The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) held its Annual Meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, on 11-12 May 2023. Organised by the Dutch journalists’ union NVJ, the event gathered 62 delegates from 41 journalists’ organisations from all over Europe joining forces to defend media freedom and the working conditions of journalists. As every year, decisions were taken on the budget, the EFJ work programme (see here the 18 resolutions and 5 statements adopted on national and European issues), the financial and activity reports. But the Annual Meeting is also an opportunity to provide a space for discussion to journalists’ trade unions…

Speech by Maja Sever (EFJ President) on 11 May 2023. Thank you for your kind words of support, welcome, and hospitality. My dear friends and colleagues, Unfortunately, our journalistic work has become such that, despite the pleasure of meeting and the hope that we will discuss and work successfully to strengthen journalism during these two days, I have to start with some sad news from Ukraine. One of us is gone; our college Arman Soldin, a 32-year-old French journalist born in Sarajevo, was killed while reporting in the war zone of eastern Ukraine. I invite you to pay tribute to Arman…

The annual meeting of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, on 8-9 October, unanimously adopted a resolution on the dissolution of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), an EFJ affiliate. On 27 August 2021, the Belarus Supreme Court dissolved the BAJ, the only independent representative organisation of journalists and media workers in Belarus, as part of the unprecedented purge against journalists, media outlets, as well as other civil society organisations. By adopting this resolution, journalists’ organisations from all over Europe expressed solidarity with their colleagues in Belarus. The EFJ will continue to assist BAJ to maintain…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President) on 8 October 2021:  Welcoming you all to the EFJ Annual Meeting 2021 in Zagreb, Croatia, we will start with the great news of today that the Nobel Peace Prize winner this year is press freedom and journalism. Maria Ressa, one of the most courageous and prominent investigative journalists from the Philippines, and the editor-in-chief of an independent newspaper in Russia, Dmitry Muratov, are the well-deserved announced winners, and this will have an enormous impact on press freedom. Choosing the editor-in-chief at Novaja Gazeta, where Anna Politkovskaya and other killed journalists worked, is extremely important.…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President)  Before – and now during the pandemic, the EFJ worked consistently on the issues that our affiliates required from us, incorporating our vision and ambitions on behalf of all our affiliates and your members, and if I may add: for all journalists and media in Europe for the benefit of our societies and democracies. In the Activity Report, you will find more details and an idea of the scope of our work during the last year and a half. We should have held this annual meeting in spring in beautiful Zagreb (Croatia), but we…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President) Welcome to the EFJ Annual meeting 2018. For the first time we have our annual meeting in Portugal and it is great to be here, thanks to our Portuguese colleagues to host us. Being host during difficult times is admirable. You know better than most of us how difficult the time is for our profession regarding precarious work, low payment and dismissals. I also want to emphasize that it is amazing how your union has been able – not least en terms of relevance – to develop and to meet new demands in very difficult…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President) Journalism in Europe is facing critical times. Media and politics are in an increasing conflict across Europe. More than ever, the fundamental pillar of our democracies, credible – high quality – investigative – journalism is crucial for the citizens. Journalism including all media-workers providing content. Across Europe we have three big challenges: Safety of journalists and journalism How to counter the increasing conflict between media and politics Build social dialogue Being innovative in finding new business models Three journalists have been killed in Europe since our general meeting in Sarajevo – in Ukraine, Turkey and…

#EFJBucharest17 The 2017 Annual Meeting (AM) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will be hosted by its Romanian affiliate Fair MediaSind on 18 and 19 May 2017 in Bucharest. Around 100 delegates and guests from across Europe will be attending the meeting in Bucharest.   Resolutions Delegates of the EFJ AM 2017 will adopt a series of resolutions and statements. Final versions will be available for download here after the meeting. Member unions and associations with voting rights and the Steering Committee have the right to submit motions which are of journalists’ and journalists’ unions and associations’ interest in Europe. They must be submitted to…

Safety, rights and jobs Mogens Blicher Bjerregård EFJ President Safety, rights and jobs have been and will be our three keywords in the European Federation of Journalists these years. In solidarity we will work within that framework Safety as has been more an IFJ topic has also become an EFJ issue. I addressed it last November at the annual meeting in Moscow. Unfortunately, we see more journalists killed in Europe than ever, journalists are jailed for doing their job. Journalists are beaten and the digitization challenges protection of sources. Rights: Labor rights, rights to organize without being expelled from the…

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Some 53 delegates from 26 countries representing trade union organsations and professional associations of journalists at the Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) in Moscow on 21 November expressed their solidarity and full support for ethical journalism and the struggle of Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) to defend independent journalism and the safety of journalism. The Annual Meeting commenced with a minute of silence to remember the 56 journalists who were killed for doing their jobs since 1993 in Russia. ‘‘Journalists in Russia are facing a great challenge today. We need more than ever solidarity, unity and…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will hold its annual meeting in The Hague, Netherlands. Around 100 journalists and trade union representatives from 45 countries in Europe are expected to meet on 11-12 May 2023. The Hague was chosen as the host city of the upcoming congress of the EFJ, representing 320,000 journalists in Europe. Co-organised by the Dutch journalists’ union Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten (NVJ), the assembly will be held in Beeld en Geluid, the Sound & Vision Museum. “With its reputation as the home of international law and arbitration, The Hague is an appropriate venue to convene in times of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) finally held its first ever digital Annual Meeting on 3 November 2020. The decision to organise it online was taken after the EFJ was forced – due to the Covid-19 pandemic – to cancel its event, which should have taken place last May in Zagreb, Croatia. The 2020 online edition was attended by over 70 affiliates from 43 countries. Over 70 participants from 43 countries are ready to discuss @EFJEUROPE activity and financial report and some urgent matters in #COVID19 times! #efjam2020 #mediafreedom #journalismmatters #SocialRights #solidarity pic.twitter.com/fAE9sH7fnG — EFJ (@EFJEUROPE) November 3, 2020 Not…

The Steering Committee of the European Federation of Journalists decided today that the EFJ will hold its 2017 Annual Meeting in Athens, Greece, on 18th and 19th May, 2017. The meeting will be hosted by the Panhellenic Federation of Journalists’ Unions (POESY-PFJU) in the headquarters of the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN). Dimitris Koupias, president of PFJU, said it will be “an opportunity to raise issues about press freedom and journalists’ labour rights in Greece.” Picture credit: Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP.

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