The joint European Union/Council of Europe action on "Freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Kosovo*" (JUFREX2), in co-operation with the Academy of Justice, organised a two-day training for judges and prosecutors on access to information and the freedom of expression on internet, from 7 to 8 April 2021.

63 judges and prosecutors from different courts and judicial institutions, including those from Serbian community attended the training.

Thematic areas such as the concept of right to access information and the international instruments that guarantee this right, including the Convention and other recommendations and factsheets were elaborated during the first day of the training. Moreover, the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence on the right to access public documents was thoroughly discussed by the international expert. The training also included information on local legislation and local jurisprudence which were presented and discussed by local trainers, certified on freedom of expression by JUFREX.

The following day was focused on the freedom of expression online. Basic principles, content protected by copyrights, user generated content and the right to be forgotten, were the main elements delivered and discussed among participants. In addition, relevant information on local legal framework and local jurisprudence were brought to the participants by the local experts.

This action "Freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Kosovo" is a part of the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019 - 2022”, which aims at assisting Beneficiaries in the Western Balkans region and Turkey to comply with the Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis in the framework of the enlargement process, where relevant.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.