EU Commissioner: Ban RT and Sputnik for all channels

Created: 03/01/2022, 11:45 am

EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.

© Virginia Mayo/Pool AP/dpa

In order to restrict the access of the two Russian state media RT and Sputnik to the entire European market, the EU has now specified its plan again.

Brussels - The EU ban on the Russian state media RT and Sputnik will affect distribution across all channels, according to Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.

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This applies to transmission or distribution via cable, satellite, digital television or video platforms, Breton told French radio station RTL on Tuesday.

The aim is to restrict the access of the two "Russian propaganda organs" to the entire European market.

According to Breton, the measures should come into force on Tuesday.

Before that, however, the EU ambassadors of the 27 member states should deal with the topic at noon.

The decision would then have to be formally taken through a written procedure before it could be published in the Official Journal of the EU.

Only then would the ban come into force.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the ban on RT and Sputnik on Sunday.

This is to combat disinformation and war propaganda related to the Russian war against Ukraine.

Facebook group Meta and video app Tiktok have already restricted access to RT and Sputnik content in the EU.

dpa