News on freedom of expression
Western Balkan regulators call for stronger support to align with European standards
As European standards on digital governance continue to evolve, regulatory authorities from the Western Balkans Beneficaries gathered in Athens to discuss how to align their frameworks with relevant Council of Europe and European Union’s standards, in particular with the requirements of the EU’s...
Journalists and experts join forces in Belgrade to safeguard free media
Journalists, researchers, policymakers and representatives of international organisations gathered in Belgrade to tackle growing threats to freedom of expression in the Western Balkans and beyond. The two-day conference provided a platform to share experiences, develop solutions, and strengthen...
Promoting media literacy from an early age: “Media and emotions” presented in Belgrade
The new publication “Media and Emotions” was presented at the City Library of Belgrade, marking another step in strengthening media and information literacy among preschool educators, in support to the ongoing media literacy programme implemented by the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media...
Courts’ role in protecting journalists from abusive lawsuits under spotlight in Serbia
Judges, lawyers and academics gathered at the annual “Forum of Judges” conference to discuss how courts can strengthen protection against abusive lawsuits targeting journalists and public watchdogs. The discussion focused on the implementation of the Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)2...
New Guide helps legal professionals counter SLAPPs through ECHR standards
The Council of Europe has published a new Guide for Legal Professionals on Freedom of Expression, SLAPPs and Related ECHR Standards, developed under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye. The Guide is designed to support...
Ka sigurnijem digitalnom prostoru u Bosni i Hercegovini
Od suzbijanja dezinformacija do promocije digitalne pismenosti, Regulatorna agencija za komunikacije (RAK) jača svoje kapacitete za kreiranje sigurnijeg online prostora u Bosni i Hercegovini. Dana 1. oktobra, uposlenici RAK-a učestvovali su na specijaliziranoj obuci koju je organiziralo Vijeće...
Advancing transparency in North Macedonia: Civil servants gain practical skills to implement access to information laws
Strengthening the knowledge and skills of civil servants in North Macedonia, to apply laws related to access to information more effectively, directly contributes to greater transparency, accountability, and democratic governance. To assist this process, a specialised training for civil servants...
European standards on elections shared with key actors
As the parliamentary elections are approaching, the issue of ensuring freedom of expression, particularly freedom of political debate, is of ultimate importance considering the necessity that opinions and information of all kinds are permitted to circulate freely during the election period. To...
Obuka trenera za online kurseve: "Sloboda izražavanja" i "Sigurnost i zaštita novinara"
Obuke različitih lokalnih aktera kao što su sudije, tužioci, advokati, policajci ali i studenti mogu doprinijeti efikasnijoj primjeni europskih standada o slobodi izražavanja jer oni mogu da ih primijene u svom sadašnjem ili budućem radu. To doprinosi stvaranju povoljnog okruženja za...
Guidelines available in Serbian
Safeguarding privacy in the media
The Council of Europe’s “Guidelines on safeguarding privacy in the media” have been translated into Serbian under the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022", and action on "Freedom of expression and...
Algorithms and human rights – challenges we face
In the evolving technological world automated data processing techniques, such as algorithms, do not only enable users to seek and access information, they are also increasingly used in decision-making processes, that were previously entirely in the remit of human beings. But how should we...
Youngest and the world of media
Children are surrounded by the media from their birth – media and communication platforms and content are part of their environment, their family life, their fun and play time, their learning habits and social skills development. Children are active users of the media; they react to them and...
Council of Europe Provides Legal Support for Kosovo*’s Draft Law on the Independent Media Commission (IMC)
In response to a request from the Committee on Public Administration, Local Governance, Media, and Rural Development, and the Independent Media Commission (IMC) in Kosovo, the Council of Europe has provided a Legal Opinion on the Draft Law on the IMC. This initiative reflects Kosovo’s commitment...
‘Guide to Article 10 for legal professionals' on upholding European standards on freedom of expression, available in Albanian
The latest resource material for legal professionals, "Guide to Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights—Freedom of Expression" is now available in Albanian. It is part of the Case-Law Guides’ series, published by the European Court of Human Rights to assist legal professionals in...
Assessment on economic vitality and sustainability of the audio-visual media industry in the digital environment in North Macedonia reveals important findings
The media have a particular role in the process of democratic, cultural, social, and economic development for every society, which is why the adoption, and the appropriate implementation of media public policy bears crucial relevance. The latest “Assessment: Economic vitality and sustainability...
Zaštita onih koji govore: Novinari i uzbunjivači u fokusu
Dvadeset dvoje advokata i advokatica iz Bosne i Hercegovine ojačalo je kapacitete za odbranu novinara/ki i uzbunjivača/ica na dvodnevnom skupu u Bihaću. Kroz studije slučaja Evropskog suda za ljudska prava i analizu domaćeg pravnog okvira, debatovali su o rješenjima koja bi ojačala zaštitu onih...
Constitutional Court ruling opens path to strengthen media regulator’s independence
Ensuring the independence of the media regulator and aligning the local legal framework with European standards were at the heart of discussions at a roundtable in Pristina, that brought together members and staff of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), civil society representatives, and...
Peer Exchange in Warsaw strengthens European response to SLAPP-s
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) pose a growing threat to media freedom and public participation across Europe. They are filed to intimidate, silence, or drain the resources of journalists, media workers, and activists who expose wrongdoing. To strengthen members...
Edukacija za sudije: Zaštita javnog interesa kroz zaštitu uzbunjivača i novinara/ki
Top of FormSudije/sutkinje i tužioci/tužiteljke iz cijele Bosne i Hercegovine unaprijedili su svoje znanje o evropskim standardima zaštite uzbunjivača i novinara/ki tokom dvodnevne obuke usmjerene na očuvanje slobode izražavanja i javnog interesa. Kroz analizu konkretnih slučajeva Evropskog...
Constitutional Court ruling opens path to strengthen media regulator’s independence
Ensuring the independence of the media regulator and aligning the local legal framework with European standards were at the heart of discussions at a roundtable in Pristina, that brought together members and staff of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), civil society representatives, and...