ATTACHMENTS: (1) WH Update Report on Media Freedom; (2) AEJ Statutes

AEJ Board Meeting, Bratislava, July 9 2016 – MINUTES

ATTACHMENTS: (1) WH Update Report on Media Freedom; (2) AEJ Statutes Present: Otmar Lahodynsky (OL), Tibor Macak (TM), Luigi Cobisi (LC), William Horsley (WH), Saia Tsaousidou (ST) and Javier Arribas(JA) Apologies: Lieven Taillie (LT), who joined by skype for 30 minutes Minutes taken by WH; Minutes to be sent to national Sections

1 Minutes from AEJ Sibiu GA were approved, & note taken of need to prepare for Elections for AEJ Offices at 2016 GA: President, Secretary-General, 3 Vice-Presidents, Treasurer + Appointment and GA-approval of up to 3 extra Special Reps on the Board(Statutes #Art 15) + nomination of Voting committee + Audit committee (3-5 people) and Conciliation and Arbitration Committee (at least five persons). WH reminded Board members of useful guidance from Hon S-G Peter Kramer’s re AEJ Statute issues. NOTE ON VOTING: NB The Board took note of AEJ rules – see Statutes (# Art.9): 10 members = 1 vote; from 6 to 15 members = 1 vote; 16 -25 members = 2 votes etc (rounding down or up to a full number)

2 Brexit implications: The Board agreed the need for more efforts for AEJ coherence and activities in response to Brexit vote and political uncertainties, and welcomes ideas from all Sections. A joint Board statement was published online, stressing AEJ principles of collaboration and media integrity; also an individual comment by AEJ President, OL; the Board agreed to support a fresh focus on issues concerning media impact on the referendum and analysis of media reporting edit an international website item ACTION: WH to coordinate a follow-up website report in due course; possible further debate on media reporting issues at AEJ 2016 Congress (see below)

Post-Sibiu Congress issues in AEJ Romania: AEJ-Romania (Teodora) informed the Board that no debts remain. Stelian Negrea is no longer a member of AEJ-Romania.

4 AEJ Finances: Interim written accounts not presented; LC said the AEJ held a comfortable bank balance at end of 2015. Most Sections had not yet paid their 2016 annual dues. The self-declared end of the Dutch Section and decline of e.g. Serbian, Czech & Turkish Sections mean limited funds available for AEJ activities including support for needy Sections to attend AEJ Congress etc. ACTION: LC/Treasurer to urge Sections to pay 2016 dues as soon as possible; Sections which in the past were exempt from paying annual dues are to be invited to pay an amount within their capability (token amount, at least), with the aim of increasing number of Sections and strengthening AEJ solidarity. S-G/President/ Treasurer to request exact info about current number of members from all Sections asap.

5 SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVES REPORTS- # WH report on MF activities and opportunities was discussed – notably AEJ’s role in establishment of new Council of Europe mechanisms for monitoring threats to media freedom (‘Platform’ for safety of journalists www.coe.int/fom) AND opportunities for strengthening protections for media freedom through media/ civil society pressures to implement Council of Europe Recommendation for “reviews and amendment of States’ laws and practices affecting journalism”, as per Committee of Ministers ‘Recommendation on protection of journalism and safety of journalists’ (2016/4). NOTE: Future MF events include: 2 November special event at Brussels Press Club (BEPC) marking UN International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (organised by BEPC board members Peter Kramer and Jean-Paul Marthoz of CPJ with advice from WH) ACTION: AEJ to encourage actions by and with Sections (e.g. Armenia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Italy, France, UK, Austria) making best use of Council of Europe and EU mechanisms.

1 + # Brussels Special Representative’s Report (LT) included preparation for events on ‘Difference Day’ / World Press Freedom Day in Brussels, 3 May 2017 # + Draft outline of planned Brussels Seminar on ‘Europe’s Two Legal Systems: ECJ and European Court of Human Rights’, co-hosted by AEJ, Council of Europe and ECJ; Date in Sept/Oct 2016 tba; Venue: Brussels Press Club. Numbers probably limited to 25 approx; this is an opportunity for AEJ members in all sections; ideas for Seminar speakers were discussed. ACTION: LT TO SEND DETAILS/ INVITATIONS OF LEGAL SEMINAR TO SECTIONS WHEN AVAILABLE

6 AEJ GA and Congress in Ireland: [See also finances, above] Richard Moore of Irish Section [email protected] (?) expects 60 delegates for meeting at Rivercourt Hotel in Kilkenny (75 mins from Dublin by train/bus) November 3-6. Congress on Friday to include session on Brexit-related issues, incl. possible debate on ‘media and the public interest’ (media credibility) with reference to referendums, refugee crisis; propaganda for war (Russia/Ukraine). Irish Section also considering an item linked to centenary of the Easter Rising (Dublin 1916). GA on Saturday with Elections; Sections reports on Agenda. SPECIAL TOPIC: Preparations to welcome new Bosnia-Herzegovina (B-H) section as guests at Congress/GA. ACTION: S-G/ President to confirm Congress fee in consultation with Irish Section; Board members to assist with VIPs/ speakers etc in contact with Irish Section.

7 AEJ exchanges with Sections: See MF and Brussels Special Reps activities involving Sections (above) AEJ website published 30 items on AEJ statements and Sections’ activities since the 2015 Congress. UK Section continues policy to invite AEJ members of all sections to attend its Events – see www.aej-uk.org ACTION: S-G TM to prepare a post-Board meeting AEJ Newsletter in consultation with others concerned.

8 New Bosnian Section: Arman Fazlic confirmed good progress in preparing for Section start-up with 11 members and elected officers etc. One or more B-H delegate will attend 2016 Congress/GA.

9 Ukraine visit: OL is working on plan for a small AEJ delegation to perhaps visit Kiev in autumn 2016 (date TBA) , with cooperation from the Ukrainian government and AEJ Section (Artur Rudzitsky); ACTION: Otmar to contact Ukrainian partners to make an early decision about feasibility of a Visit.

10 Moldova: AEJ Moldova asked about AEJ support for media freedom or possible Press Freedom mission. The Board agreed to check possibilities for some joint action/intervention with EFJ etc in due course.

11 Creation of new/Revival of ‘sleeping’ Sections: Serbia: OL reported that further efforts to revive Serbian Section have so far again been fruitless. Albania: ST reported that the Greek Section had contacts with Albanian journalists about a possible new section there; ST and others will do all possible to encourage it. Benelux: LT had informal contacts with a view to A) assisting a possible revival of Dutch Section and/or B) getting Luxembourg & Dutch journalists to be part of AEJ activities in some form. LT will check and report again. Georgia: OL and WH both visited Georgia for regional journalists’ meetings in July 2016. They will explore possibility of promoting a Georgian section Associate Membership: WH noted this option is available (Statutes #Art 5) to individual journalists in countries without a Section, as now in Croatia. The Board noted that this formula might be approached with care and be useful in e.g. Serbia, Montenegro, Georgia and Germany NOTE: Associate members must be approved by the GA. ACTIONS: LT, ST, LT and WH etc to inquire further and report back to the Board

NOTE ON BOARD MEMBERS’ DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES: WH noted the AEJ could benefit by a future Board having e g a Special Representative charged with advancing the formation of new Sections.