Blueprint welcomes EU anti-SLAPP proposals

This morning the European Commission has published a draft Directive and Reccommendation to tackle the problem of SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation).

Dr Suelette Dreyfus, Executive Director of Blueprint for Free Speech, said:

SLAPPs are one of the biggest threats to freedom of expression in Europe, so we welcome these proposals from the European Commission.

This is a good package which contains all the important anti-SLAPP remedies campaigners have been asking for - including early dismissal to get rid of abusive suits quickly and costs measures to counter some of their worst impacts.

One major limitation is that the proposals apply only to cross border cases. EU member states should be encouraged to apply these principles to their domestic SLAPP cases too.

It's important to understand that SLAPPs aren't just a problem for journalists - we've also seen NGOs, historians, whistleblowers and ordinary people trying to engage with the democratic process targeted with abusive lawsuits.

Especially given the cross-border limitation, legislation can only be part of the answer here. Action on the ground, gathering information about SLAPPs and training legal professionals, is essential to ensure that these safeguards actually work in practice.

The CASE Coalition - of which Blueprint is a part - has also published a reaction to the proposals, which you can read here. EU Commissioner Vera Jourova will speak at a CASE event in Brussels on Thursday, 28 April, which will be streamed online.