José Manuel Durao Barroso, the President of the European Commission (EC), regretted Tuesday a decision made by the Venezuelan government not to renew a broadcast license for private TV channel Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) and recalled that "freedom of expression and press freedom are substantial components of democracy."

The decision "was made in a controversial context with regard to legal fundamentals and by virtue of its potential impact on freedom of expression and press freedom in Venezuelan," said Durao Barroso in a press release issued by his spokeswoman Leonor Ribeiro da Silva.

During a meeting Tuesday with Portuguese and Brazilian reporters in Brussels, the EC President considered the government move as "disappointing and a step backwards" for democracy, Efe quoted.