European Union

Brussels February 17, 2022 – European Union ministers should prioritize press freedom reform in Poland when the EU General Affairs Council meets to discuss rule of law concerns in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. “When Poland attacks press freedom, it makes a mockery of European Union values,” said Tom Gibson, CPJ’s…

Brussels, September 16, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed new journalist safety guidelines published by the European Commission, and called on EU member states to implement them as soon as possible. The nonbinding recommendation lists dozens of steps that states can take to ensure that journalists can work safely, including to prosecute…

Brussels, July 8, 2021 – In preparation for the Council of the European Union’s July 12 discussion on Ethiopia, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “As the Council of the European Union seeks to address the unravelling humanitarian crisis in the conflict-affected Tigray region, it should also focus on how the Ethiopian…

Brussels, June 22, 2021 – European Union leaders should use the upcoming European Council meeting to call for Turkey to improve its press freedom record, including the release of all jailed journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Officials plan to discuss EU-Turkey relations during the meeting, scheduled for June 24 and 25, according…

Brussels, June 2, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on European Union officials to use upcoming talks with the Kyrgyzstan government to seek justice for the death of imprisoned journalist Azimjon Askarov. Askarov died in prison on July 25, 2020, as CPJ documented at the time; he had been sick in prison…

Brussels, May 25, 2021 – In response to a statement yesterday by the European Council demanding the immediate release of Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich and calling for sanctions on Belarusian officials, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We welcome the call by European leaders for the immediate release of Belarusian journalist Raman…

The European Union yesterday adopted a new regulation on exports of dual-use surveillance technology by EU-based companies. The legislation seeks to prevent human rights harm, including in countries where journalists are targeted and under surveillance because of their work.  CPJ joined six other freedom of expression and human rights organizations in a statement welcoming the…

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined dozens of civil society organizations today in urging the European Parliament to reject a draft regulation on terrorist content online when it is proposed for a vote in April.  The letter, which was sent to every member of parliament, notes that the draft would allow national authorities to order…

Brussels, December 3, 2020—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes important measures to strengthen media freedom and pluralism in the European Democracy Action Plan published by the European Commission today. The plan says the Commission will issue a recommendation on the safety of journalists and establish a structured dialogue with member states regarding its implementation, according…

November 10, 2020—The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern after the Council of the European Union proposed a draft resolution last week calling for national authorities across the EU to have access to encrypted messages as part of criminal investigations into terrorism and organized crime. Journalists rely on encryption to evade surveillance and protect their…