BRUXELLES, 24.04.2018. – A resolution on the protection of investigative journalists in Europe, passed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on 19 April 2018 during the plenary session in Strasbourg, calls for better protection of investigative journalists and whistle-blowers.
In the wake of the murders of investigative journalists Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Kuciak, MEPs demand
- better protection of journalists who are regularly subject to lawsuits intended to censor their work
- a permanent financial EU scheme to support independent investigative journalism
- a draft EU directive to protect whistle-blowers
- the Commission to address challenges to media freedom and pluralism in the EU
- better monitoring of media ownership concentration
Additionally, MEPs urged Slovak authorities to ensure a thorough and independent investigation into the murder of Ján Kuciak and his partner. A joint investigation team co-led by Europol with full access to the case file was strongly recommended. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes this resolution and calls on the Slovak and Maltese authorities to finally bring those who ordered the murders of Ján and Daphne to justice.
President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, said: “The murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Kuciak are an attempt to undermine our fundamental values and a blow to the rule of law in the European Union. This Parliament wishes to strengthen the rights and duty of journalists to stand by free and independent information. We owe this to Daphne and Ján and to all European journalists who fight on the frontline every day in defence of our democracy”.