The EBU's responds to the European Commission's fifth annual Rule of Law Report consultation. In our submission, we highlight the ongoing importance of evaluating the European Media Freedom Act Regulation and Anti-SLAPP Directive. It's crucial to ensure they align with their original objectives of safeguarding media freedom in a fast-evolving landscape. Furthermore, we support bilateral dialogues within the Rule of Law Mechanism, stressing the need for stakeholder involvement to tailor recommendations in the annual Rule of Law Report for each country

On journalist protection, we call on the Commission to closely monitor the use of spyware by Member States in the upcoming report and provide specific recommendations. Additionally, we propose incorporating questions about attacks on EU-based journalists by foreign authorities in future consultations. This aims to facilitate coordinated EU-specific requests when dealing with authoritarian regimes.