Bulgarian Anti-SLAPP Coalition Calls for Immediate Adoption of Anti-SLAPP Legislation
Published Thursday 16 July 2026 at 14:05
The Bulgarian Anti-SLAPP Coalition, bringing together more than ten civil society organizations, legal professionals, and media experts, has called on the Ministry of Justice and the Council of Ministers to take urgent legislative action by submitting the already prepared draft law implementing the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive to Parliament.
The appeal follows the European Commission's decision on Wednesday to launch infringement proceedings against Bulgaria and 13 other EU Member States for failing to transpose Directive (EU) 2024/1069, which protects individuals participating in public debate from abusive lawsuits, commonly known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). Member States were required to implement the directive by 7 May 2026.
Following the Commission's formal notice, Bulgaria now has two months to respond and notify the Commission of the measures taken to fully transpose the directive. If the response is deemed unsatisfactory, the Commission may proceed by issuing a reasoned opinion.
The coalition recalls that on 16 April 2026, then Minister of Justice Andrey Yankulov published for public consultation a draft amendment to the Civil Procedure Code aimed at implementing the Anti-SLAPP Directive. The proposed legislation is the result of years of work by civil society organizations, legal experts, and public institutions, spanning the mandates of at least three successive governments.
After the public consultation ended on 18 May 2026, the Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria) and the Access to Information Programme (AIP), which coordinate the national Anti-SLAPP Coalition, urged the newly formed government to adopt the draft without delay and submit it to the National Assembly. However, despite the completion of the consultation process, no further legislative action has been taken.
According to the coalition, the failure to move forward has resulted in Bulgaria facing infringement proceedings over legislation whose adoption now depends solely on political will, as the expert drafting process was completed months ago.
The coalition stresses that implementing the directive is not merely a legal obligation under EU law, but also an important step toward strengthening democratic principles, protecting freedom of expression, and safeguarding public participation in decision-making processes.
Although the proposed legislation will not eliminate every possible abuse of judicial procedures, the coalition believes it represents a crucial first step toward protecting journalists, media organizations, and civic activists from legal harassment. It therefore once again urges the government to submit the draft amendments to the Civil Procedure Code to Parliament without further delay.
The Bulgarian Anti-SLAPP Coalition is part of CASE (Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe), which played a key role in advocating for EU-wide anti-SLAPP legislation. Its members include AEJ-Bulgaria, the Access to Information Programme, the Anti-Corruption Fund Foundation, the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, the LGBTI organization Deystvie, the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law, the Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights Foundation, as well as media and legal experts.
In parallel, AEJ-Bulgaria has established the "Censored" Fund, a legal assistance fund supporting journalists and civic activists facing strategic lawsuits, which is financed through public donations.
