The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament champions the protection of media freedom and media pluralism. Our MEPs, Yana Toom and Ramona Strugariu helped to shape the Anti-SLAPP report that the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) adopted on October 14th, Roxana Lazarescu writes on the Renew Europe site.
Renew Europe asks the European Commission for strong mechanisms to protect and strengthen the freedom of speech, the freedom of the media and enhance the protection of journalists by the inclusion of strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPPs) on the domestic level.
MEP Yana TOOM (Eesti Keskerakond, Estonia), Renew Europe representative in the JURI Committee, shadow rapporteur on the report, says: "SLAPPs are only one method to silence actors through litigation. Governments and others are creative and will find other ways, in some countries they already have. It is important to combat all forms of abuse of the judicial system intended to undermine media freedom, whether journalists are on the complainant or defendant side of the case".
Renew Europe insists that the future Anti-SLAPPS Directive must provide a permanent EU fund for investigative journalists and also a rapid reaction mechanism for journalists in danger.
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