The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed on 17 September the new mandate of the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) working group, renamed “Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group”. Chaired by the Dutch MEP Sophie In’t Veld (Renew Europe), the LIBE group will focus on threats to democracy, fight against corruption, rule of law and fundamental rights in the European Union. The group was first set up in June 2018 in the aftermath of the murders of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and the Slovakian journalist Jan Kuciak. The LIBE committee report, published in November 2018 following…

The European Parliament passed on Thursday, with 398 votes to 85 and 69 abstentions, a resolution summarising the conclusions of the working group set up within the Civil Liberties Committee to monitor the situation of rule of law in the EU, particularly in Malta and Slovakia, following the murders of journalists Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes this EP resolution deploring serious shortcomings in the rule of law in Malta and Slovakia, also warning of rising threats for journalists throughout the EU. The text underlines that the assassinations…

Mapping Media Freedom’s latest report aims to raise awareness among international and national decision-makers who seem to ignore how dire the situation really is across Europe. The MMF project managed by Index on Censorship, in partnership with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), monitors the threats, violations and limitations faced by investigative reporters in 43 countries — throughout European Union member states, candidates for entry and neighbouring countries.  Since 2014, 283 attacks were reported against investigative journalists. Mapping Media Freedom’s numbers reflect only what has been reported to the platform. Journalists tend to under-report incidents they consider minor, commonplace or part…

Washington Post – 4 Media Organizations Ask Albania to Drop Online Media Laws (26.12.18) New York Times – 4 Media Organizations Ask Albania to Drop Online Media Laws (26.12.18) Europe1 – “Gilets jaunes” : les syndicats de journalistes dénoncent des “dérapages” de la police (12.12.18) L’OBS – Les syndicats de journalistes dénoncent des “dérapages inadmissibles” de la police (10.12.18) Le Monde – « Gilets jaunes » : des « dérapages inadmissibles » de la police envers des journalistes samedi (10.12.18) RTBF – Au Bout du Jour – Séquence DDH: Ricardo Gutiérrez (audio) (05.12.2018) RTBF – J’peux pas, j’ai climat”: les journalistes, des manifestants comme les autres? (4.12.2018) Diario de Noticias…

The Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) has examined 28 European Union Member States as well as three candidate countries: Turkey, Serbia and Macedonia. The results of this second EU-wide implementation of the MPM show either general stagnation or deterioration in all of the major areas encompassed by the MPM and confirm that no country analysed is free from risks to media pluralism. The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF), based in Florence, has just published its 2017 Media Pluralism Monitor reports (#MPM2017). Year 2017 was marked by events that have had a significant impact on media freedom and media…

On November 14, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) issued the final report on its ad hoc fact-finding mission concerning the situation in Malta and Slovakia, which has uncovered a worrying condition for free press in both countries. The mission took place on 17-20 September 2018, following the murders of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and the Slovakian journalist Jan Kuciak – killed together with his fiancée. The MEPs exchanged views with journalists, officials, NGOs and representatives of the victims’ families. The mission was recommended by the new monitoring group on rule of law and the…

On 16th October 2017, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in a car bomb attack in the town of Bidnija, near her family home. One year on, impunity remains because of the lack of an independent public inquiry and the unwillingness of the Maltese government to take concrete action. In addition press freedom is worryingly threatened and is decreasing since Daphne was killed. Daphne Caruana Galizia was a prominent investigative journalist who published a blog since 2008, labelled Running Commentary, one of the most widely read websites in Malta. She revealed a lot of stories on corrupted politicians,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has published today a joint statement of findings from an international freedom of expression mission to Malta from 15-17 October 2018. The mission found that the Maltese authorities are not living up to their obligations to guarantee and safeguard freedom of expression and press freedom. The joint mission issued a set of recommendations. EFJ Steering Committee member and FNSI (Italian journalists’ union) deputy General Secretary, Anna del Freo travelled to Malta along with representatives of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute…

From 15-17 October 2018, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) took part in an international freedom of expression mission to Malta, together with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), PEN International, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The mission took place exactly one year after the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, while the ongoing investigation is being questioned and journalists in the country are under pressure. The EFJ was represented by Steering Committee member and FNSI (Italian journalists’ union) deputy General Secretary Anna del Freo. She encouraged Maltese…

Today, it is one year since journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb for exposing corruption in Malta. Those who ordered the murder still enjoy impunity. Following the silent vigil held in her honour, in front of the Residence Palace in Brussels, the EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez demands concrete actions from political decision-makers: The EFJ calls on the Maltese government to respond positively to the request of the family of Ms Caruana Galizia to establish an independent public inquiry conducted by a panel of respected international judges, retired judges and/or qualified individuals with no political or government links. The EFJ…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) are deeply shocked by the brutal murder of Victoria Marinova, a 30-year-old Bulgarian journalist working for regional TV channel TVN. She is the fourth journalist killed in the EU since 2017 after Kim Wall in Denmark, Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta and Jan Kuciak in Slovakia. A vigil in Marinova’s honour will be organised in the capital, Sofia, on Monday evening. Victoria Marinova has been brutally killed on Saturday, around noon, in the city of Ruse, located in the north of the country. According to local media reports, her body was found in an area…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) called on the Ukrainian government to launch a national action plan for the protection of journalists, in cooperation with Ukrainian journalists’ unions. Ricardo Gutiérrez, General Secretary of the EFJ, attended the OSCE expert conference, organised in Kiev, on 26 June, by the OSCE Representative on Media Freedom, Harlem Désir. Pointing out the deterioration of media freedom in the country, since 2015, Gutiérrez called on Ukrainian authorities to launch an action plan for the safety of journalists, together with all the relevant stakeholders, including the EFJ affiliates in the country, the National Union of Journalists…

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…

UPDATE (30/05/2018) Arkady Babchenko, the Russian journalist who was reported to have been shot dead in Kiev, has turned up alive at a news conference in Ukraine this afternoon. Vasily Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian security service, told reporters the agency had faked Babchenko’s death to catch people who were trying to kill him. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns this lie and unacceptable manipulation of public opinion. Whenever subterfuge is used, journalists and media, like law-enforcement officials, have a responsibility to disclose how and why they used it and to justify their actions. The EFJ is not convinced by the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) sent a letter to the Commissioners Gabriel and Oettinger on 24 May 2018 to express our concern that freedom of expression will not be reflected in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). We believe that it is crucial for media freedom and media pluralism to be given a clear priority in the EU budget for the future (2021-2027). Other media freedom organisations like the ECPMF sent a letter to Commissioners Gabriel, Navracsics, Oettinger and First Vice-President of the European Commission Timmermanns. Missing Freedom of expression budget in Multiannual Financial Framework Dear Commissioner, We write to you on…

A report on “Gender Equality in the Media Sector in the EU”, passed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) during the plenary session in Strasbourg on 17 April 2018, calls on Member States and the European Commission to collaborate with journalists’ trade unions and media organisations to promote co-regulation in the media sector through codes of conduct. In order to safeguard and ensure gender equality, media companies are urged to draw up codes of conduct and self-regulation systems together with representatives from journalists’ trade unions. This aims to allow preventive action and impose sanctions regarding gender-based discrimination in media productions. The…