9 Amendments of Isabel WISELER-LIMA related to 2021/2036(INI)
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 30
Citation 30
— having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular Article 191a _________________ 1aArticle 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas independent journalism and access to pluralistic information are key pillars of democracy; whereas civil society is essentithe rights to freedom of expression, to information and to public participation, are among the cornerstones of the European understanding of democracy; whereas independent journalism and access to pluralistic information are key pillars of democracy; whereas the information, reports, opinions, claims, arguments, and other expressions provided by civil society are vital for any democracy to thrive;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are lawsuits or other legal actions (e.g. injunctions, asset-freezing) brought forward by private individuals and entities but also inter alia by public officials, public bodies and publicly controlled entities, directed to one or more individuals or groups based on civil and criminal law, as well as the threats of such actions, with the purpose of preventing reporting on breaches of Union and national law, corruption or other fraudulent practices or of blocking public participation; whereas silencing views on public matters has a direct, detrimental impact on democratic participation and dialogue and impairs the principles and European foundational values, enshrined in Article 2 of the TEU;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the lack of a consistent and comprehensive legal and judicial approach within the Union does not allow to swiftly recognize and efficiently address SLAPP suits; whereas the level of protection from SLAPP suits remains very fragmented across Member States, frustrating legal certainty and SLAPP targets’ right to an effective remedy; whereas one of the main challenges in drafting anti-SLAPP legislation lies in how to address abusive claims, without denying potential claimants’ rights which derive from Member States’ constitutions and their obligations under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas SLAPPs have become an increasingly widespread practice used against journalists, academics, human rights defenders, civil society and NGOs, as demonstrated by many cases throughout the Union, such as the chilling case of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was reportedly facing 47 civil and criminal defamation lawsuits, (resulting in the freezing of her assets) across multiple jurisdictions, on the day of her strongly condemned assassination on 16 October 2017, and the lawsuits her heirs continue to face; whereas other illustrative and alarming cases include Realtid Media, which was repeatedly threatened with a lawsuit in a different jurisdiction from where the reporting in question took place, and Gazeta Wyborcza, which continues to be sued by a number of public entities and officials on a regular basis;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that public participation also has an important role to play in the proper functioning of the internal market, as it is often through public participation that breaches of Union law, corruption and other practices threatening the proper functioning of the internal market are made known to the public; underlines that protective measures against the practice of SLAPP suits are essential to address the risks that this abusive practice poses to the enforcement of EU law and policies;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights that in recent years online hate speech hasand discrimination in the media, both on and offline, have become increasingly widespread against journalists, NGOs, academics and civil society, including those defending LGBTQI rights, thus threatening media freedom, freedom of expression and public safety given; reminds that online hate speech can incite real-world violence;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Stresses the importance for common European standards and a coordinated approach for dealing with hate speech, particularly in the online environment; welcomes in that regard the proposal for the Digital Services Act (DSA), whereas tackling illegal content and disinformation online are one of its core objectives, to overcome regulatory fragmentation and ensure harmonise legislation across the Union in that area;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that SLAPPs are often meritless, frivolous or based on exaggerated claims, and that they are not initiated for the purposes of obtaining a favourable judicial outcome but rather only to intimidate, harass, tire out, put psychological pressure on or consume the financial resources of journalists, academics, civil society and NGOs, with the ultimate objective of blackmailing and forcing them into silence through the judicial procedure itself; points out that this chilling effect canvexatious lawsuits can have great chilling effects, refraining the defendant from exercising again her or his right to report, leading to self- censorship, suppressing participation in democratic life, and also discouragesing others from reporting on similar actionissues, from entering into these professions or from proceeding with relevant associated activities;