The situation of the media in the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia

Seminar for journalists

Co-organised by the European Parliament and the European Commission

17-18 November European Parliament, Paul Henri Spaak building, room 4B001 The European Parliament and the European Commission are holding ajoint seminar for journalists over two days on 17-18 November in Brussels titled "The situation of the media in the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia". The main aim is to discuss the challenges facing independent journalists and media organisations in these countries and the role of the European institutions in supporting press freedom, although broader questions of political, social and economic reform in the region may also be explored. Journalists from the EU, the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia will be able to discuss the issues with MEPs, senior figures from the European Commission and specially invited journalists from the countries in question. Marietje Schaake will participate in panal 1: 'The European Parliament's role in supporting free media, free speech, democracy and human rights' Full programme 17 November 09:30 – 09:45       Welcome and introduction Yannis Darmis, Head of Media Services Unit, DG COMM[1] European Parliament Claus Giering, Head of Unit for Communication, DG NEAR[2], European Commission 09:45 – 10:15       Official opening Ryszard Czarnecki (ECR, Poland), Vice-President of the European Parliament Christian Danielsson, Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, European Commission 10:15 – 11:15      Panel 1: The European Parliament’s role in supporting free media, free speech, democracy and human rights Moderator: Yannis Darmis, Head of Media Services Unit, European Parliament Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA, Finland), Chair of EP Delegation to Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Eduard Kukan (EPP, Slovakia), EP Rapporteur on European Neighbourhood Policy Marietje Schaake (ALDE, Netherlands), EP Rapporteur for the 2013 EP resolution on media freedom Questions & Answers 11:15 – 11:30       Coffee break 11:30 – 13:00       Panel 2: Media freedom in the Eastern neighbourhood Moderator: Gunnar Wiegand, Director, Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia and OSCE, European External Action Service (EEAS) Traian Ungureanu (EPP, Romania), Member of EP Delegation to EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Andrejs Mamikins (S&D, Latvia), Vice-Chair of EP Delegation for relations with Belarus Boris Navasardsyan, Chairman of Yerevan Press Club, and member of Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Petru Macovei, Director of Association of Independent Press, Moldova Questions & Answers 13:00 – 15:00       Lunch   * Invitation only * Members' restaurant, Altiero Spinelli building, ground floor 15:00 – 16:15      Panel 3: Disinformation and the role of independent media in Ukraine and Russia Moderator: Oliver Money-Kyrle, International Federation of Journalists Andrej Plenkovic(EPP, Croatia), Chair of EP Delegation for relations with Ukraine Othmar Karas(EPP, Austria), Chair of EP Delegation to EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Jon Kyst, East Strategic Communication Task Force, EEAS Tetyana Matychak, Editor in chief of Stop Fake,Ukraine Kogershyn Koshchugulov, TV presenter at Dozhd TV,Russia Questions & Answers 16:15 – 16:30      Coffee break 16:30 – 17:00       Projection of film ‘The Word and the Bullet’ Theme: Combatting impunity for killings of journalists in Dagestan Introduced by Svetlana Svistunova, film director, and Nadezda Azhgikhina, Secretary of Russian Union of Journalists 17:00 – 18:30      Guided tour (in English) through the EP’s audiovisual facilities // Parlamentarium // Time for reporting 18:45                       Dinner with keynote speech   * Invitation only * Keynote speaker: Orlando Figes, Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London, Author of Revolutionary Russia, 1891-1991   18 November 9:30 – 10:45          Panel 4: The EU's Support to Democracy and Media Freedom Moderator: Andris Kesteris, Principal Advisor Civil Society and Media, DG NEAR, European Commission Vassilis Maragos, Acting Director for Neighbourhood East, DG NEAR, European Commission Stefan Krauss, Acting Head of Human Rights Actions Unit, Directorate for Democracy Support, DG EXPO[1], European Parliament Mikhal Yanchuk, Belsat TV, Belarus Ilham Safarov,Internews Azerbaijan (tbc) Lasha Tughushi, Editor of Resonansi and Chair of the Georgian National Civil Society Platform Questions & Answers 10:45 – 11:15       Coffee break 11:15 – 12:30      Panel 5: A renewed ENP and strategic communication activities in the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia Moderator: Claus Giering, Head of Unit for Communication, European Commission Simon Mordue, Director for Strategy and Turkey, DG NEAR, European Commission Jerzy Pomianowski, Executive Director, European Endowment for Democracy Rita Rudusa, Executive Director Baltic of Centre for Media Excellence, Latvia Anneli Kimber, East Strategic Communication Task Force, EEAS Matthew Green, ECORYS UK Ltd. - Let's meet Europe 4 (tbc) Questions & Answers 12:30 – 14:30       Lunch   * Invitation only * Members' restaurant, Altiero Spinelli building, ground floor   14:30 – 16:00      Visit to Europe by Satellite (EbS) // Time for individual meetings/reporting 16:00                    End of programme