Press, Brussels launches a package of measures to stop the abuse of complaints

The package consists of two proposals: a guideline and a recommendation –

“On an unprecedented initiative – explained Vice-President of the European Commission Vera Jourova – we decided to present a package of proposals for the protection of journalists which also represents a duty towards those who, like the Maltese Daphne Caruana Galizia, paid with his life to defend the right to carry out his activity without conditions. We promised to intervene and we did it ” Among other things, Jourova added, calling on all EU countries to deal with crimes in the press in the context of civil and not criminal law. . The package submitted by Brussels and also requested by the European Parliament consists of two proposals: a directive and a recommendation.

All news against abuse complaints –

The new European law, which must be approved by the European Council and Parliament before it can take effect, introduces several innovations in order to protect victims of slap, which is an acronym for a lawsuit-based strategy that aims to silence those who report cases of corruption, civil rights abuse, or other crimes against the public interest. “In a democracy – added Jourova – wealth and power cannot give anyone the right to transcend the truth.” To counter the trend towards the abuse of complaints and legal procedures that often aim only to enforce silence, the commission proposes a plan based primarily on three measures. Starting with the possibility that in the short term the courts may decide to dismiss “manifestly unfounded” cases. In this case, the complainant will have to pay all expenses, including the expenses of the attorney appointed by the defense. To be more consistent, the EU’s actions envisage sanctioning the right to compensation for moral and material damage unjustly inflicted on the party in question. But also the possibility for judges to apply so-called “disabling penalties” to those who file unfounded lawsuits.