EU trade secrets law hampers media freedom

Together with other media organisations the EFJ called on members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to amend a draft European Directive on trade secrets that could prevents journalists from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and hamper the rights of citizens to be informed. The draft text passed by the Parliament on 16 June includes ambiguous wording, which require journalists to make “legitimate use” of the information they have acquired. The EFJ together with a group of media organisations warned that the current text does not provide legal certainty for journalists and could lead to self-censorship if journalists are uncertain whether their rights to process and use information can be challenged on the basis of this Directive. (Read more)