No SLAPP contact point presented in Berlin
Guests from journalism, federal politics, administration, the legal profession, trade unions, the NGO sector and activism discussed problems and perspectives regarding increasing attempts at legal intimidation and the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive.
On Thursday, 16 May, the German No-SLAPP Coalition hosted a reception at the European House, Unter den Linden in Berlin, to announce the formal launch of the contact point and its new website at noslapp.de. More than 60 guests from journalism, federal politics, administration, the legal profession, trade unions, the NGO sector and activism, as well as some private individuals, gathered in the prestigious premises provided by the European Commission Representation in Berlin.
Nikolaus von Peter, Political Officer at the Commission Representation in Berlin, began by welcoming the guests. In his speech, he emphasized the value of European initiatives for civil society and called on those present to exert pressure on the German government to implement the Anti-SLAPP Directive as quickly and comprehensively as possible.
Von Peter's welcome address was followed by a digitally transmitted speech by MEP Tiemo Wölken, who was unable to attend in person due to ongoing European election campaigning. As the responsible parliamentary rapporteur, Wölken played a key role in the anti-SLAPP directive. He emphasized the danger to the critical public and democratic discourse posed by SLAPPs throughout the European Union, presented the various inspirations for the Directive and its history and acknowledged the great contribution made by associations such as the German No-SLAPP Alliance and European projects such as PATFox, to the fight against SLAPPs.
After a brief introduction of the No SLAPP Alliance, which was represented by representatives from the organizations Action Against Labor Injustice, Blueprint for Free Speech, DJV, dju in ver.di, FragDenStaat, GLI, Reporters Without Borders Germany and Save the Rainforest, Philipp Wissing presented NO SLAPP DE (www.noslapp.de): the new first point of contact for the protection of journalistic work against SLAPPs in Germany. The project which is funded by Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media will not only provide information and assistance in response to inquiries. It will hold training courses together with partners in various German cities; document SLAPP cases on an ongoing basis; and develop a handbook for projects that aim to educate people about SLAPPs and contribute to preventing and actively combating abusive litigation. Central to these efforts is a legal advisory board which includes leading legal experts in the fields of press law and the right to freedom of expression, as well as labour and criminal law, who provide advice to the contact point and, in individual cases, also provide legal advice to those affected by SLAPPs.
The presentation of the NO SLAPP contact point was followed by a panel discussion on the situation in Germany. Moderator Joschka Selinger (Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte) asked the panelists Bettina Behrend (Rettet den Regenwald), Hannah Vos (FragDenStaat), Anna Hunger (Kontext Wochenzeitung) and Jean Peters (Correctiv) about their own experiences with SLAPPs, the Directive and its forthcoming transposition into German law, as well as further perspectives on the critical public sphere in Germany as a whole. The panelists gave a comprehensive insight into their own work and the challenges they face due to increasing intimidation through legal action. At the same time, they agreed on the importance of undaunted solidarity and courage in this regard.
Barbara Jansen from the Federal Ministry of Justice also spoke during the Q&A session with the audience. She heads Division R A 2 for Civil Procedure and Labor Court Proceedings in Department R - Administration of Justice and answered the question about the status of the implementation of the Directive by pointing out the short time that has passed since the Directive was adopted. She said, efforts would be made to implement the Directive as quickly as possible and to involve all relevant stakeholders, including those from civil society.
After the panel discussion, the guests shared an opportunity for informal discussions over drinks afterward. At around 9 p.m., the last guests bid farewell to a warm and windy night in Berlin.