European Parliament President Considering Local Ban on RT and Sputnik Websites – Reports
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) – President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola is considering the possibility of banning access to the websites of Sputnik and RT within the networks and devices of the European Parliament, where they remain available despite EU-level restrictions, European media reported.According to a European media, a number of media websites remain accessible despite the EU sanctions. The publication said that the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament has proposed banning access to the websites of Russian media outlets sanctioned by the EU within Parliament’s internal networks and devices.The initiative was reportedly put forward by Latvian MEP Rihards Kols. Among the media whose websites would be restricted are RT, Sputnik, ANO TV-Novosti (the legal entity of RT), VGTRK, and others.“Metsola is considering this possibility and is studying what other measures are being taken in other EU institutions,” the newspaper said.However, the publication added that some members of the parliamentary group have expressed concern over the proposal, warning that it could set a precedent for blocking websites for reasons unrelated to security. They also pointed to the technical and legal difficulties of implementing such restrictions.The situation for Russian media in the West has become increasingly difficult in recent years. In November 2016, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for countering Russian media influence, naming Sputnik and RT as the main threats in the document.Several Western politicians, including US senators and members of Congress as well as the President of France, have accused Sputnik and RT of interfering in elections in the United States and France, though no evidence was ever provided. Russian officials have called such claims unfounded.The European Union has imposed sanctions on major Russian media outlets, banning their broadcasting within EU territory. The decision was taken without referring the matter to a court or to national regulators in EU member states responsible for their domestic media markets.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow did not expect the West to impose sanctions against journalists, athletes, and cultural figures.
