A free, diverse and responsible press is a core element of any functioning democracy. Seven joint European Union and Council of Europe actions in the Western Balkans have continuously been working on ensuring more favourable media environment, stronger protection of freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

The World Press Freedom Day was traditionally marked in the Western Balkans on 3 May and with the initiative of the Horizontal Facility II the awareness-raising campaign “Silence kills the democracy!” kicked off in North Macedonia, to encourage public authorities to take action to establish an enabling environment for press freedom.

The awareness of the judges and prosecutors of Bosnia and Herzegovina was raised on the application of the Law on Protection against Defamation in the judiciary system and on criminal-law aspects of hate speech, including on the internet. Both activities aimed to strengthen the capacities of local judiciary on the standards of freedom of expression, defamation and hate speech as set by the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.

With the support of the programme, a two-day workshop on access to information and freedom of expression on the internet was organised in Kosovo* for 63 judges and prosecutors. Participants learned about the right to access information and related international instruments which guarantee it, as well as about the freedom of expression online.

 

A culture of transparency and openness in the public administration is essential for asserting the legitimacy of the authority and ratification of the Council of Europe’s Tromsø Convention on Access to Official Documents is essential in this regard. The effect of the ratification on the work of the media in Serbia and on the related public debate was discussed at the event organised in Belgrade in the end of May.

 

With the main aim to contribute to strengthening the freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, a new HELP online course “Protection and safety of journalists” is now available in the local languages. With a set of key materials adapted for the Beneficiaries, this course aims at assisting legal professionals, journalists and law-enforcement officials in the Western Balkans in identifying and tackling threats against journalists and other media actors.

Another important publication “Media regulatory authorities and media pluralism” was made available in June, as a result of co-operation among media regulatory authorities from the Western Balkans. It aims to contribute to a wider understanding of the concept of media pluralism, its institutional and policy-related importance, and the fundamental role of media regulatory authorities in this field.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.