Members from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and from the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) debate on strengthening Democracy and Media Freedom and Pluralism in the EU; the undue use of actions under civil and criminal law to silence journalists, NGOs and civil society, in the European Parliament in Brussels. Extracts from the debate in joint JURI/LIBE committees and statements by Tiemo WÖLKEN (S&D, DE) and Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT), Rapporteurs.

Brussels

meeting

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Committee on Legal Affairs

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

freedom of press and media (T)

WÖLKEN, Tiemo (S&D, DE)

Strengthening Democracy and Media Freedom and Pluralism in the EU; the undue use of actions under civil and criminal law to silence journalists, NGOs and civil society: extracts from the debate in joint JURI/LIBE committees

Title: Strengthening Democracy and Media Freedom and Pluralism in the EU; the undue use of actions under civil and criminal law to silence journalists, NGOs and civil society: extracts from the debate in joint JURI/LIBE committees

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT), Rapporteur, This Parliament has long called for concrete action to be taken against actions that are aimed at silencing journalists, civil society and NGOs from finding out the truth. The fundamental pillar of the European Union is freedom of expression and justice and rule of law. And this report will end precisely to fill a gap that we still have an ongoing legal systems.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA (EPP, MT), Rapporteur, These lawsuits are precisely aimed at silencing especially small media houses, individuals who are fighting to find the truth. In fact In Malta, Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated with over 40 cases of SLAPP cases filed against her name. We have seen an increasing number of them in a numeros member states in the European Union. So what I hope to find in this European Parliament that I'm confident that we will manage it together with my colleague Tiemo W&ouml;lken from the JURI Committee, is a strong and broad political support of a legal framework that protects these journalists, these civil society organisations, these NGOs, from being hampered from doing their work because ultimately it's in the public interest and they're doing this for the public good.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tiemo W&#214;LKEN (S&amp;D, DE), Rapporteur, We in the European Parliament, we want to establish rules to protect journalists, to protect NGOs and others, their freedom of speech, their freedom to report. And for that, we need a more secure and more safe environment for these persons.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tiemo W&#214;LKEN (S&amp;D, DE), Rapporteur, We need to adopt a directive at the European level to set minimum standards for all member states.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tiemo W&#214;LKEN (S&amp;D, DE), Rapporteur, And finally, we also need non legislative measures. For example, we need to create a European Union Fund to support victims of SLAPP because the lawsuits are very expensive and they are strategically used to avoid the work of journalists, for example, then we need to create networks so victims of SLAPP can coordinate and come together.