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The independent analysis relies on evidence collected from June to December 2023.
Since the Recommendation was adopted in 2021, most Member States (19 out of 27) have either adopted a dedicated Action Plan (Denmark, Lithuania, Sweden) or created a dedicated structure or committee (Greece, Latvia, Italy). The majority also either have or are planning to put in place a comprehensive governance supporting the safety of journalists. As part of these efforts, concrete actions by Member States include setting up Task Forces, or signing Memorandums of Understanding and protocols regarding, for example, the cooperation between journalists and police forces.
The study also found that several EU countries have measures in place addressing online safety (9 countries) and to empower female journalists, as well as journalists belonging to minority groups and those reporting on equality issues (14 countries), but there is potential for further targeted action.
According to the study, the majority of Member States lag behind in establishing a monitoring system for the Recommendation, although some tools exist to monitor the safety of journalists in nearly half of them. To facilitate this and the reporting done by EU countries, the study proposes a monitoring framework they can implement.
The study will be a source of information for the upcoming rule of law report. It will also be used for discussions with Member States on the implementation of the Recommendations.
Read more about the findings in the study and the executive summaries.
You can also check the EU policies, funding and legislation on Media freedom and pluralism.
You may be interested in exploring the EU 'News Initiative' and how the EU aims to protect media freedom and pluralism.