European Commission: Ukraine makes moderate progress in freedom of speech – Enlargement Package

The European Commission, in its annual report Enlargement Package, which was published on Tuesday in Brussels, states that Ukraine is between a certain and moderate level of preparation regarding freedom of speech.

"Despite the constraints resulting from the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine has made some progress in this area, notably on the financial independence of the public broadcaster Suspilne, transparency of media ownership, and access to information for journalists," the document notes.

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially met and remain valid. In the coming year, Ukraine should in particular: ensure the safety and independence of journalists and respect their public information role; investigate promptly, independently and effectively cases of direct intimidation and harassment as well as indirect forms of pressure against journalists and media outlets.

Ukraine should maintain adequate funding for the public service broadcaster to allow the independent public service media to carry out their role as enshrined in Ukraine’s legislation, and ensure that content produced by publicly funded media are representative of Ukraine’s political and societal pluralism.

The Commission also recommends to continue its efforts to maintain and gradually strengthen a transparent, pluralistic and independent media landscape, ensuring that restrictions imposed temporarily by martial law comply with key public rights and interests, such as access to information and media freedom.