Journalists Matter, Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists
The Council of Europe encourages member states to transpose the Campaign to the national context. Without each member’s committed and effective effort at national level, through the development of the so-called ‘national chapter’, the Campaign cannot reach its goals.
In this section, we will present developments in Luxembourg:
National Focal Points
Ms Sophie KIRSCH, Secretary of Legation, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation, and Foreign Trade, Directorate of Political Affairs, Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Ms Céline FLAMMANG, Senior policy advisor, Department of Media, Connectivity and Digital Policy, Ministry of State
National Campaign Committee
Luxembourg established in 2024 a working group on the safety of journalists composed of representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade, the Media, Connectivity and Digital Policy Service, the Information and Press Service, the Press Council, and the Luxembourg Association of Professional Journalists. At its first meeting, which was designed to assess the situation of journalists in Luxembourg, the decline in trust in professional journalism, followed by harassment and intimidation reported by journalists, was identified as a major risk. The meeting was held in June 2024, and contacts continued throughout the year.
Safety of Journalists National Landscape
The coalition agreement 2023-2028 of the Luxembourg Government explicitly mentions the importance of the protection of journalists by stating that “The Government is committed to strengthening the protection of journalists against acts of physical violence and attempts at intimidation. This approach aims to establish a safe and conducive environment for freedom of expression and democracy.”
The government is also providing financial support to the Press Council and the Luxembourg Association of Professional Journalists, which partly can cover expenses relating to the legal protection of their members.
Moreover, Article 5 of the amended Act of 8 June 2004 on freedom of expression in the media includes a provision protecting journalists in the event of a change in editorial line.
Another relevant initiative is the so-called ‘Circulaire Bettel 2’, adopted on 15 June 2022, which aims to improve and strengthen the exchange of information between journalists and the Government by introducing rules and deadlines for responding to requests from journalists.
2025 update
Following the presentation of Luxembourg’s National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists 2025–2028 in April 2025, work began on the implementation of measures foreseen under the four pillars of prevention, protection, prosecution and promotion. Among the actions envisaged are the establishment of an interministerial working group bringing together representatives of the press, public authorities and the police, strengthened monitoring of cases involving exclusion or obstruction of journalists in cooperation with the Press Council, and awareness-raising and training activities for public officials on freedom of expression and access to information.
Luxembourg also continued efforts to strengthen the legal, economic and institutional environment for journalism. A draft law on the protection of persons participating in public debate against manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings was introduced, extending anti-SLAPP safeguards to purely domestic cases. At the same time, amendments were proposed to the 2021 press aid regime in order to reinforce media sustainability, support innovation and strengthen the economic security of journalists and media outlets. Parliamentary work also continued on measures aimed at improving journalists’ access to information, including the introduction of an obligation for public administrations to acknowledge requests for information and indicate estimated processing times.
Luxembourg, National chapter
