DISINFO: Ursula von der Leyen had no competency to ban RT and Sputnik
SUMMARY
RT / Sputnik are banned by a decision of the President of the European Commission, who has no right to do so. But it is effective in all countries of the European Union.
The French media authority ARCOM had just renewed the RT France agreement when Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen decided to ban RT France and ARCOM said nothing.
RESPONSE
Recurrent disinformation message about the European Commission and the decision to implement a temporary broadcast and transmission ban RT / sputnik within the EU during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The President of the European Commission announced temporary restrictive measures against on broadcasting of RT branches and Sputnik in the EU during the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops but the decision was made by the EU Council which is composed of member states' governments.
Conspiracy theory prone groups often pretend that an “unelected individual”, the President of the Commission, decided unilaterally and illegally to mute media groups inside the EU: it is incorrect. It is also incorrect to present RT and Sputnik as independent French media free from Russian narratives.
RT / Sputnik and other Russian state outlets and platforms are not media in the normal sense as they are totally dependent on the Russian state financing, fully under the editorial control of the Kremlin and do not adhere to basic journalistic standards. See here about the European Court of Justice ruling, backing the European Council decision.
Over the past several years the database EU vs Disinfo documented many occurrences of pro-Kremlin disinformation in RT and Sputnik's material, many of which target Ukraine.
Read also related cases: Ursula von der Leyen unilaterally banned independent media, RT was banned in France without any legal basis or evidence, RT and Sputnik are censored only because of their funding, Ursula von der Leyen shouldn’t decide on the safety of Sputnik V; EU's approval process is politicised.