The EFJ Freelance Rights Expert Group
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) brings together the journalists' unions of Europe. Much of its activity is related to EU policy, both in the European Union, the applicant countries and EFTA.
The EFJ's Freelance Expert Group (FREG) facilitates the exchange of information among member unions on social-policy, authors' rights and professional issues which affect freelance journalists. It proposes policy to the EFJ Steering Committee and gives advice in all ares affecting freelance work. It has drafted among other the EFJ Freelance Charter as well as freelance strategies to be discussed among member unions and it has given advice in drafting EFJ positions with regard to labour law or other related issues. Its members are working freelance journalists and full-time freelance union officers. They are:
Heikki Jokinen, (Chair), Finland
Ivan Declercq, Belgium
Michael Hirschler, Germany
Marina Cosi, Italy
Barbara Deller-Leppert, Germany
Holger Wenck, Germany
Nelly Katsama, Greece
Arne König, Sweden
Judith Reitstaetter, Austria
Martine Rossard, France
John Toner, U.K.
Urs Thalmann, Switzerland
Renate Schroeder, EFJ, Co-Director
The Freelance Rights Expert Group works closely with the other EFJ experts groups: Authors' Rights Expert Group, Labour Rights Expert Group and the Broadcasting Expert Group.
Ir meets about twice a year, mostly in Brussels.