European Union

The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday joined 15 media outlets, journalist associations and press freedom organizations in urging the European Commission to improve journalists’ access to its documents, warning that delays were harming public debate across Europe. In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the groups said the Commission…

The Committee to Protect Journalists and partners on Monday called on the European Commission to stop the export by European Union member states of dual-use surveillance software to countries with records of spying on journalists. The joint letter to EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič makes recommendations aimed at addressing loopholes in the EU’s Dual-Use Regulation,…

Hungary’s new government has taken promising first steps to restore press freedom after years of state capture under former prime minister Viktor Orbán, but authorities must now move beyond quick fixes to deliver transparent, durable reforms that ensure the media is protected from any and all political interference. After his Tisza party won a  landslide…

On July 6, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined over 30 partners in calling on the European Union to address the abuse of spyware in Europe. The statement followed a forensic analysis by Citizen Lab that revealed how Stelios Kouloglou, former Member of the European Parliament and investigative journalist, was targeted and infected with Pegasus…

Brussels, June 11, 2026—Ahead of a meeting with Hungarian officials on June 16, the Committee to Protect Journalists urges European Union member states to encourage Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s new government to rebuild the national media landscape by fully aligning future reforms with EU law and recommendations.  Magyar’s Tisza party won April elections, ousting Viktor…

The Committee to Protect Journalists and eight partner organizations urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday to raise the issue of the escalating press freedom crisis in the Western Balkans, particularly in Serbia, during her visit to the region this week. The joint statement highlights the severe deterioration of press freedom in…

On September 30, 2025, CPJ and 16 partner organizations wrote to leaders in Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic to call for a full or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The agreement sets out the EU’s legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation with Israel. The European Commission recently proposed suspending “certain…

CPJ wrote an open letter on Wednesday, June 18, urging European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas to propose a suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. On May 20, the European Union committed to reviewing the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which sets out the EU’s…

May 27, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the European Commission to call on member states to provide both financing and political will to defend media freedom as it moves forward with its European Democracy Shield initiative. Public consultations for the proposed Shield, which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in 2024, closed…

New York, May 20, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Tuesday’s decision by European Union foreign ministers to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which sets out the EU’s legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation with Israel. The review could in principle lead to a suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. CPJ has been calling for…