Existing Initiatives and Policy Gaps

The European Union has invested significantly in supporting trusted news organizations through transnational cooperation grants. While these efforts have been valuable, they address only part of the challenge facing European media today. What's missing is the critical infrastructure layer—the digital foundation that connects news outlets directly with citizens and creates sustainable pathways to financial independence.

Current EU initiatives like the Media Ownership Monitor and Media Councils in the Digital Era serve important functions, primarily supporting expert networks and regulatory oversight. However, these approaches operate at the institutional level, focusing on governance structures rather than direct public engagement.

The Media Wallet represents a different approach entirely. Rather than working through intermediary organizations, it creates a direct bridge between news outlets and citizens across Europe. This citizen-oriented platform transforms how people discover, access, and pay for quality journalism, fostering genuine public participation in the media ecosystem.

Filling Strategic Policy Gaps

Several major EU policy frameworks acknowledge the importance of democratic resilience but fall short in addressing media freedom comprehensively. The European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP), for instance, explicitly calls for pilot projects to build resilience against electoral threats, yet its approach to media freedom remains limited.

The Media Wallet directly responds to this gap by tackling two core EDAP priorities: combating disinformation through improved access to quality journalism, and promoting youth engagement in democratic processes. This alignment represents a natural evolution in how the Commission approaches media policy, moving from indirect support to direct infrastructure development.

Similarly, the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 identifies "Information and Constructive Dialogue" as a key goal under European Youth Goal 4. Despite this commitment, existing initiatives have largely overlooked the information ecosystems that young people actually inhabit and use.

Strategic Alignment with EU Digital Infrastructure Goals

The Media Wallet concept aligns directly with existing EU investment priorities. DG CONNECT's Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) already supports digital infrastructure for media pluralism, resilience, and democratic governance.

The programme's emphasis on cross-border collaboration and business model innovation creates natural synergies with current EU funding instruments, including Multimedia Actions, Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions of the European Parliament, and the Cross-Sector Strand of Creative Europe Programme.

This strategic alignment opens opportunities for collaboration with key stakeholders. The European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) could serve as a crucial partner for disinformation monitoring and impact evaluation, particularly as the Commission plans to further consolidate EDMO's role in combating disinformation across Europe. Additionally, the European Parliament's LIBE Committee could provide direct pilot support in Member States, creating institutional pathways for implementation.

The Media Wallet's approach differs from

existing initiatives. Instead of telling people what to learn about media, it provides them with the tools to explore and engage with diverse news sources directly. This experiential model helps users develop media literacy through practice rather than instruction.

By creating a single platform where citizens can access content from multiple verified news outlets, the Media Wallet builds the missing infrastructure layer that current EU initiatives lack. This approach supports the long-term sustainability of news organizations while empowering citizens to make informed choices about their media consumption.