UK Section        

 

 

 

Lunchtime meetings

 

 

About us

 

 

Information

2 September 2010

Mr Maajid Nawaz

Co-founder and co-director of Quilliam, the counter-terrorism think tank

 

29 September 2010

Ambassador Marc Otte

EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process

 

Our meetings are usually held at the London office of the European Parliament, 2 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1 (see News)

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International AEJ Congress 2010

 

The AEJ's 2010 Congress will be held from 7 to 10 October in Ordu on Turkey's Black Sea coast (see AEJ in Europe).

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NEW

 

AEJ and the Council of Europe

 

The AEJ is an official Observer at the Council of Europe's Media Steering Committee.

 

We are working with the CoE, alongside other media and human rights bodies, on a new project to compile a database of information about serious violations of media freedom by states. It will chart breaches of the CoE's Indicators for Media in a Democracy. These include violence and wrongful police action against journalists, significant editorial interference, discrimination and lack of reasonable access to information.

 

The database will be presented to CoE foreign ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the European Court of Human Rights and others. It will be accessible on a CoE website.

 

A working group has also been set up to focus on how CoE members are honouring the pledge they made in 2009 to review their anti-terrorism laws for compliance with article 10 of the ECHR. It appears that few, if any, have done so. For the texts, see the civil society statement and p.11 of the CoE ministers' resolution.

 

The working group will compile a report by October for the Media Committee's meeting in November 2010. The AEJ's Media Freedom Representative would welcome news of any concerns in this field – reporting terrorism, protecting sources, surveillance and data collection, abuses by police etc.

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John Coleman

 

We announce with great sorrow that John Coleman died on 5 January 2010. He was a frequent participant in AEJ meetings, livening our discussions with an enthusiasm and originality that was wholly unique. He will be sorely missed. An obituary was published in The Daily Telegraph on 29 January

 

 

The AEJ is an independent, self-funding association for journalists, writers and specialists in European affairs. The UK section is part of a Europe-wide network of some 20 national sections across Europe, with more than 1000 members in all.

 

In the UK section, we arrange for leading newsmakers from across Europe to give briefings to us about once a month, over lunch at the office of the European Parliament in London. We also organise special events, such as seminars, from time to time.

 

The AEJ offers journalists the chance to be part of a network of media professionals and experts on European issues. Membership can provide valuable mutual support for individual journalists (it is open to both UK and non-UK nationals). If you would like to join, please go to the Membership page.

 

We are not tied to any institutional or political group but are recognised by the Council of Europe, the OSCE and UNESCO. Our goals are to advance knowledge and debate on European affairs and to uphold media freedom.

 

Internationally, the AEJ has an active programme of professional activities and the annual AEJ Congress is a forum for debate on matters of common concern to journalists across the continent. A high priority is given to the AEJ's Media Freedom Project.

 

 

AEJ Media Freedom Project

 

The AEJ plays an international role in promoting the protection of freedom of expression and journalism through its Media Freedom Representative, William Horsley (also Chairman of the UK section).

 

In 2008, we were granted observer status at the Council of Europe's Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services (CDMC). This allows the AEJ to take part in the Council of Europe's policy-making deliberations on a wide range of issues and to raise all problems faced by journalists with Europe's watchdog for freedom of expession and human rights.

 

William Horsley is active at both the CoE Committee and its working group on the impact of anti-terrorism and state security laws on freedom of expression. He does so in parallel with representatives of bodies such as the IFJ, the IPI, Article 19 and Reporters without Borders.

 

On 26 October 2009, he presented a report to the Council of Europe revealing that 20 journalists were killed in the past three years in Europe and that violence, repressive laws and political interference continue to plague the media.

 

At present, the AEJ has two points of focus: the CoE members' promise in 2009 to review their anti-terrorism laws so that they do not block legitimate freedom of expression, and the compilation of a database of violations of the Indicators for Media in a Democracy.

 

The AEJ Media Freedom Network is made up of committed members in all national sections. Projects on selected topics and themes are followed up at AEJ meetings and debates at the annual congress.

 

The Project's first achievement was the AEJ Media Freedom Survey. It was published to considerable acclaim at the 2007 Dublin Congress and was supplemented by two further reports in 2008.

 

 

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UK Section Meetings

Press Coverage of the Media Freedom Survey

AEJ Sections Mark WPFD 2008

 

 

 

 

 

Please feel welcome to contact our executive for further information