At the stroke of midnight on Sunday, Croatia officially became the 28th member of the European Union. Croatia will be a “serious, responsible and active member”, said President Ivo Josipovic as he ushered in “the first day of our European future”. But threats to freedom of expression, especially in the media, remain, Milana Knezevic writes
The revelations that the United States allegedly spied on European Union diplomats marks a low in what should be a special relationship of trust between major democracies. The EU needs to remind the US that surveillance is unacceptable in the digital age.
The European Union Foreign Affairs Council last week released its guidelines on promoting and protecting religious freedom. The guidelines, designed to set standards for the EU’s external dealings, make, for the most part, encouraging reading, Padraig Reidy writes
Lukashenko’s government is open for dialogue with Europe. But it will expect something in return, says Andrei Aliaksandrau
Peers have criticised Northern Ireland’s rejection of the Defamation Act 2013, suggesting a high-profile Belfast libel lawyer may be behind the move. Padraig Reidy reports
Index on Censorship calls on the Turkish government to end its attempts to limit free speech as seen in its pressurising of journalists, criticism of social media commentary, and excessive violence in policing of recent protests.
[View the story "Does economic freedom guarantee free media?" on Storify]
The EU needs to develop a coherent and comprehensive digital freedom strategy. Brian Pellot writes
Britain’s ban on anti-Muslim activists could do more harm than good, says Padraig Reidy
Coming on the heels of Russia's enactment of a "gay propaganda" law, the European Union's decision to adopt guidelines to protect the rights of lebian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons in foreign relations on Monday is welcome. Sean...