Media bodies accuse EU of undermining freedom of expression

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today expressed "dismay" at the failure of the European Union to recognise the public's Right to Access Information. The EU Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline were formally adopted by the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 12 May, despite the IFJ, EFJ and other leading media and freedom of expression groups urging a delay and calling for a formal public consultation prior to adoption, the two media groups said in a statement. "It is shocking that the European Union should adopt a set of guidelines on Freedom of Expression that fall so far short of internationally recognised standards," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President . The EU Guidelines are designed to provide "political and operational guidance" to EU staff on how to intervene and assist when freedom of expression is threatened. They could be a very important tool and contain many useful instructions to EU delegations on how and when they can respond in areas of journalists' safety, fighting censorship and protecting sources of information, it noted. However, the failure to recognise the right of the public to access information held by public authorities not only omits a crucial area of activity for EU officials, but also threatens to undermine the right already recognised by international institutions, including the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the European Court of Human Rights, it noted. "We also regret the absence of recognition of the role of journalists unions and associations in protecting the rights and conditions of the journalists' profession," said Mogens Blicher Bjerregaard, EFJ President. "The efforts of journalists unions to build democratic journalists institutions that can sustain independent journalism long into the future should also be recognised in the guidelines," added Bjerregaard