Throughout, participants stressed that monitoring concentration is not merely a question of market regulation. In the audiovisual sector, ownership structures shape the diversity of voices reaching the public, the independence of editorial decisions and citizens’ access to plural sources of information.
By combining EU Regulator’s hands-on experience with the new European framework, the meeting underscored the importance of cooperation, transparency and shared standards in safeguarding media pluralism. In a fast-changing digital environment, the ability to assess concentrations effectively remains an essential safeguard for freedom of expression and democratic resilience.