A regional exchange on strengthening judicial responses to Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) was held in Podgorica, Montenegro, on 19 and 20 November, gathering high-level representatives of judicial academies from across the Western Balkans. The event provided a dedicated platform for enhancing judicial training approaches, exchanging regional experiences, and strengthening institutional capacities to safeguard freedom of expression and public participation.
The primary goal of this exchange was to present the Council of Europe's training programme on countering the use of SLAPPs, developed by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression. This comprehensive training programme provides judicial academies with a practical set of tools and resources designed to support the effective training of judges on SLAPP-related issues. By offering structured guidance, case-based learning materials, and methodologies aligned with European standards, the programme helps strengthen judicial understanding of abusive litigation practices and equips future judges to safeguard freedom of expression and public participation.
The training programme is based on recent Council of Europe and European Union related standards, the Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)2 on countering the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), and the EU Directive - EU - 2024/1069 .
Throughout the two-day event, representatives of judicial academies discussed the integration of SLAPP-related content into the standard judicial training curriculum, exploring practical approaches to curriculum development, case analysis, and capacity building – and ensuring the best possible sustainability of the developed materials.
The event also highlighted the importance of aligning regional judicial training efforts with broader initiatives of the European Union and the Council of Europe, which advocate for robust frameworks to counter SLAPPs and reinforce freedom of expression. Participants recognised that regional cooperation and harmonisation of standards contribute significantly to enhancing democratic resilience and rule of law across the Western Balkans.
This activity was organised within the framework of the Regional Action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in the Western Balkans (PROFREX)”, implemented by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression of the Council of Europe. PROFREX Action is part of the joint European Union and the Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.