BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has voiced concern over a planned new media law in Poland in a letter sent to two Polish ministers on Wednesday, a spokesman for the EU executive said, another sign of disquiet in Brussels over Poland's new political path.
Poland's ruling, conservative nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) has sent an amendment to the country's media law to parliament that provides for management of state-run media - radio and television - to be appointed by the treasury minister.
Critics say the amendment is part of plans by the PiS, which ousted the governing centrist party by a wide margin in the October election, to increase state control over public media.
The eurosceptic PiS rejects criticism [ID:nL8N14C1YC] that its policies are undermining Poland's democracy, saying it has a broad mandate to redesign the country to reflect its Catholic values and independence from European Union headquarters in Brussels.
"Freedom and pluralism of the media are crucial for a pluralist society in a member state respectful of the common values on which the union is founded," European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans wrote in the letter.
The letter asks Poland's foreign and justice ministers to explain how the new law would take existing EU rules on media freedoms into consideration, the spokesman said.
The PiS has long aimed to overhaul rules on public broadcasters to ensure they defend what it defines as national interests. The party has yet to present a bill on the matter but has signalled plans to "depoliticise" the state media and lay off journalists deemed to be politically affiliated. [ID:nL8N145244]
Last week the EU executive expressed concern over an overhaul of the rules governing Poland's constitutional court, demanding their introduction be postponed.
The Commission will discuss the recent developments in Poland at the next meeting of commissioners on Jan. 13.
(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; and Agnieszka Barteczko; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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