The main focus was on supporting independent media, freedom of expression, and the resilience of democratic institutions during wartime.
The Chairman of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Mykyta Poturaiev, who joined the discussions, drew the participants’ attention to the economic challenges facing the Ukrainian media landscape amid the war and the reduction of international support.
«Journalists do not work in a vacuum — producing a journalistic piece usually involves a large team of media professionals. Today, the most important thing is to ensure there is still someone to protect. Because if there are no media outlets, there will be no journalists — and no freedom of speech,» the MP said, stressing that direct support from the Council of Europe is critically important.
Mykyta Poturaiev also noted that the blocking of the process to launch full-fledged EU membership negotiations by some countries could slow down eurointegration reforms, particularly in the media sector.
At the same time, the MP expressed his firm belief in the need to continue media reform and achieve its planned benchmarks:
«Our Committee, as well as the Committee on Freedom of Speech, sees the horizon and is capable of moving in that direction — but at the moment, the necessary external incentives are lacking.»
Mykyta Poturaiev emphasized the importance of implementing the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
«Ukraine could benefit from mechanisms that protect against information aggression and the arbitrary actions of social media platforms. In my view, Europe itself is currently not effective in countering disinformation and manipulative campaigns on social platforms,» he noted.
On June 25, a roundtable was held in Kyiv focusing on the fight against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) — a legal tool often used to exert pressure on journalists and activists.
SLAPPs are lawsuits not intended to protect reputation, but rather to intimidate, drain resources, and silence critics.
During the event, participants discussed examples of SLAPP cases in Ukraine — in particular, those targeting investigative journalists; international experience and support from UNESCO; legislative initiatives that need to be developed over the coming year; and the necessity of protecting journalists from vulnerable groups, including women and national minorities.
This is one of the key challenges to freedom of expression — and one that the Council of Europe is already addressing through the adoption of the first regional instrument in this field.
«SLAPPs are an abuse of the right to file a lawsuit. We must introduce safeguards to prevent the use of courts as a tool to suppress freedom of speech and civic participation,» said Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Chair of the Committee on Freedom of Speech.
Yevheniia Kravchuk, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, highlighted the international dimension of russia’s use of SLAPPs.
«Danish journalists were sued for investigating russia’s shadow fleet. They say: if the state does not help with legal costs, we’ll have to shut down,» she commented.
According to her, this creates a paradoxical situation:
«Europeans officially pay russia for gas, and then that money comes back in the form of lawsuits against journalists.»
The participants of the event called for the consolidation of efforts by the Parliament, the executive branch, international organizations, the judiciary, and the media community.
They agreed that Ukraine must adopt legislation as soon as possible that aligns with European standards and ensures effective mechanisms for filtering out unfounded lawsuits, compensating legal costs, and protecting journalists — especially those from vulnerable groups.