On 14 February 2024, the Steering Committee of the Council of Europe Project "Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine" (SFEM-UA) held its second meeting online. The SFEM-UA Project is implemented the in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” (2023-2026).

The event was co-chaired by Mr Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, Ms Yevhenia Kravchuk, Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and Ms Alina Tatarenko, Head of the Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression, Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Democratic Institutions and Freedoms Department, Council of Europe (DGIІ). The event was attended by representatives of 12 institutions, which are Members of the Steering Committee, from different national institutions and branches of power working in the fields of freedom of expression, freedom of media and freedom of access to information, as well as seven organisations representing civil society and media community that joined the meeting as observers. In total, over 50 participants joined discussions around Project achievements during the first year of its implementation, and challenges that continue to be faced by the Ukrainian media community due to the Russian Federation military aggression against Ukraine, as well as outlined priorities for co-operation with the Council of Europe under the Project Work Plan for 2024. 
“The importance of freedom of expression cannot be overstated. It is the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy, enabling open dialogue, empowering citizens to make informed decisions, and holding governments to account. Building on the legacy of previous efforts, this Project is pivotal in supporting Ukraine through the war times, as well as the post-war recovery and reconstruction period, which we all hope will soon usher in,” emphasized Mr Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine.

“Our co-operation with the Project "Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine " continues, and we appreciate the support provided, which brings Ukraine closer to joining the European Union. Expertise on the Digital Service Act (DSA) and the European Media Freedom Act remains a priority,” said Ms Yevhenia Kravchuk, Deputy Chairwoman of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

“We must also address the challenges of disinformation and propaganda, which threaten democracy and peace, in a way that respects international law and the rights to freedom of expression and opinion. That is why this project, with involvement of national stakeholders, media actors, and Council of Europe experts, continues to work efficiently in this domain,” underlined Ms Alina Tatarenko, Head of the Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression, Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Democratic Institutions and Freedoms Department (DGIІ), Council of Europe.

List of Members of the Project Steering Committee and civil society observers: the Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy of the Parliament of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the Prosecutor General Office, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, the State Committee on Television and Radio of Ukraine, the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, the Association of Rights Holders and Content Providers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, National School of Judges of Ukraine, as well as representatives from Ukrinform agency and the Civic Organisations “Institute of Mass Information”, Detector Media, “Center for Democracy and Rule of Law”, Women in Media, DII, and Nakypilo.

The Council of Europe Project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine” aims to maintain an enabling, pluralistic media environment and enhance harmonization of the legal and policy frameworks on freedom of expression, media, and access to information in Ukraine with the Council of Europe and EU standards during the period of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and recovery period.

The Project is built around three main components: 
1.    Alignment of Ukraine’s framework on media, freedom of expression and freedom of access to information with the European standards.
2.    Effective implementation of the legal framework governing the protection of journalists, public broadcasting and regulatory authority in line with European standards.
3.    Effective and efficient communication strategies governing a balanced media coverage and preventing information disorder.
For more information about the Project and its activities, please consult the Project’s webpage.