The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Dutch affiliate Nederlandse Vereninging van Journalisten (NVJ) in condemning a new law under which Dutch citizens travelling to an area “controlled by terrorist groups” must request permission from the justice ministry. This new regulation threatens the freedom to inform, EFJ said, calling on the Dutch senate to make an exception for journalists or to withdraw the bill. The bill, proposed by the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Ferdinand Grapperhaus (our picture), was approved by the Lower House on 10 September. Under the proposed law, failing to request the justice ministry’s permission before travelling…

On  28th November, the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) agreed on a “working conditions policy plan” aiming to adapt the rates of freelance journalists in line with the employed journalists. NVJ is negotiating with the publishers to guarantee  4 to 4,5 % salary increase to the publishers association. The NVJ has chosen a comprehensive approach in the negotiations with the publishers to guarantee better rights for both employees and freelancers. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes this decision in times when more and more freelance journalists suffer precarious working conditions throughout Europe. The plan is part of a broader…

On 1st October, the Source Protection Act in Criminal Cases has finally become effective in the Netherlands. The law provides strengthened protection for the confidentiality of journalists’ sources, which have been recognised in several cases as an essential part of freedom of expression by the European Court of Human Rights. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Dutch affiliate the NVJ in welcoming the law, defined by NVJ General Secretary Thomas Bruning as “necessary to the correct functioning of journalism”. With the Source Protection Act, there will always be a preliminary consideration by a judge before the police can have access to the sources data…

NEDERLANDSE VERENIGING VAN JOURNALISTEN (NVJ) Address Joh. Vermeerstr. 22, Postbus 75997 NL-1070 AZ Amsterdam The Netherlands Staff Huub Elzerman (President of NVJ Committee) Thomas Bruning (General Secretary) Phone +31 20 303 97 00 Email vereniging@nvj.nl Contact Persons Thomas Bruning – tbruning@nvj.nl Jan Douwe Keulen – jd.keulen@gmail.com Website Twitter http://www.nvj.nl/ @nvj

The 7th of May 2026 marks the deadline for EU Member States to transpose the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive, also known as Daphne’s law. As we mark this landmark, however, the European Anti-SLAPP Monitor shows a fragmented and uneven picture for transposition across Europe, as the deadline is being missed by nearly all Member States. While the Anti-SLAPP Directive marked a significant step forward in protecting journalists and media from abusive litigation, its implementation at the national level remains alarmingly incomplete. Although there are some positive examples, the majority of states are seriously lagging behind and others have made no progress at…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) concluded its Stand Up for Journalism (SUJ) project with a final conference co-organised by the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) on 26-27 March in Podgorica. Nearly 50 journalists and journalists’ representatives gathered to build on the project’s achievements and look ahead. The conference placed the younger generation at its heart, giving center stage to their voices and perspectives. Young journalists openly discussed their visions for the future of the profession, as well as the challenges they face in today’s working conditions. A particular focus was placed on journalists from the Balkan region,…

A new survey by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) reveals a mixed approach among its members toward so-called ‘news creators’, with journalists’ organisations split on whether to recognise these emerging actors as part of the information landscape. The findings show that concerns over journalistic ethics and conflicts with organisational statutes remain the main barriers to their inclusion.  In its latest Digital News Report, the Reuters Institute highlights how news creators (see definition below) are successfully reaching large audiences, often at the expense of traditional media, including within the news sector. As the boundaries of the information landscape shift rapidly,…

Last week, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations, submitted contributions to the EU’s annual Rule of Law report for 2026, identifying key developments for media freedom and pluralism and outlining recommendations for reform. MFRR organisations provided submissions on 15 EU Member States and candidate countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Spain. Submissions on media freedom and pluralism provided updates about implementation and lack thereof of recommendations from the 2025 Rule of Law report, new legislative or regulatory developments, as well as…

