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Procedure

Protection of journalists and human rights defenders from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings

2022/0117(COD)·9th term·CULT / JURI / LIBE·COD - Ordinary legislative procedure (ex-codecision procedure)·CompletedProcedure completed
Subjects: Press, media freedom and pluralism · Judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters · Principles common to the Member States, EU values
Rapporteur (the Member appointed to lead Parliament's work on this text): WÖLKEN Tiemo (S&D)
Summary

A directive protecting persons who engage in public participation, in particular journalists and human rights defenders, from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings (SLAPPs). The amendments revise the purpose and scope to cover editors, media organisations, whistleblowers, civil society, NGOs and trade unions, and address freedom of expression under the Charter, disinformation and journalistic ethics, the imbalance of power with powerful claimants, and effects on credibility and financial resources.

Procedure timeline

  1. Committee amendments tabled
    9 Mar 2023 – 11 Apr 2023
  2. Plenary vote — Passed
    11 Jul 2023 · On the Commission proposal (the draft law)
  3. Plenary vote — Adopted
    27 Feb 2024 · On the provisional agreement negotiated with the Council (the trilogue deal) — amendment 126
  4. Procedure completed
661
Amendments
distinct, in window
41
Members
tabled at least one
3
Committee(s)
9 Mar 2023 – 11 Apr 2023
Dates

Plenary votes

15 roll-call votes

In plenary, Parliament usually votes in steps: first on amendments to the text (sometimes split into parts, so Members can accept one half of a sentence and reject the other), then on the text as a whole. The “main vote” is the one that adopts or rejects the text itself. Each vote below shows exactly which step it was. How voting works →

Where each group stood at the decisive votes

GroupShift
EPPFor97%For100%consistent
S&DFor99%For100%consistent
RenewFor94%For97%consistent
Greens/EFAFor100%For100%consistent
ECRAbstained86%For67%Abstained → For
The LeftFor94%For100%consistent
IDAbstained74%Against58%Abstained → Against
Non-attachedFor43%For46%consistent

Milestones are the votes that adopt or reject text (not every amendment vote) — the percentage is the share of the group’s Members behind that position. Click a column heading to open the vote below.

  1. Show the 12 earlier votes
    1. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 108 — paragraph 1 — article 1
      Official label: Article 1, § 1 - Am 108 · what was voted ↗
      127 for491 against13 abstentions74 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    2. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 90 — sub-point b — point 2 — article 3 — subparagraph 1
      Official label: Article 3 - alinéa 1 - point 2 - sous-point b - Am 90 · what was voted ↗
      95 for500 against40 abstentions70 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    3. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 112 — point 3 — article 3
      Official label: Article 3 - paragraphe 1 - point 3 - partie introductive - Am 112 · what was voted ↗
      132 for499 against6 abstentions68 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    4. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 92 — text to be inserted after paragraph 1 — article 21
      Official label: Article 21, après le § 1 - Am 92 · what was voted ↗
      126 for496 against6 abstentions77 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    5. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 95 — text to be inserted after recital 5
      Official label: Après le considérant 5 - Am 95 · what was voted ↗
      136 for491 against11 abstentions67 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    6. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 96 — text to be inserted after recital 5
      Official label: Après le considérant 5 - Am 96 · what was voted ↗
      149 for461 against4 abstentions91 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    7. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 97 — text to be inserted after recital 5
      Official label: Après le considérant 5 - Am 97 · what was voted ↗
      124 for490 against5 abstentions86 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    8. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 99 — text to be inserted after recital 9
      Official label: Après le considérant 9 - Am 99 · what was voted ↗
      134 for492 against7 abstentions72 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    9. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 102 — recital 23
      Official label: Considérant 23 - Am 102 · what was voted ↗
      133 for497 against6 abstentions69 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    10. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 104S — recital 30
      Official label: Considérant 30 - Am 104S · what was voted ↗
      114 for509 against16 abstentions66 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    11. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 105 — text to be inserted after recital 30
      Official label: Après le considérant 30 - Am 105 · what was voted ↗
      140 for493 against3 abstentions69 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

    12. 11 Jul 2023Failedoutcome from totals
      On amendment 89 — text to be inserted after recital 34
      Official label: Après le considérant 34 - Am 89 · what was voted ↗
      129 for494 against11 abstentions71 did not vote
      For
      Against
      Abst.

