Freedom of expression and freedom of the media are among the key democratic principles, as highlighted by the Reykjavik Declaration. 

The Steering Committee of the joint European Union and Council of Europe action "Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Serbia (PROFREX)" met in Belgrade and agreed that in 2024 the project should focus on organising activities in the areas of access to information, regulation of electronic media, and safety of journalists. Participants also discussed the implementation of the Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists. 

János Babity, the new Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, emphasised significant collaborative milestones rooted in Article 10 (Freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights, while also acknowledging the evolving landscape shaped by the proliferation of digital platforms and social media, necessitating a more vigilant approach, also taking into consideration the different needs of different age groups of viewers. 

Stephanie Carette, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Serbia, reiterated the EU's support to freedom of expression through various projects and policies aimed at fostering media pluralism, combating disinformation and anti-EU narratives, strengthening media regulation, and safeguarding free speech. Notably, the EU is in the process of enacting the Media Freedom Act to safeguard editorial independence and promote information pluralism.

The action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Serbia (PROFREX)”, implemented by the Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression, is part of the joint European Union and the Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.