The Committee on Legal Affairs within the European Parliament discussed a draft report on media pluralism and media freedom in the European Union, indicating their concerns over SLAPP lawsuits.
The report, which is destined for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs as the Committee responsible, highlights a number of points.
The report includes a number of statements, including one amendment which was proposed by PN MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, which states that the Committee “Is perturbed about the recourse by powerful commercial entities to SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) practices in an attempt to silence journalists from carrying out their work or otherwise interfere with their content. Calls upon the European Commission to take note of this trend and to propose legislation that would curtail these abusive practices.”
Speaking with The Malta Independent, MEP Francis Zammit Dimech said that “it was very satisfying for me this morning to have obtained the support of the majority of the Legal Affairs Committee in favour of an amendment that I moved specifically calling upon the European Commission to introduce legislation against SLAPP, which in Malta had been used by entities such as Pilatus Bank and Henley and Partners to try to silence an investigative journalist such as assassinated Daphne Caruana Galizia and independent media houses including ‘The Times’, ‘The Malta Independent’ and ‘Shift News’. I still ask, where does the Government of Malta stand with regard to stopping SLAPP once and for all? Still seeking advice!”
The Nationalist Party has also recently presented a Private Member’s Bill in an attempt to outlaw SLAPP lawsuits here in Malta. The Bill has not yet been debated.
The Opinion report, also includes a number of other clauses, such as where the Committee wants the EU Parliament to “c all on the Commission and Member States to ensure that journalists are given the proper tools to inquire and receive information from EU and Member States public administration authorities, according to regulations on public access to documents, without being opposed arbitrary reasons denying such right of access; Whereas the information obtained through the right of inquiry by journalists or by citizens, as well as through whistle-blowers are complementary to each other and are both essential for journalists' ability to fulfil their public interest mission.”
The report will now head to the LIBE Committee, who would include it in their report. It will then head for the European Parliament Plenary session for a vote. Once passed, it will be sent to the Commission and Council for approval or disapproval.