Miteva: Government decides to establish National Committee for the safety and protection of journalists

Government spokesperson Marija Miteva announced that, at its session today, the government approved a decision to establish the National Committee for the Protection and Safety of Journalists.

According to Miteva, the decision creates an institutional structure to coordinate the work of the relevant state institutions and media organizations. The aim is to improve journalists’ safety, prevent attacks and threats, and ensure that journalists can practice their profession freely and without obstacles.

She stressed that journalists’ safety must be addressed continuously by institutions, with clearly defined responsibilities and concrete means of intervention. Institutions, she said, must act promptly, identify risks, and guarantee the necessary protection rather than waiting for an incident to occur.

The Committee will monitor the safety situation for journalists and work to strengthen cooperation between institutions and the media community. It will also be responsible for drafting a National Action Plan for the Protection and Safety of Journalists no later than 15.12.2026, in line with European standards and international recommendations.

The plan will cover four main areas: prevention, protection, effective criminal prosecution of perpetrators, and promotion and education.

Prevention measures will focus on media pluralism, institutional support, and dialogue with media outlets. Protection measures will include developing rapid-response mechanisms, police and legal assistance, and measures against threats in the digital space. Cooperation with the competent authorities is also planned to ensure timely investigations into attacks and threats against journalists and the appropriate punishment of perpetrators, within the limits of their legal powers. The fourth area will include education, training, and activities to raise public awareness of the importance of journalism, the government said. /Telegrafi/