Draft law No. 275 on professional journalists

Draft law no. 275 on professional journalists (18 articles) was tabled in a public session on 26 November 2025 and referred to the Legislation Committee. It was adopted in a public session on 9 December 2025.

NB: a (parliamentary) draft law adopted by Parliament (Conseil National) is forwarded to the government, which has the option of turning it into a bill or suspending the legislative procedure.

* * *

Presentation

The explanatory memorandum to draft law no. 275 points out that freedom of public expression is a fundamental freedom guaranteed by the Constitution and specified by Law no. 1.299 of 15 July 2005, as amended, but that "there is no legal mechanism for officially identifying or recognising journalism professionals working in the Principality." There is no Monegasque press card.

The difficulties encountered as a result of this legal vacuum are identified as follows: "legal uncertainty for professional journalists, media companies and institutions, particularly with regard to the recognition of journalists' professional status, applicable ethical rules and the protection of sources", "in terms of access to certain events organised by public and private institutions, international visibility and protection of the professional status of local journalists".

SUMMARY

Draft law no. 275 does not seek to create a regulated profession subject to compulsory registration or prior authorisation.

It aims to "strengthen the visibility of the Monegasque press internationally", "encourage the structuring of the Monegasque media landscape, (...) initiate a reflection aimed at providing the Principality with a flexible and balanced framework, comparable to the standards of neighbouring states and member countries of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)".

More specifically, draft law No. 275 aims to "recognise, through the issuance of a Monegasque press card, the professional status of journalists on the basis of objective criteria, under the supervision of an independent body: the Monegasque Press Card Commission":

• Definition of a professional journalist: "A person whose main, regular and remunerated activity is to collect, verify, write, edit, comment on or disseminate information intended for the public, on behalf of one or more press companies established in the Principality." The professions of press photographer, freelance journalist, press contributor, editor-translator, stenographer-editor, editor-reviser, reporter-illustrator and correspondent are considered equivalent to professional journalist (Art. 1);
• Definition of press enterprise: "a legal entity under Monegasque law, whose main and usual activity is the publication of information, the design, production or dissemination of writings, images, sounds or any other information medium intended for the public in the Principality, regardless of the method of publication used, in particular print, audiovisual or digital." News agencies and audiovisual and online public communication companies whose main purpose is the production, publication or dissemination of news items are treated as press enterprises (Art. 1).
  
• Creation of a Monegasque Press Card Commission responsible for issuing Monegasque press cards and ensuring that journalists holding such cards comply with the ethical principles of the profession (Arts. 2 to 6);
• Creation of a Monegasque press card valid for one year, renewable; a temporary Monegasque press card may be issued to journalists who hold a foreign press card to allow them access to official events organised by public authorities (Articles 7 to 11);
• Provisions relating to labour law (employment contracts, dismissal of professional journalists) (Articles 12 and 13);
• Protection of the confidentiality of sources, in line with European standards (Art. 14);
• Professional journalists holding a Monegasque press card may take photographs in public spaces within the Principality that are necessary for the performance of their duties, provided that they do so in a manner that preserves public order, national security, public safety and privacy (Art. 15);
• Ethical duties of journalists, inspired by the Munich Charter of Ethics (or Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists), signed on 24 November 1971 and adopted by the European Federation of Journalists (Art. 16);
• Criminal penalties for fraud involving the Monegasque press card (Art. 17).
• Tasks of the Provisional Commission until the Monegasque Press Card Commission is established (Art. 18).

* * *