Domestic and international stakeholders gathered at a high-level roundtable in Tirana to discuss a joint approach to advancing the safety and protection of journalists in Albania. The event, held under the joint European Union and the Council of Europe action Protecting Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Albania (PRO-FREX), focused on progress achieved, best practices identified, and challenges ahead. 

“This roundtable strengthens our shared commitment to press freedom and to the necessary alignments with EU standards.”, said Giulia Re, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, stressing that protecting journalists means protecting democracy.  

During the meeting, representatives from government institutions, the judiciary, law enforcement, media organisations, and civil society shared concrete steps taken to improve safeguards for journalists. These include actions aligned with Albania’s EU accession roadmap in the field of freedom of expression and the media, and reflect recent European instruments addressing SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). 

In this context, Tedi Dobi, Deputy Minister of Justice, outlined the ministry’s ongoing efforts to counter the use of SLAPPs, including the transposition of the relevant EU Directive (2024/1069) and the reflection of the relevant Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec (2024)2. 

Discussions drew on findings from the Journalists’ Safety Index Albania 2024 and the work of PROFREX and the Media Dialogue Platform, emphasising the need for stronger inter-institutional coordination, legal reform, and more effective enforcement mechanisms. 

This event was organised in collaboration with SCiDEV and ResPublica, as part of the broader efforts by the European Union and the Council of Europe to support freedom of expression and the rule of law in Albania, through PROFREX-A action and the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.