EU protection against strategic lawsuits
Lead MEP Tiemo Wölken (S&D, DE) will brief journalists following the final plenary vote on new rules protecting journalists and activists from abusive lawsuits against public participation.
When: Tuesday, 27 February 2024, 15.00 CET
Where: European Parliament in Strasbourg, Daphne Caruana Galizia press conference room (WEISS N -1/201)
How: Accredited media representatives can attend the press conference physically. Journalists wishing to ask questions remotely need to connect via Interactio (https://ep.interactio.eu/1dxr-tkkf-mpje).
The press conference will also be web streamed live and recorded on the Parliament’s Multimedia Centre.
Interpretation will be available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish.
Background
The long-awaited anti-SLAPP directive protects journalists and human rights defenders from strategic lawsuits against public participation that aim to silence them. The new rules contain a set of safeguards to protect victims, such as the possibility to ask for a case to be dismissed early, the claimant having to cover all the costs, and not recognising third country judgments against victims residing in the EU. Parliament is set to approve the agreement reached with member states in November 2023 in a final vote on Tuesday.
