The 11th Donbas Media Forum, held under the theme “I_MEDIA: A Person — For a Person — About a Person”, brought together 1,397 participants, including almost 400 speakers. Over three days, the Forum hosted 82 events, including discussions, workshops, presentations and debates, providing a platform for journalists, media organisations, civil society, public authorities and international partners to address the challenges facing Ukrainian media amid Russia’s ongoing war of aggression and Ukraine’s pursuit of European integration.

Addressing participants online, Valentina Falco, who was recently appointed as the head Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, reaffirmed her commitment, and that of the Office, to continuing close co-operation with journalists, media professionals, media organisations, civil society and other media actors across Ukraine. She recognised the extraordinary circumstances in which Ukrainian journalists continue to work, reporting from frontlines and recently liberated areas, documenting war crimes and providing critically important information despite attacks on journalists and media infrastructure.

“Alignment with European standards should go beyond adopting legislation. It should contribute to effective implementation and create conditions in which media freedom, pluralism, editorial independence and freedom of expression can flourish. Our media project continues to provide legal expertise and policy advice to Ukrainian institutions and other stakeholders, while supporting dialogue between lawmakers, regulators, media professionals and civil society,” she said.

The Council of Europe contributed to the Forum by supporting three discussions on key challenges for Ukrainian media: strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), access to public information and media co-regulation. Supported through the project Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine – Phase II (SFEM-UA – Phase II), these sessions reflected important areas of the Council of Europe’s ongoing co-operation with Ukraine’s media community to strengthen freedom of expression and bring the country’s media framework into line with European standards.

The session on access to public information examined restrictions imposed during martial law and their implications for journalists’ ability to scrutinise public authorities and inform citizens.

During the discussion on media co-regulation, participants reviewed the achievements and challenges of the first year of implementation in Ukraine. They highlighted persistent difficulties (including limited funding, a shortage of experts and staff, and the need encourage broader engagement across the media sector), as well as the Council of Europe’s ongoing support for the development and effective functioning of co-regulatory mechanisms in Ukraine.

The anti-SLAPP session was focused on the challenges, opportunities and risks that need to be considered to ensure effective implementation of the legislation and the application of best practices, particularly regarding the early dismissal of SLAPP claims by judges.

The discussion took place at a significant moment in Ukraine’s legislative process, following the finalisation and registration of the anti-SLAPP legislative package with the Verkhovna Rada on 30 September 2026. This marked an important milestone towards strengthening protection against abusive litigation,  enabling journalists and other actors engaging in matters of public interest to participate in public debate without undue legal pressure.

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The Council of Europe was the first international organisation in Ukraine to support the development of anti-SLAPP legislation. Through its media project, it developed a policy guidance document that served as a basis for the work of the dedicated anti-SLAPP working group established under the Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech in 2025. The Council of Europe subsequently provided a legal opinion on the draft legislation and facilitated discussions with relevant stakeholders to support its further development. The Council of Europe continues to support the adoption of the package through advocacy and policy dialogue with relevant stakeholders.

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The Council of Europe Project “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine –  Phase II” (SFEM-UA - Phase II) is implemented by the Council of Europe Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.