      Click a group to see each Member’s position.

  2. 11 Jul 2023Passedoutcome from totals
    On a procedural vote to send the text back to committee, under Parliament's rules
    Official label: Renvoi (article 59, paragraphe 4, du règlement) · what was voted ↗
    564 for26 against37 abstentions78 did not vote
    For
    Against
    Abst.

    Click a group to see each Member’s position.

  3. 11 Jul 2023Main votePassedoutcome from totals
    On the Commission proposal (the draft law)
    Official label: Proposition de la Commission · what was voted ↗
    498 for33 against105 abstentions69 did not vote
    For
    Against
    Abst.

    Click a group to see each Member’s position.

  4. 27 Feb 2024Main voteAdopted
    On the provisional agreement negotiated with the Council (the trilogue deal) — amendment 126
    Official label: Accord provisoire - Am 126 · what was voted ↗
    546 for47 against31 abstentions81 did not vote
    For
    Against
    Abst.

    Click a group to see each Member’s position.

Vote data: HowTheyVote.eu (ODbL, attribution) / European Parliament · roll-call votes only

Official amendment documents

PE745.281 ↗PE746.644 ↗PE746.688 ↗

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Full record

Members who amended this procedure

41 Members · by amendment count
1🇫🇷
Marie TOUSSAINT
Greens / EFA · France
82(82 solo)
2🇫🇷
Sylvie GUILLAUME
Socialists & Democrats · France
81
3🇪🇸
Diana RIBA I GINER
Greens / EFA · Spain
71(71 solo)
4🇫🇷
Manon AUBRY
The Left (GUE/NGL) · France
67(67 solo)
5🇵🇱
Magdalena ADAMOWICZ
European People's Party (EPP) · Poland
52(52 solo)
6🇩🇪
Katarina BARLEY
Socialists & Democrats · Germany
43
7🇧🇬
Elena YONCHEVA
Socialists & Democrats · Bulgaria
43
8🇸🇮
Matjaž NEMEC
Socialists & Democrats · Slovenia
43
9🇧🇬
Petar VITANOV
Socialists & Democrats · Bulgaria
43
10🇳🇱
Thijs REUTEN
Socialists & Democrats · Netherlands
43
11🇫🇷
Ilana CICUREL
Renew Europe · France
40(3 solo)
12🇷🇴
Cristian TERHEŞ
European Conservatives & Reformists · Romania
38(38 solo)
13🇪🇸
Domènec RUIZ DEVESA
Socialists & Democrats · Spain
37
14🇮🇹
Massimiliano SMERIGLIO
Socialists & Democrats · Italy
35
15🇲🇹
Cyrus ENGERER
Socialists & Democrats · Malta
33
16🇸🇮
Irena JOVEVA
Renew Europe · Slovenia
32
17🇷🇴
Ramona STRUGARIU
Renew Europe · Romania
32
18🇪🇸
Jorge BUXADÉ VILLALBA
Patriots for Europe · Spain
28(28 solo)
19🇩🇪
Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL
Greens / EFA · Germany
27(27 solo)
20🇮🇪
Clare DALY
The Left (GUE/NGL) · Ireland
27(27 solo)
21🇧🇬
Asim ADEMOV
European People's Party (EPP) · Bulgaria
25
22🇸🇰
Peter POLLÁK
European People's Party (EPP) · Slovakia
25
23🇵🇱
Tomasz FRANKOWSKI
European People's Party (EPP) · Poland
25
24🇧🇬
Andrey SLABAKOV
European Conservatives & Reformists · Bulgaria
23(23 solo)
25🇳🇱
Paul TANG
Socialists & Democrats · Netherlands
23

The amendments, in full text

661 amendments

Every amendment as tabled — original text, proposed change and justification, with a link to the official PDF.

The full amendment texts load as you scroll here.