Subject: Follow-up: Meeting of the Expert group against SLAPP joined by the Focal Points and Member States representatives
From: <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Cc: "ORSERO Maximin" <[email-masked]>, "KISEVIC Srd" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:21:06 +0300

Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.

Dear colleagues,

We would like to thank again the Experts and Member States representatives, 
including focal points, that have participated to last week’s Meeting of the 
Expert group against SLAPP joined by the Focal Points and Member States 
representatives.

As requested, please find below a summary of sources of funding for 
anti-SLAPP projects.

We would also like to remind Member States which have not yet provided 
information on their follow-up to the Commission’s 2022 Anti-SLAPP 
Recommendation to do so as soon as possible, as the deadline to provide 
input was yesterday 16 September. Likewise, we would like to remind Focal 
Points that would have not already done so to provide us with their contact 
details asap in order for us to publish the list on our website.

We remain at your disposal should you have any questions.

Best wishes,

European Commission
DG JUST Anti-SLAPP Team

Sources of funding for Anti-SLAPP activities

1.       The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme and the 
Justice Programme

The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme (1.55 billion 
over 7 years) aims to protect and promote rights and EU values. It 
contributes to building a more democratic EU, respect for the rule of law, 
fundamental rights and democratic dialogue, transparency and good 
governance, including in cases of shrinking space for civil society. The 
CERV Programme also provides funding for mutual learning seminars in the 
context of the national electoral networks, these seminars can be expanded 
to include the protection of journalists and human rights defenders from 
SLAPPs.

Under the CERV 2023-2024 Work Programme, one call is particularly relevant.

*         Call for proposals CERV-2024-CHAR-LITI, in particular on the topic 
of “Strategic litigation”. Information is available 
<https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/cerv-2024-char-liti-litigation?status=31094501,31094502&frameworkProgramme=43251589&order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate> 
here.

The Justice Programme (305 million euro over 7 years) aims to contribute to 
develop a European area of justice thereby strengthening democracy, the rule 
of law and the protection of fundamental rights. This Programme provides 
inter alia for the possibility to fund activities linked to judicial 
training, with a view to fostering a common legal and judicial culture based 
on the rule of law, and to support and promote the consistent and effective 
implementation of the Union legal instruments that are relevant in the 
context of the Programme.

*         An example of project under this heading was PAT-Fox (Pioneering 
AntiSLAPP Training for Freedom of Expression) which was funded under the 
call for proposals for action grants to support transnational projects on 
judicial training covering civil law, criminal law or fundamental rights 
(JUST-2021-JTRA). The project aimed to pioneer Europe's first anti-SLAPP 
training, upskilling the lawyers representing journalists and human rights 
defenders against those litigating to shut down legitimate criticism in 11 
Member States. I was presented during the 9th meeting of the Anti-SLAPP 
Expert Group in February 2024.

SLAPP remains a priority of the annual calls for proposal on judicial 
training under the Justice programme. The 2024 call is closed. The 2025 call 
should be published in Q4 2024/Q1 2025.

DG JUST has a newsletter on funding opportunities and funded projects under 
both CERV and Justice, which is available 
<https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/newsletter-archives/view/service/1148> 
here.

2.       Support to the news media sectors

The Commission supports news media through different instruments, based on 
objectives such as protecting media freedom and pluralism, fostering 
collaboration and innovation of the sectors, and contributing to citizen’s 
engagement and the quality of public debate. In general, you can find 
information on grants potentially benefiting the news media sectors at:

*         factsheet: 
<https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/eu-support-news-media-sector> 
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/eu-support-news-media-sector

*         and grants: 
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/funding-news-media-sector

The logic underpinning these actions is explained at part of our News 
Initiative: 
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/news-initiative - which 
was launched in 2020.

3.	Creative Europe

Creative Europe is one of the instruments used to support the news media 
sectors, as part of its wider objectives to respond to the needs and 
challenges of the cultural and creative sectors and contribute to cultural 
diversity. The programme provides support to the sectors through its 
X-Sectoral strand, although the funding remains modest. There are currently 
no open calls on media freedom and pluralism under the Creative Europe 
Programme.

While this Programme focuses on media and does not cover human rights 
defenders per se, there is a project currently funded under this programme 
worth citing as relevant to the implementation of the Anti-SLAPP 
Recommendation.

*         “A Europe wide response mechanism for violations of press and 
media freedom”. This project monitors the state of media freedom in the EU 
Member States and Candidate Countries and reports through the site 
mappingmediafreedom.org. This included monitoring and analysing legal 
developments, SLAPPs against influential journalists and media have been 
analysed there. This project also provides legal and practical support to 
journalists and other media practitioners in need; this includes legal 
expertise on e.g. SLAPPs, financial support, a sheltering programme for 
journalists at risk and safety training courses. It also supports Advocacy 
and awareness-raising in the field of media freedom and safety of 
journalists. Some advocacy missions have also covered instances of SLAPPs. 
See Media Freedom Rapid Response - Media Freedom Rapid Response (mfrr.eu) 
<https://www.mfrr.eu/>

4.       Pilot projects and preparatory actions

Preparatory Action “Emergency support fund for investigative journalists and 
media organisations to ensure media freedom in the EU”. The aim of this 
preparatory action was to create an emergency support fund for investigative 
journalists and media organisations to improve press and media freedom and 
to prevent violations thereof by supporting the production of quality 
independent journalistic content in the public interest, including through 
cross-border cooperation. Ended in 30/11/2023.