António Leitão Amaro defends Lusa news agency statutes

Portuguese Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, has defended the current statutes of the Lusa news agency following parliamentary debates. Speaking before the parliamentary commission on Culture, Communication, Youth, and Sport, the minister stated that it is essential for the existing rules to be tested before any changes are implemented.

Leitão Amaro expressed disagreement with interpretations suggesting that the agency's statutes are in non-compliance with regulatory frameworks. This follows a report from the ERC (Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social) which suggested the statutes did not align with applicable norms or best practices for the independent functioning of public media.

The minister noted that the statutes have been explained to the European Commission, which reportedly raised no obstacles. He emphasized that an evaluation of the statutes will be conducted by the Consultative Council in the coming months. If the council recommends adjustments and the government agrees, changes may be considered.