Between 24-25 September, the International Press Institute (IPI) will join a coalition of international media freedom and journalist organisations travelling to Bulgaria to conduct a press freedom mission on behalf of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR).

The delegation will conduct a series of meetings over two days in the capital Sofia with stakeholders including the Bulgarian President; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Interior; Council of Electronic Media (CEM); Office of General Prosecutor; Commission for Personal Data Protection; Central Election Commission and representatives from embassies.

Representatives of the participating organisations will also meet with leading journalists and editors from a range of different media organisations in Bulgaria, as well as media associations and unions, media experts, members of civil society organisations and academics. Separate meetings are planned with the Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian National Television.

The aim is to take the pulse of media freedom in the country, examining issues including the safety of journalists, media regulation, public broadcasting, media pluralism, defamation and SLAPPs, media ownership and the reform process required under the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

A press briefing to share the initial findings of the mission and present recommendations to safeguard media freedom in Bulgaria will be held from 09.30-11.00 on 26 September at National Press Club of the Bulgarian Press Agency (49 “Tsarigradsko shose” blvd). The event is open to all media and translation services will be provided.

Participants include ARTICLE 19, Association of European Journalists (AEJ), European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Index on Censorship, International Press Institute (IPI), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).

• To schedule interviews with the mission organisations, please contact maria@aej-bulgaria.org or irina@aej-bulgaria.org

This mission is being organised with support of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.