28/09/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 28 September, the Association Internationale de la Press (International Press Association: API-IPA) hailed the fact that the Belgian authorities have said they will not after all impose charges on journalists for security checks at European summits. "Journalists in Brussels who want to cover the next European summits in October and December will not have to pay the €50", the head of API-IPA, Tom Weingärtner, stated. Journalists accredited for the summits in the first six months of 2018 will not have to ask for new accreditation for the summits in the second half of 2018. Neither will there be new, stricter security criteria for journalists requesting one-off accreditation. API-IPA calls for a clear appeals procedure for journalists whose request for accreditation is refused for security reasons. In 2019, the six-month badges will be replaced with annual accreditation. (MB)