The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) coalition has welcomed the publication of the 2024 European Commission's rule of law report.
"Despite progress made in some areas, the report shows that press freedom remains under threat in Europe. We urge Member States and the European Union to intensify their efforts to uphold media freedom, and reinforce their roles in safeguarding this pillar of democracy," they said.
The statement signed by the International Press Institute (IPI), ARTICLE 19 Europe, The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and OBC Transeuropa (OBCT), said that the release of the fifth annual rule of law report "provides a critical opportunity to evaluate press freedom and democratic governance across EU Member States. We warmly welcome the fact that the media situation in the candidate countries will progressively become part of the report."
"Alarmingly but not unexpectedly, the latest rule of law report testifies to the severe decline in press freedom and media pluralism that Europe is experiencing. MFRR partners continue to support the rule of law report as a valuable tool, recognizing its vital role of empowering Member State governments to promote and enforce international standards. But as media and journalists confront escalating threats, it is vital that the Commission's assessment translates into concrete, bold and firm actions to protect media freedom and independent journalism. Our coalition therefore calls for a poignant response from the Commission in terms of accountability." The MFRR analysed the report and highlighted points of action.
With regard to Malta, the organisations state that Malta, Greece, Italy, and Slovakia in particular have made insufficient progress towards guaranteeing the safety of journalists, both physical and against abusive lawsuits. "Concerning Greece, the report noted the increase in penalties for defamation despite its decriminalization in the country's new Penal Code, and our advocacy work on the lawsuit brought against journalists that reported on the spyware case. Generally, online abuse and online threats against journalists, specifically female journalists, remain a pressing issue."
It also states that the Malta chapter media section mentions "no progress" has been made more often than "some progress", "making it clear that the country has not comprehensively improved the situation for journalists since Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination. Only two recommendations from the Public Inquiry Report have been implemented, with the white paper still not being published, and the government's proposed media legislation currently frozen in the Maltese Parliament. "
On other countries, the organisations state that democratic backsliding is happening in Hungary and other countries, "highlighting the pressing need for follow-up by the Commission with Member States in strengthening their commitment to the rule of law. About Italy, the EU Commission report speaks explicitly of a risk of a tangible restriction on the right of citizens to be informed and journalists to be able to do so."
It said that while some countries have taken steps to improve journalists' safety and working environments, supported by recently-adopted initiatives like the European Media Freedom Act and the anti-SLAPP directive, "the report takes into account the ongoing and, in some cases, worsening issues that the MFRR has been consistently denouncing and that demand immediate attention. In Slovakia, for instance, the return of Robert Fico to government was accompanied by increasing verbal attacks on the press, a pattern that has only escalated following the Prime Minister's assassination attempt. At the same time, cyber attacks against independent media are becoming more and more prominent, particularly in Hungary, while Italy saw a notable increase in documented legal threats. We regret that a comprehensive assessment of the implementation of these new laws and directives is missing in the recommendations, as this is essential for effectively turning policy into reality. The European Commission notes that 32% of its previous recommendations have not been acted upon by Member States, and in certain areas the situation for journalists even further deteriorated."
Among other things, it said that the 2024 rule of law report shows how, "even in countries with strong democratic traditions, press freedom is not an acquis and repeated violations risk escalating into a systemic crisis. At a time when media freedom principles are increasingly deteriorating across Europe, it is more necessary than ever for the rule of law report to be critical, specific, and linked to enforcement tools. Our coalition stresses the need for robust measures from the EU to uphold press freedom and pluralism. The members of the MFRR stress the following urgent needs: Above all, journalist safety from physical and legal threats must be prioritized. To do so, we recommend to include safety and digital safety of journalists as a separate category in future rule of law reports; In light of widespread political influence on public service media, lack of transparency on media ownership and State advertising, we advocate for the development of a mechanism allowing the EU to challenge legislation not compliant with European standards; We encourage the Commission to give more actionable recommendations to Member States, including a specific mechanism for reporting violations in future reports, as well as for supporting civil society stakeholders facing obstacles in their work to uphold media freedom across Europe."
"It is imperative that both national governments and the EU take a proactive stance in monitoring violations and addressing the highlighted gaps urgently."