Media freedom, a prerequisite for EU enlargement - Article

To advance in their European integration path, Western Balkan candidate countries must ensure media freedom and pluralism. For Montenegro and North Macedonia, this means moving beyond formal commitments and demonstrating through concrete actions that democratic reforms are more than words on paper

Call on President von der Leyen to address media freedom crisis in the Western Balkans - Article

Against the backdrop of a rapidly worsening media freedom crisis across the region, most prominently in Serbia, a coalition of international media freedom, journalists’ and freedom of expression organizations calls on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to raise the threats to the protection of journalists and media pluralism with the respective authorities during her visit to the Western Balkans this week (13-16 October)

Georgia: urgent action to safeguard independent journalism - Article

The undersigned media freedom, journalists’, and freedom of expression organisations strongly condemn the intensifying crackdown on Georgian journalists and press freedom defenders who continue to face institutional repression and physical attacks.

Hungarian investment in the Balkans: A Test for Europe’s Media Law - Reports

Hungarian-linked investors covertly acquired Balkan media through opaque funding and ownership, exposing EU vulnerabilities. The report urges stronger transparency, monitoring, and regulation to prevent cross-border media capture and protect democratic integrity

MFRR condemns police interference with journalistic work in Germany and calls for protection of all journalists - Article

Germany: OBCT and MFRR partners stress that police must safeguard journalists’ work at all times, especially during protests

Bulgaria: Press Freedom Undermined by Political Polarisation and Delayed Reforms - Article

Media freedom in Bulgaria faces entrenched challenges in a climate of political polarisation and legislative inertia, with urgent action needed by government and public authorities to push forward both domestic and EU-mandated reforms, a coalition of international press freedom organisations said today

Open Letter on Improving Journalists’ Access to the Albanian Parliament - Article

MFRR partners and free expression organizations urge the Albanian Parliament to drop plans restricting journalists’ access and to protect media freedom

Monitoring Report January-June 2025 - Reports

This Monitoring Report takes stock of the press freedom situation in 36 EU Member States and candidate countries during the first six months of 2025. Between January and June, the Mapping Media Freedom database documented 709 press freedom violations, affecting 1249 media workers or entities

Backroom deals to silence independent media in Serbia? - Article

As the political situation in Serbia remains explosive, the publication of a controversial private conversation highlights an attempt to muzzle the few media outlets in the country that continue to take a critical line towards the government

By Massimo Moratti

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

Georgia: Media Freedom groups condemn latest attacks on journalists by ruling party activists and police - Article

The undersigned media freedom, journalists’, and freedom of expression organizations strongly condemn the recent physical and verbal attacks on independent media by activists of the Georgian Dream ruling party and a police officer