A coalition of leading international press freedom organisations has sharply criticised the Maltese government for failing to advance long-promised media reforms, warning that years after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the country remains without adequate safeguards for journalists.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, and the International Press Institute expressed concern at what they described as persistent inaction.

Despite heightened pressure for reform following Caruana Galizia's killing in 2017, the organisations argue that the Maltese state has yet to demonstrate the political will required to implement meaningful change. A 2021 public inquiry had concluded that the state must "shoulder responsibility" for creating an "atmosphere of impunity" that contributed to her assassination.

Central to the criticism is the continued delay of three media-related bills, including the proposed "Protection of the Media and Journalists" legislation, which has remained pending in parliament since October 2022. While the government adopted several recommendations put forward by a committee of media experts, key provisions considered essential for strengthening media freedom were left out.

The NGOs also highlighted a lack of transparency in the reform process. Although public consultations concluded in October 2025, authorities have provided no clear indication of the next steps in the six months since. A set of recommendations for a National Action Plan on Media Freedom and Journalist Safety, submitted by international organisations in October last year, remains under review.

The stagnation has drawn scrutiny from European institutions. In its latest Rule of Law report, the European Commission found that Malta had made no progress in adopting safeguards to protect journalists and only limited advances in improving access to official documents.

While the government issued a legal notice in August 2025 signalling its intention to align national laws with the European Media Freedom Act, the NGOs warned that any reforms in their current form would likely fall short of full implementation.

The organisations are now urging the European Commission to take a firmer stance by using their recommendations as benchmarks in future Rule of Law assessments. They also called on European bodies, including the Council of Europe and the OSCE, to support Malta in designing and executing comprehensive reforms.

Absent decisive action, the groups cautioned, Malta risks prolonging a climate in which journalists continue to operate without sufficient protection.