19/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - Decriminalisation of defamation. On 15 November, European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle welcomed the removal of insult and defamation from the Criminal Code, and the adoption of a law on civil liability for insult and defamation, in Macedonia (FYROM). “The decriminalisation of defamation is a significant step in the context of freedom of expression and the media, which is a cornerstone of any democracy”, Füle said, recalling that this decriminalisation was one of the key objectives of the high level dialogue. He particularly welcomed the fact that the legislative changes are the fruit of consultations between the government and the Association of Journalists. He said that the Commission would monitor closely the implementation of the new provisions and encourage the national authorities to continue their dialogue with the journalists to address other issues relating to the freedom of expression and the media. (CG/transl.fl)