On Tuesday 3 March 2026, the Council of Europe, in partnership with the organisations contributing to its Platform to promote the protection of journalism, hosted a press conference at the Press Club Brussels Europe to present the 2025 annual report on press freedom in Europe. The report, entitled “On the Tipping Point: Press Freedom 2025”, highlights the increasingly hostile environment faced by journalists across the continent. Speakers outlined the rise in legal threats, physical attacks, intimidation, media capture and transnational repression. Particular concern was expressed over the impact of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which remains the most serious threat to journalists’ safety. The conference also addressed the growing misuse of SLAPPs to silence media outlets and the worrying number of journalists detained across Europe. Despite these challenges, participants acknowledged positive steps taken at national and European levels to strengthen legal protections and combat abusive lawsuits. The report recorded 344 alerts in 2025, a significant increase compared to the previous year. Partners called on member states and European institutions to fully implement press freedom standards and reinforce protections for journalists. The event concluded with a strong appeal for greater cooperation between governments and the Platform to safeguard media freedom and democratic resilience in Europe. (Photo: Tom Gibson, Committee to Protect Journalists; Nicholas Williams, Index of Censorship, Julie Majerczak, Reporters Sans Frontières; Irma Dimitradze, Ricardo Gutierrez, EFJ)
secretary@pressclub.be