Swedish Newspaper Editors Write McCreevy for Help

Two editors of Swedish daily Aftonbladet have written to the European Commission of the economic consequences they face should the Swedish government succeed in prohibiting the paper from accepting advertisements from non-domestic gambling operators.

In a letter to EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, Anders Gerdin, the paper's former editor, and Jan Helin, his successor as of Jan. 1, 2008, said the paper could lose as much as 8.5 million euros, annually, if the ads are pulled.

The two said Aftonbladet does carry ads from state-controlled operators Svenska Spel and ATG, though this, they said, has not mitigated the prosecutorial resolve of groups like the Swedish Gaming Board, which has two open cases against Aftonbladet in the country's High Administrative Court.

"Aftonbladet is constantly and fiercely attacked by the Swedish Gaming Board and Swedish prosecutors," the letter reads. "Our main competitor in Sweden, Expressen, and several Danish newspapers are facing similar attacks from the authorities."

Additionally, the letter accuses Sweden's courts of having followed "in almost blind faith" a high court ruling handed down in 2004, "through which it (High Administrative Court) claimed that Swedish gaming regulation is compatible with EU law."

Gerdin and Helin added that, in light of the pressure they continue to face from the government and the courts -- and due to the lack of activity on the commission's behalf in recent months -- "uncertainty is starting to spread as to whether or not the commission has been persuaded by the Swedish government to back down."

Brussels issued Sweden its reasoned opinion, the second stage of the infringement proceeding, in June 2007.

The two urged the commission to proceed "as soon as possible" with its infringement proceedings "by initiating litigation before the ECJ," adding that it is "high time to put an end to the Swedish governments' disrespect for the EU Treaty."

Click here to view a copy of Gerdin and Helin's letter to Commissioner McCreevy.