Back Building a stronger judicial response to SLAPPs in North Macedonia

Building a stronger judicial response to SLAPPs in North Macedonia

Judges and public prosecutors in North Macedonia are taking concrete steps forward towards a more efficient response to Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). During the specialised capacity-building session held in Shtip, they strengthened their knowledge and practical skills on the mechanisms to protect freedom of expression and freedom of the media, with special emphasis on recognising and handling SLAPPs.

Organised with the support of EU and Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors, the training focused on the application of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, relevant case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, and European standards concerning SLAPPs.

Through practical examples, case-based exercises and interactive discussions, participants explored how to identify the characteristics of SLAPPs and assess cases involving freedom of expression. Particular attention was given to balancing freedom of expression with the protection of other rights and to strengthening the practical application of European standards in domestic judicial practice.

This is the third capacity-building session organised this year, as more than 70 judges and public prosecutors in North Macedonia have strengthened their capacities, contributing to a more consistent application of European standards on freedom of expression and to strengthening the judicial response to SLAPPs in North Macedonia. It builds on the pool of certified domestic trainers and supports the sustainable integration of Council of Europe standards and European Court of Human Rights case-law into the continuous professional development of judges and public prosecutors.

This initiative is implemented by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression within the framework of the action “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in North Macedonia”, under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”. 

Shtip, North Macedonia 30 September 2026
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The action ‘Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in North Macedonia’ (PRO-FREX) enables the beneficiary institutions and civil society organisations in North Macedonia to progress towards meeting their reform agendas in the field of freedom of expression and freedom of media, in line with the European standards.

The action is implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye running from 2023 to 2026 and aims to contribute to an improved environment for the exercise, in particular by journalists and media actors, of their rights of freedom of expression, in a more pluralistic and safer media environment, in line with the standards as set by Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

What are the goals and objectives of the action?

  • to promote freedom of expression and freedom of the media and to improve the application of European standards in the field.
  • to enhance the protection of journalists and contribute to the creation of an enabling, safer and more pluralistic media environment.
  • to strengthen the skills and knowledge of the actors who are responsible for applying the standards on freedom of expression as part of their daily work.

Who benefits from the action?

  • independent state bodies in the field of media regulation (the Agency for Audio and Audio-visual Media Services) and access to information and protection of information (the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information and the Personal Data Protection Agency).

  • associations of journalists and media actors in North Macedonia.

  • professionals such as judges, prosecutors, police officers, lawyers, broadcasters, journalists, other media actors.
  • the people of North Macedonia.

How does the action work?

  • by providing legal advice to improve the alignment of legal and regulatory frameworks to the relevant European standards;
  • by providing research and policy support to institutions and civil society organisations in the field;
  • by raising awareness among duty bearers and rights holders of the relevant European standards;
  • by offering capacity-building for the various professional categories, anchored in the European standards and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR);
  • by facilitating regional dialogue and exchange of good practices, in synergy with the regional action.

What do we expect to achieve?

  • The legal framework will be improved and the judicial application of the European standards on freedom of expression, access to information, data protection and protection of journalists will be enhanced;
  • the Media Regulatory Authority, the Personal Data Protection Agency, the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information, and the public broadcaster implement changes in their policies and practices in line with European standards;
  • Journalists’ safety will be strengthened in terms of addressing threats and attacks, as a result of the established domestic legal mechanisms to protect freedom of expression, in line with European standards.

What is the budget of the action?

  • The total budget of the action is 680,000 EUR
  • The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 Million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

How to get more information?

 

About Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye

The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye 2023-2026” is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe that enables the Western Balkans’ Beneficiaries and Türkiye to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law, and democracy and to comply with the European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.


 

PROJECT CONTACTS

Mersiha Usein                         Senior Project Officer              +389 2 3100 323                    contact 

Ana Funa                                     Project Assistant                        +389 2 3100 336                     contact