The European Parliament on Thursday sent a “strong and united” message on the importance of protecting journalists, MEP Roberta Metsola said just hours after an anti-SLAPP report was approved by an overwhelming majority. 

In the report, adopted with 444 votes in favour, 48 against and 75 abstentions, MEPs propose a series of measures to counteract the threat that Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) pose to journalists, NGOs and civil society in Europe. 

All Maltese MEPs voted in favour of the report.

SLAPPs are frivolous legal actions based on exaggerated and often abusive claims, aimed to intimidate and professionally discredit their targets, with the ultimate objective of blackmailing and silencing them.

A number of local media organisations and journalists have faced libel suits in foreign jurisdictions in recent years.

Among others, Satabank co-owner Christo Georgiev has sued Times of Malta in Bulgaria over alleged damage to his reputation. Slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia had had 47 lawsuits filed against her at the time of her death.

Addressing a press conference after the vote as one of the two rapporteurs, Metsola said the “ball is now in the [European] Commission’s court”. 

“Our demands are clear, and we will insist that the member states not only discuss this but seek to engage to address the gaps.

“Today we see a strong and united EP on this. This institution is sending the clearest of messages – we are Europe which stands for and fights for the protection of journalists,” the PN MEP said. Her co-rapporteur, Tiemo Wölken, also called on the Commission to act, saying the issue is a “systematic problem” that requires immediate action. 

The European Commission recently launched a public consultation to feed into an upcoming initiative to tackle abusive lawsuits filed against journalists and rights defenders and is expected to present its European Media Freedom Act in 2022. This will be aimed at safeguarding the independence and pluralism of media.