Morocco committee approves press council reform bill after constitutional ruling

Morocco’s lower house committee on education, culture and communication approved a draft law reorganizing the National Press Council on Tuesday, advancing legislation revised after a constitutional court ruling flagged parts of the original text as unconstitutional.

The bill, known as Law 09.26, passed with 12 votes in favor and seven against, following tense discussions marked by the rejection of several opposition amendments.

The vote moves the legislation forward in a process aimed at redefining the legal framework governing the press sector.

Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid told lawmakers the reform seeks to clarify institutional roles within Morocco’s media landscape, stressing that the National Press Council is “not a government for the press” but an independent regulatory and advisory body.

He said the sector is composed of multiple actors, including unions and professional associations, whose roles should remain distinct and complementary.

“The council’s role, as defined by law, is limited to regulation and consultation, not representation,” Bensaid said, pushing back against proposals that would expand its mandate. He added that unions retain their central role in social dialogue with media companies and public authorities.

Government officials argued that several opposition amendments risked blurring institutional boundaries by assigning overlapping responsibilities to the council, unions and publishers. The executive instead backed a narrower framework focused on governance, oversight and sector organization.

The reform comes after Morocco’s constitutional court required adjustments to ensure compliance with constitutional provisions, placing the restructuring of the press council at the center of ongoing debates over media regulation, professional representation and the balance of power within the sector.