Source: European Parliament
The Anti-SLAPP ( Strategic lawsuits against public participation) Directive[1] and Recommendation[2] provide together a solid toolbox of safeguards and measures to fight against SLAPPs in the EU and to protect persons who engage in public participation. The implementation of these two instruments is an important priority for the Commission.
The directive entered into force on 6 May 2024 and Member States are expected to transpose it into their national law by 7 May 2026 . In accordance with the EU legal basis allowing the EU to take measures in this area, the directive covers SLAPPs with cross-border implications.
With a view to expand protection to other cases of SLAPP, the Commission has called on all Member States to ensure that their applicable framework provides for the necessary safeguards also in domestic cases .
Measures to follow up on the implementation of the recommendation started immediately after its adoption and the Commission is working with all Member States, including Greece, to this end[3].
The Commission also monitors the situation on the ground in the framework of its annual Rule of Law Reports. In the 2024 Rule of Law Report[4], the Commission recommended to Greece to further advance with the process of adopting legislative and non-legislative safeguards to improve the protection of journalists, in particular as regards abusive lawsuits against journalists and their safety, in line with the adopted Memorandum of Understanding and taking into account European standards on the protection of journalists.
The Commission closely follows developments in this area and will provide an up-to-date assessment in its 2025 Report.
- [1] Directive (EU) 2024/1069 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings (Strategic lawsuits against public participation).
- [2] C/2022/2428.
- [3] A first overview of the information received by the Commission from Member States has been issued at the end of 2024, see SWD(2024)292.
- [4] COM(2024) 800 final.