What is the CMFE?

The CMFE was founded to strengthen the participation of the “Third Media Sector” in European discussion and decision-making processes at a moment when freedom of expression and free access to information are increasingly endangered by the consequences of concentration in the media field.

The “Third Media Sector” is made up of non profit-making media serving a local community and has as such a clearly distinct identity alongside the national public service sector and private commercial media. The CMFE is a common platform for networks, national federations and projects active within this sector. On the one hand, it enables the participating organisations to bring up their concerns on a European and international level and, on the other hand, it represents a channel through which European institutions can spread information on relevant questions to CMFE participants.

The CMFE was founded on 5 November 2004 in Halle (Germany) after a series of European and international conferences held over the last two years which had made clear that there is a lack of information and participation of the Third Media Sector on a European level. As a first step in this direction the CMFE has taken part in the consultation process launched by the Council of Europe for the Ministerial Conference on Mass Media Policy in Kiev on 10–11 March 2005. The proposal of the Community Media Sector was endorsed by over 50 national federations, networks and media initiatives from throughout Europe.

In 2009 CMFE has been admitted as observer on the Steering Committee on the Media and new Communications Services (CDMC) and the newly formed Group of Specialists on New Media (NC-NM) of the Council of Europe (CoE), where it will now have the important role to represent the interest of the Community Media sector at the pan-european level. CMFE has been granted participatory status with the Council of Europe as from 29 December 2010 and is part of the International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO) conference.

CMFE will be continuing its lobbying action to strengthen the community media sector in these arenas. The observer status will also offer new possibilities to be included in broader media policy discussions within the Council of Europe alongside other associations representing the public and the commercial media sectors, as well as media and civil society stakeholders.

CMFE has a total of 90 members from 23 European countries:  39 Individual Members and 51 Organizational Members, of which 25 are (National) Federations. Among its affiliate members it counts also individuals and organisations from Africa, Asia and North America. (last update 2 November 2011).

Since March 2011, CMFE is an Associate Member of the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium.

CMFE is also one of the 29 members of the EU Civil Society Platform on Multilingualism (CSPM). > Visit the Poliglotti4.eu website

CMFE is registered in Belgium as an International Non Profit Organization (INGO) under Business number 0822992342.


The CMFE stands for

1. obtaining recognition of the 3rd Media Sector by the European Union and the Council of Europe as a point of reference for national culture and media policy;
2. the drawing up of a Framework Convention on Community Media to guarantee the basic requirements on a national level;
3. establishing funding possibilities for community media within the future MEDIA programme and other media-related EU budget lines;
4. raising awareness about the large number of social and cultural issues which are covered and supported by the activities of community media;
5. building up a platform for continuous dialogue and discussion on how to ensure media pluralism, freedom of expression and access to information throughout Europe;
6. strengthening cooperation and giving support to new independent civic media initiatives in transition countries, this being a key condition for democratic participation and development in their societies.

CMFE Statutes
> Original version in French, registration as International NGO in Belgium, 9 February 2010
> Non-official translated version in English, 22 July 2011

Memberships
As for Art.5 of our Stautes, members can be physical persons or legal entities, legally founded according to the laws and customs of their country of origin.
Members of the association are: 1. the founding members; 2. members approved by the Board of Directors; 3. affiliate members that are accepted as such by the Board of Directors.

Individual membership: all individuals active in community media practice, research, teaching and training in Europe, as well as individuals living outside Europe who are researching community media in Europe.

Organizational membership: legal bodies such as National Community Media Organisations/Federations/Networks, Community Radio Stations, Community TV Stations, Community cross-media and web-based projects, NGOs promoting the cause of community media, Research Institution that include community media research, and community media lobbying groups.

Affiliate members
CMFE may confer the status of affiliate members to individuals and organizations whose aims are connected with those of CMFE.

As for 'Article 6: Voting rights - rights of members' of our Statutes
Each member [either individual or organizational] has the right to vote at the meetings of the general assembly.
Affiliate members are not entitled to vote at the meetings of the general assembly.

Application forms
If you would like to apply, please select among the following application forms

• Organisational Membership Application
  
• Affiliate Organisational Membership Application
• Individual Membership Application
• Affiliate Individual Membership Application

Fees and donations

The Statutes determine also the Membership fees (minimum amount to be paid by members):
1) Individual member, ten (10) Euros per year.
Organizational Member: fifty (50) Euros per year.

2) Affiliate individual member: ten (10) Euros per year.
Affiliate Organizational Member: fifty (50) Euros per year.

Members can also make donations to CMFE via Paypal via the button in the menu on the left. For further information, please contact the President, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it