The recently published study on  “A comparative analysis of media freedom and pluralism in the EU Member States“conducted research on Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy,Poland and Romania, all countries which have shown political pluralism at high risk, accompanied by heavy state interference in the media, or close economic ties between politics and media. The 175 pages long study starts with the premise that any attempt to address media freedom and pluralism on a European level should be “intrinsically connected to the issues of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights and should become part of a regular process of democratic…

(7 October 2016) European trade union federations (ETUFs) informal network on digitialization met  to exchange view on following topics: The need  to regulate on right to disconnect through collective bargaining and other legal instruments Surveillance of data of employees at the workplace, analysis patterns and rating platforms of employers The link between digitalisation and gender equality Online-Platforms and the “sharing economy” with atypical forms of workers as crowdworking, freelancers and the need for framework for employee protection and equal treatment, collective bargaining and fighting undeclared work Digital integration of value chains The Copyright Reform and Intellectual Property Rights and the…

Circolo della Stampa di Milano (Milan press club) organised on 11 October a conference with Anna Del Freo, deputy general secretary of the Italian affiliate the Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI) and member of the EFJ Steering Committee. Torture, arbitrary arrests happen too often to journalists including so-called “citizen journalists” in Turkey, Egypt and Syria. Impunity remains the rule and not the exception. “A tragic situation which does not find enough space in the press” said Anna Del Freo. “The EFJ will continue its fight to protect journalists and help those who are working to find the truth,” she added.