A targeted Israeli attack killed six journalists in Gaza on Sunday. These crimes have rekindled the mobilisation of journalists’ unions in Europe. On the call of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), journalists’ organisations in 23 countries have sent a letter to their governments asking them to take concrete measures to stop the massacre. Demonstrations are planned in Sweden, on Thursday, and in Belgium and Croatia, at the end of August. The EFJ is calling on its affiliates to take action wherever they can. As reported by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), on 10 August, Israeli forces killed five…

The worsening situation in Gaza and the requests sent to the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) by numerous journalists have prompted our federation, in coordination with the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), to send the following letter to the European Commission. The EFJ suggests that its affiliates and all journalists who feel concerned send similar letters to their respective governments. Brussels, 24 July, 2025 Dear President von der Leyen, Dear Vice-President Kallas, Dear European Commissioners, We address you as representatives of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), representing 300,000 journalists in Europe, at a time when the world is witnessing one…

On 8 July, the European Commission published its 6th Rule of Law (RoL) report, assessing countries’ advancements and progress in four key areas, one of which is media freedom. The same four candidate countries as in 2024 – Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro – are included alongside the 27 EU Member States. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) deplores the fact that the report does not reflect the decline in human rights and press freedom observed in several of the countries monitored, starting with Serbia. The RoL Report is the result of multiple stakeholder consultations (including with the EFJ…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned civil society, human rights, journalist and media support organisations in calling on the European Commission to strengthen the rule of law dialogue, improve the impact of the Rule of Law Report’s recommendations and take decisive action against systematic human rights violations in EU Member States. In 2025, the European Commission will publish its sixth annual Rule of Law Report – the first after the new Commission took office. The European Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen – in her political guidelines and in the mission letter to the Commissioner for Democracy,…

Who I am My name is Renske Heddema. I’ve been a journalist reporting from Switzerland for Dutch and Belgian media since 1996. Working as a freelance correspondent far from the newsroom, always available to a wide range of publishers and broadcasters, I felt isolated. Joining NVJ was like finding an anchor. I served on the NVJ board from 2016 and was its president from 2020 to 2023. Before moving abroad, I worked as a journalist in the Netherlands, producing weekly radio programs on arts and literature and writing for various newspapers and magazines. I also served as a media policy…

List of candidates for the EFJ Steering Committee 2025-2028 Presidency Maja SEVER (CJA/TUCJ, Croatia) Vice Presidency Pablo AIQUEL GARBARINI (SNJ-CGT, France) Marta BARCENILLA ESCAÑO (FSC-CCOO, Spain) SC Members Domenico AFFINITO (FNSI, Italy) Marta BARCENILLA ESCAÑO (FSC-CCOO, Spain) Ago GAŠKOV (EAL, Estonia) Renske HEDDEMA (NVJ, The Netherlands) Antonis REPANAS (ESIEMTH, Greece) Xhemajl REXHA (AGK, Kosovo) Andrea ROTH (DJV, Germany) Elena TARIFA HERRERO (FeSP, Spain) Allan Boye THULSTRUP (DJ, Denmark) Sergiy TOMILENKO (NUJU, Ukraine) Aise Banu TUNA (TGS, Turkey)

The Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI) and the Order of Journalists today announced that they are taking legal action with the Rome public prosecutor’s office to seek clarification regarding the surveillance of an Italian journalist. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) support this initiative and urge the Italian government to shed full light on this new spying scandal. During a press conference on 19 February in Rome, the FNSI and the Order of Journalists strongly condemned the recent revelation of surveillance against at least one Italian investigative journalist. The revelation concerns Fanpage editor-in-chief Francesco Cancellato, whose WhatsApp was…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joins partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in urging Italian authorities to shed full light on the recent surveillance of an editor-in-chief in Italy and others using Graphite spyware technology developed by Israeli firm Paragon Solutions. Our organisations are alarmed by the latest case of a journalist within the European Union having their secure communications and sources compromised using advanced spyware technologies, representing yet another serious attack on press freedom. In the wake of recent revelations, we also urge other governments in Europe to launch investigations into targeted surveillance against any…