The EFJ in cooperation with its affiliate  the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), sent letters to the President, the Prime Minister and other high officials of Montenegro to express its concerns about the increased lack of respect for journalists’ and media workers’ right by the employers on decent salaries, fair remuneration for freelances, trade union rights and the rights to collective bargaining in Montenegro and the region. The EFJ draws particular attention to the case of journalist Tufik Softic who because of his investigative reporting, was brutally beaten eight years ago. Two years ago, a bomb was thrown…

UPDATE (06/08/2015) : Three people who allegedly physically attacked Croatian investigative journalist Zeljko Peratovic in May will be investigated for attempted murder. — The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) in cooperation with the Croatian Journalists’ Association of Journalists (CJA/ HND) sent several letters to Croatian high level representatives from Parliament, government, police and justice  including Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, President of the Republic of Croatia and Zoran Milanović, Prime minister, in order to to express its great concern for the safety of  freelance journalist Željko Peratović and ask for official intervention for his protection. Željko Peratović, the winner of the CJA Award for…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is extremely concerned by the increasing numbers of fines imposed on Belarusian freelance journalists for “illegal creation of mass media production” since April 2014. On June 1, the judge of the Dziarzhynsk district court Ina Shayko ruled against journalists Volha Chaychyts and Siarhei Krauchuk and demanded them to pay 310 EUR each (5 million 400 thousand rubles) for illegal production of mass media products. On June 3, the Lenin district court of Brest also fined journalist Alina Litvinchuk for double violations of Article 22.9 (illegal production and distribution of mass media products); the fine…

Annual meeting, Budva, Montenegro Opening speech by Marijana Camović, President of Trade Union of Media of Montenegro and host The level of media freedom in Montenegro can best be described by the meagre number of media professionals who are left in the job. Working conditions in the media have never been worse before. Since the beginning of this year, four media outlets have been closed. Among them, only the smallest one which employed a small team compensated their employees. In other media outlets workers were laid off without compensation. Around 15 media outlets have their bank accounts blocked by the…

On 27 May, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) had a constructive meeting with Silvia Costa, the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). Silvia Costa (S&D, Italy) who had signed the EFJ Manifesto, reiterated her strong support for its principles outlined and showed readiness to stand-up for them. As former journalist, Costa discussed with great interest on the various issues: how to improve media ownership transparency, media literacy,  training for journalists, authors’ rights, new financial models and start-ups  for journalists — all within the changing media landscape and its impact on journalists’ work as a…

A workshop on atypical workers organised by the International Federation of Actors (FIA) in cooperation with the Dutch actors’ union (FNV KIEM) within the joint project with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), International Federation of Musicians (FIM) and UNI-MEI took place in Amsterdam on 20 May. The participants, union leaders from the creative and media sector, discussed the impact of the changing landscape for workers and the impact on their working conditions and union services across the European Union. Yvonne Dankfurt from the EFJ affiliate in the Netherlands(Nederlandse Vereniging van Journalisten – NVJ), outlined the programmes offered by NVJ…

A round-table on media freedom in Serbia discussed at the European Parliament the dramatically worsening media crisis in Serbia. Maja Vasic Nikolic representing EFJ affiliate NUNS outlined the atmosphere of impunity towards attacks on journalists in Serbia. Only for 2015 14 threats against journalists are recorded so far. “As long as the Serbian government sees media as a tool for achieving short term political goals, and not as a fourth power, not much will change”, said Nicolic and pleaded for transparency in ownership, freedom of expression and journalism in the public interest. Sletlana Mesarovic from the online news portal Pescanik referred to…

In a meeting with Petra Kammerevert (MEP and SPD coordinator for media and cultural issues), Renate Schroeder (EFJ Director) and Michael Klehm (DJV senior advisor) discussed issues around media policy and media freedom, authors’ rights, spectrum policy, support for “entrepreneurial journalism”, TTIP, net neutrality and the revision of the audiovisual media framework. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) warned that unfair contracts, sometimes called “buy-out contracts”, destroy journalists’ authors’ rights. The EFJ delegation argued that the European Parliament’s “Reda report” on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society is harming the continental authors’ rights framework, in particular when…

The EFJ affiliate, the Belarus Association of Journalists (BAJ) elected a new chairman at its  IX Congress on 24 April. The out-going chair woman, Zhanna Litvina, had been serving the BAJ for almost 20 years announced the candidate for the chairmanship Andrei Bastunets. Litvina, had headed the organisation since it was founded in 1995. Litvina called Bastunets “conscience of the organisation, a person you can always rely on”. Bastunets, 48, a former deputy head, was elected chairman of BAJ, an organisation with 1,300 members. Andrus Klikunou , who is a member of the EFJ Freelance expert Group, was elected for…

Join us for a webinar on April 21, 2015 at 12:00 AM CEST. Register now:! https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1619804193653421057 The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Freelance Expert Group (FREG) in cooperation with the Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV) are organising another webinar, this time on social security for freelance journalists in Europe, a theme ever more important in times of increasing flexibility and decreasing social security. Ivan Declercq, freelance advisor of the Flemish journalist association (VVJ) will give some examples from European countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Norway. The special system in Germany of the so-called Künstlersozialkasse (KSK) (artists’ social insurance)…

On 31st March, EFJ Director Renate Schroeder together with Freelance Expert Group member Michael Hirschler from the German affiliate DJV met with Member of the European Parliament Jutta Steinruck for a very engaged one hour discussion. Steinruck is member of the Committee for Employment and Social Affairs  and trade union co-ordinator of the S&D Group. Main theme of the talk were the urgent problems journalists’ and other unions face throughout Europe: There are grave loopholes when it comes to social security for freelances; no real negotiation mandates for unions on behalf of freelances, in some Member States freelances cannot  become…

The European Federation of Journalists has sent a letter to the Minister of Information of Belarus demanding to abolish the provision in a media law forbiding freelance journalists from practicing journalism in the country. According to the Mass Media Law in Belarus, freelance journalists are banned from reporting in the country. The law only recognises employed journalists working for major media organisations in Belarus. Foreign journalists who are working in Belarus on assignments can also get press accreditations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus. The EFJ proposed to the government to organise a round table discussion with all…

The Freelance Expert Group (FREG) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) agreed at its latest meeting in Brussels (26/02/2015) to reinforce its campaign to improve the social and professional status of freelance journalists in Europe. The EFJ experts reached an agreement on two major issues: All freelance journalists are journalists and have the right to be member of a trade union or professional association. They have the right to be represented and defended by the organization of their choice. This may seem to be an obvious fact but in several European countries – such as EU member states Greece and…