The European Commission today published two texts aimed at curbing the rise of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) in Europe. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the partners of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) in welcoming a landmark step in the right direction. The EFJ urges the Member States to implement the recommendation without delay. As part of the European Democracy Action Plan, the European Commission presented on 27 April 2022 a package including a proposal for a directive (binding) and a recommendation (non-binding) to the Member States to urge them to take action against the…

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) has been awarded the 2022 UNESCO Guillermo Cano Prize. The Award Ceremony will take place on 2 May in Punta Del Este in Uruguay, on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) congratulate their Belarusian member for the well-deserved international recognition of its work for journalists and media freedom in Belarus. The EFJ nominated its affiliate BAJ for the award, together with the IFJ and 46 Unesco ambassadors. An international jury of media professionals eventually awarded the journalists’ association with one of the most prestigious…

On Wednesday 27 April 2022, the Council of Europe Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists, together with the European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ and IFJ) and other partner organisations, launched the 2021 report “Defending Press Freedom in Times of Tension and Conflict” at the Brussels Press Club in Belgium.  The report lists the alerts posted by journalists an press freedom organisations on , provides legislative and political context and identifies the measures needed to improve the effective protection of journalists. Download the report  The report indicates that “red lights are flashing”. In…