As we mark the third anniversary of the horrific assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, our thoughts go out to her family and friends. The EU has strongly condemned this heinous crime. We remain confident that the Maltese authorities will continue their efforts in order to ensure that justice is fully served.
In this respect, we recall the EU position on media freedom and safety of journalists, expressed many times at the OSCE, and which remains unchanged. The EU stands firm on the protection of free speech and the media. Democracy cannot survive if journalists are no longer able to report freely and to conduct independent investigative journalism. Democracy relies and depends upon their work to criticise and hold the powerful accountable.
All those responsible for violent acts and crimes against journalists must be brought to justice. Accountability and strong judicial processes are key. The EU attaches the highest importance to creating and maintaining a safe and enabling environment so that journalists may perform the work independently, without undue interference, harassment, intimidation or fear of repression. In this context, we emphasize the importance of the Milan Ministerial Council Decision on the Safety of Journalists. We also applaud the Chair’s intent to seek a Decision on the Access to Information at the Tirana Ministerial Council.
The Candidate Countries REPUBLIC of NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, SERBIA* and ALBANIA*, the Country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and Potential Candidate BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA, and the EFTA countries ICELAND, LIECHTENSTEIN and NORWAY, members of the European Economic Area, as well as the REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA and GEORGIA align themselves with this statement.
* Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.