Morocco Moves to Reshape National Press Council Through New Bill

Rabat – Morocco is moving forward with plans to overhaul the National Press Council (CNP). 

On Monday, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, presented a draft law before the House of Councillors, outlining measures he said would create a stable and transparent legal environment for journalism.

Bensaid stressed that the reform builds on the country’s experience with self-regulation while ensuring legal and democratic guarantees for the sector. 

He said the draft law, numbered 26.25, draws on the work of a provisional commission that consulted with journalists, publishers, and professional organizations.

Reinforcing the Council’s professionalism 

The minister explained that the bill preserves the council’s independent role but also responds to difficulties that emerged in practice, particularly with the renewal of its structures. 

“The goal is to maintain the council’s professional character while introducing structural and procedural adjustments where needed,” he explained.

Key measures include extending council members’ terms from four to five years, with the option of a single renewal, and requiring all members to hold full civil and political rights. 

The bill also broadens the reasons for removing a member, now including convictions related to corruption, drug trafficking, terrorism, or sexual exploitation of minors, among others.

The reform introduces clearer definitions of professional terms, expands the council’s mission, and widens its institutional partnerships. It also places professional ethics at the heart of the council’s annual report, alongside press freedom and journalists’ working conditions.

The structure of the council itself is set to change, with membership reduced from 21 to 19: seven seats for journalists, nine for publishers, and three for institutions. 

A supervisory committee would oversee elections, while a special commission would step in temporarily if the renewal of the council proves impossible, preventing any institutional vacuum.

Bensaid described these changes as safeguards for the future of the press in Morocco. The reform, he said, ensures continuity, gives weight to ethics, and strengthens the independence of one of the country’s key media institutions.