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Strengthening judicial transparency and freedom of expression: European Court standards discussed with justice actors in Pristina

European standards and main challenges to strengthen judicial transparency and protection of freedom of expression were explored during the the Conference organised today in Pristina with judges and representatives of the judiciary.  

      
 

Entitled “European Court of Human Rights Standards on Transparency and Freedom of Expression in the Judicial System” the event was opened by Fejzullah Rexhepi - President of the Supreme Court, who underlined the importance of transparency and freedom of expression for strengthening public trust in the judiciary and for ensuring the proper functioning of the rule of law.

Darian Pavli, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights has delivered a keynote presentation on the latest case-law of the European Court under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights which concerns freedom of expression. His presentation addressed, among other issues, speeches on matters of public interest, including the rights and obligations of magistrates, as well as online speech and third-party comments, highlighting the rights and duties of public figures.


 

Further contributions were provided by Gresa Caka - former President of the Constitutional Court, who addressed constitutional standards on the freedom of expression.  Representatives from the judiciary exchanged on the current judicial practice, offering participants an opportunity to reflect on the application of European standards in the domestic context.


 

The conference concluded with an open discussion, allowing participants to exchange views on current challenges and good practices in promoting transparency and freedom of expression within the judicial system.

     
 

   
 

This conference was organised by the Kosovo Judicial Council with the support of the action on “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media (PROFREX)” part of the EU and Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility III.

Pristina 16 February 2026
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The action ‘Protecting freedom of expression and of the media’ (PRO-FREX) enables the beneficiary institutions and civil society organisations in Kosovo* 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, by all stakeholders 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 in accordance with Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

 
What is the goal(s) and objective(s) of the action? 

•    to improve judicial application of European standards in freedom of expression and media related cases 
•    to strengthen the media regulatory authority in exercising its mandate and independence 
•    to increase effectiveness of the media actors in performing their rights and duties in line with European standards 


Who benefits from the action?


•    the independent authority in the field of media regulation (the Independent Media Commission) 
•    civil society organisations working in the field (Association of Journalists) and media actors
•    Professionals in different fields including judges, prosecutors, police officers, lawyers as well as university students
•    the general public 


How does the action work?

•    by providing legal advice to improve alignment of legal and regulatory frameworks to the relevant European standards
•    by providing research and policy support in the field of freedom of expression and freedom of the media
•    by offering capacity building activities 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?

•    improved protection and promotion of journalists' rights and media freedom as a result of enhanced skills and capacities of judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and law enforcement agencies in upholding European standards for freedom of expression.
•    a more effective oversight and regulation of the media sector, ensuring ethical practices and quality journalism through increased capacities and awareness of the media regulatory authority regarding applicable EU standards 
•    a vibrant and more independent media landscape that informs and empowers the public thanks to improved effectiveness of media actors in fulfilling their rights and duties in accordance with European standards. 


What is the budget of the action? 

•    The total budget of the action is 550,000 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?

•   DGII: Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity
•    Horizontal Facility website and e-mail address

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.

 

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence

PROJECT CONTACT

Gresa Musliu

Senior Project Officer

 +383 (0)38 40 77 65

 contact