The EBU has welcomed the Vice-President of the Federation Wallonia-Brussels and Minister in charge of Media Jean-Claude Marcourt at its headquarters in Geneva.

Marcourt was invited by EBU President Jean-Paul Philippot to visit Geneva on Monday 18 January and met Director General Ingrid Deltenre.

The Federation Wallonia - Brussels has signed, along with members of the EBU, the Declaration on the fundamental values ​​of public service media (PSM), which pledges to uphold six core values ​​common to all PSM: universality, independence, excellence, diversity, accountability and innovation.
 
Minister Marcourt used the visit to emphasize the important role played by public service media:  "In these troubled times, it is essential in the interests of democracy that public service media makes impartial information available. This can obviously only happen when there is total respect for press freedom and the culture of open debate," he said.

With regards to these objectives Jean-Claude Marcourt also observed the consequences of the decision of the Polish government to place the country's public television and radio under the direct control of the authorities.