MEPs meeting in plenary in Strasbourg on Tuesday 3 May debated threats to the safety of journalists and media freedom. The debate took place on Tuesday, also World Press Freedom Day (see EUROPE 12943/11).
“Journalists should never have to choose between telling the truth or staying alive”, began the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, by way of introduction. She added, while recalling at the same time the European Parliament’s commitment to this issue: “We will always be on the side of those who seek the truth”.
Against the background of the war in Ukraine, part of the discussion focused on support for journalists on the ground.
“Six million euros have been spent on the safety of journalists in Ukraine, through training, equipment or relocation, where necessary”, summarised the European Commission’s Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová.
“There are also concerns in Europe”, she said, before returning to the Commission’s proposal presented on 27 April to combat the proliferation of ‘SLAPP proceedings’, which aim, through abusive prosecutions, to silence journalists and media professionals.
“We want psychological support, online and offline safety. Any legislation is only as good as its implementation”, Mrs Jourová said, stressing that legislation such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) (see EUROPE 12938/6) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) (see EUROPE 12918/25) could also play an important role.
“We have long argued for a proposal on press freedom and the safety of journalists. An attack on a journalist is an attack on us all. We have to support them with facts and not just with rhetoric”, said Ramona Strugariu (Renew Europe, Romania).
MEPs also focused on the problems faced by journalists in some EU countries.
“The autocrats base their empire on corruption and do everything to muzzle those who wish to reveal the truth”, insisted Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA, Germany), deploring in particular “the surveillance of Hungarian journalists with the ‘Pegasus’ software”. “The EU must act”, he concluded. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)