EU must tell Greece to reverse state TV closure: journalists

(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission must demand a reversal of the Greek government's controversial decision to close state broadcaster ERT, European journalists said Wednesday.

The International Press Association (API), which represents Brussels-based international correspondents, called on European Union institutions "to demand an immediate reversal" of the shock shutdown Tuesday of ERT and summary dismissal of some 2,700 staff.

The Commission has faced criticism in Greece for forcing harsh reforms on the government under the terms of a bailout of the debt-hit eurozone country by the so-called "troika" of international lenders -- the Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank.

"The claim by the European Commission that neither it nor the troika appointed to Greece, of which it is a member, was aware of the government decision (on ERT) is no defence," API said in a statement.

It said EU treaties recognised the system of public broadcasting in member states as essential in preserving media pluralism and meeting democratic, social and cultural needs.

"The Commission has a duty to act in this case," the statement said.

API said claims that ERT costs were too high or that many of its journalists had links to local political parties did not justify the closure.

In a separate statement, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) too called on the Greek government to immediately revoke the decision.

"These plans are simply absurd. It will be a major blow to democracy, to media pluralism and to journalism as a public good in Greece," said EFJ president Mogens Blicher Bjerregard.