(04 October 2021) – Today, the Commission has launched a public consultation on EU action against abusive litigation targeting journalists and rights defenders (Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation – SLAPP). The consultation will feed into the upcoming initiative against SLAPP.
The initiative aims to protect journalists and human rights defenders in SLAPP. These are lawsuits lodged against such people to prevent them from informing the public and reporting on matters of public interest.
The anti-SLAPP initiative is part of the European Democracy Action Plan, which noted that such practices are increasingly used across many Member States, in an environment where hostile activity against journalists is growing.
Citizens, journalists, Member States, NGOs, civil society, judges, legal professionals are invited to express their views.
The public consultation will be open until 10 January 2022.