Most EU states are making progress in protecting freedom of press, according to the European Commission. But not everyone is moving in the same direction, and the picture is even bleaker among candidate countries. The latest report reveals where the biggest challenges remain.
The European Commission’s latest Rule of Law report covers a wide range of issues, from judicial independence to anti-corruption efforts. One area, however, continues to stand out as a key measure of democratic resilience: freedom of press.
The overall trend on the rule of law across the bloc is positive. But some countries, such as Italy and Slovakia, remain a significant concern when it comes to press freedom. And the report expresses concerns not only for member states but also for candidate countries.
Brussels emphasizes that many governments are taking concrete measures to address the phenomenon of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). Rather than seeking justice, SLAPPs are used to discourage journalists, activists and watchdogs by making legal action expensive and intimidating.
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The Commission, however, continues to raise concerns over media ownership concentration and the editorial independence of public broadcasters. Political influence over public service media remaining a recurring issue in several countries. Appointments to media regulators and governing bodies have improved stability in some cases, but questions remain over whether existing safeguards are strong enough to guarantee independence.
Italy must accelerate
The European Commission confirms that Italy has made “no progress” on the draft reform of defamation, professional secrecy, and the protection of journalistic sources. It therefore urges Rome to move forward with defamation reform, ensure protection of press freedom and journalistic sources, and establish an independent national human rights authority in line with United Nations principles.
Regarding RAI, the public television service, there has been some tentative progress compared with the 2024 report. Although the report states, “RAI indicated that the delay in appointing the chairman of the board of directors had not impacted its operations, some stakeholders considered the political stalemate and the inability to reach consensus to be an example of the shortcomings of the current rules in effectively protecting it from the risks of undue influence”.
Commissioner for Digital Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen reiterated the importance and protection of the independence of public television and radio broadcasters: “This is the fundamental principle of our European Regulation on Media Freedom.”
Slovakia: limited progress
Slovakia has once again come under EU scrutiny regarding its rule of law. While the country has made progress in reforming the criminalisation of “abuse of rights” against judges for decisions taken in the exercise of their duties, the Commission’s 2026 report says Bratislava must do more to protect the judiciary, journalists, and public media.
Specifically, Brussels notes “no significant progress” in combating high-level corruption and ensuring a transparent and inclusive legislative process. According to the Commission, the Slovak authorities’ ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute corruption cases at the highest levels “has further deteriorated”, while “the persistent practice of the Prosecutor General overturning final police and prosecutorial decisions” remains a cause for concern.
Brussels therefore calls on Bratislava to build “a strong track record of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions” in corruption cases, limiting undue interference.
The report also notes “limited progress” in measures to protect the safety and working conditions of journalists, including defamation reform. A the same time, no progress has been made in “strengthening standards and mechanisms to restore and further safeguard the independent governance and editorial independence of public service media”.
Serbia as the “worst candidate”
The Commission’s assessment goes beyond the EU borders — to candidate countries, where the rule of law and media freedom remain key benchmarks on their path towards EU membership. The 2026 report includes four out of nine official aspirants for the enlargement: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Among them, Serbia emerges as one of the most concerning cases. According to the report, the safety of journalists has further deteriorated, with an increase in cases of physical assault, threats, intimidation, and hate speech.
In this regard, the European Federation of Journalists also revealed that in 2025, there were 209 press freedom violations (more than double the 84 documented in 2024) affecting 359 media workers. As of July 16, since January 2026, 100 cases have been recorded, affecting 170 media workers.
Following the deadly collapse of the Novi Sad train station canopy in November 2024, which sparked the largest protests in Serbia’s history, attacks against journalists covering the demonstrations have increased. Not only have law enforcement officials failed to protect journalists, but police officers have increasingly acted as perpetrators, with at least 38 documented police attacks against journalists since 2025.
The crisis extends well beyond physical security. Media pluralism is under severe pressure. Telekom Srbija, the majority state-owned company, has expanded its media assets, consolidating pro-government narratives across the entire media landscape.
Serbia’s media regulator, the REM Council, has been inoperative for over 18 months, making the countrya the only EU candidate without a functioning media regulator. Coordinated bot attacks and spyware, including NSO Group’s Pegasus, have emerged as tools of digital censorship against journalists and media outlets.
The report’s findings will feed into the Commission’s ongoing dialogue with member states and candidate countries. The next year’s report will show whether the recommendations translate into concrete reforms or remain on paper.
