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** SPOTLIGHT
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Photo courtesy of Thijs ter Haar on flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

The EU must act to protect media freedom

Media freedom across Europe ([link removed]) is in decline and under threat. The European Union must act now.

Earlier this month, the European Commission published its annual report ([link removed]) on the rule of law across Europe, identifying key countries where media freedom and democracy are under threat. Among them are EU member states Italy, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, Greece, and Romania, as well as Serbia, which is in the process of joining the EU.

ARTICLE 19, as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response ([link removed]) (MFRR) coalition, welcomes the report’s acknowledgment of media freedom and media pluralism as central to upholding the rule of law in the EU and access countries.

But the report does not go far enough. It fails to adequately recognise and address the profound obstacles journalists, civil society, and media freedom advocates face, and the mounting threats against them and their work. We are at a key juncture, where democracy is being eroded ([link removed]) at a pace not seen before.

In its analysis the EU appears to accept the critical challenges rule of law and media freedom face across the continent, and offers insights into how the situation can be improved.

The findings and analysis must now be supported by direct and meaningful action.

The European Commission must:
* Demonstrate by its actions that it actively considers feedback from groups like the MFFR, who have extensivelydocumented ([link removed]) conditions for journalists and activists who operate in those countries.
* Urge EU member states to implement the European Media Freedom Act – a landmark law including rules to protect media pluralism and independence in the EU.
* Monitor the full implementation of the Anti-SLAPP Directive, which sets out specific goals member states must achieve to combat strategic lawsuits against public participation and protect public interest reporting. Each member state decides how to incorporate the Directive into their national law – and we encourage them to go beyond the minimum standards set by the EU.

These are the first, vital steps in defending and protecting media freedom and building a more resilient media environment, and ultimately, stronger democracies across Europe.
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