Agenda
Across Europe, "foreign agent" laws are increasingly used to limit media freedom. Often framed as transparency measures, they stigmatise outlets receiving foreign funding, branding them as untrustworthy or hostile. Some countries have already taken highly concerning steps. In May 2024, Georgia adopted the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. In February 2025, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska enacted a similar law. These measures follow the blueprint set by Russia’s 2012 "foreign agent" law, which targeted NGOs before expanding to media outlets and journalists, ultimately eliminating independent media.
Other governments are considering similar legislation. Viktor Orbán has announced plans to eliminate foreign-funded NGOs and media outlets. In Serbia, a draft law proposes that organisations with foreign funding register as "foreign agents." Such laws delegitimize critical reporting, exposing journalists to harassment, legal action, financial hardship, and imprisonment. Despite challenges, there are ways to counter these repressive measures. Civil society resistance, legal challenges, and diplomatic pressure have already proven effective in pushing back.
This panel gathers investigative journalists, legal experts, and press freedom advocates to examine the rise of "foreign agent" laws. Journalists will share their firsthand experiences, while experts will propose strategies to resist this growing threat to media freedom in Europe.
