International NGOs slam government over forgotten media reforms

A coalition of international press freedom and journalist organisations called on Maltese authorities to prioritise its long-overdue media reforms. 

In a statement published on Wednesday, the NGOs said that despite the pressure for change following the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, state has failed to provide necessary political backing for meaningful reform or for the implementation of recommendations from a 2021 public inquiry. 

Government currently has three bills that are still pending since they were first tabled in parliament in October 2022, following the work carried out by a government-appointed media experts committee.

Government had taken on board the majority of suggestions put forward by the committee but left out the more crucial aspects that would have guaranteed greater media freedom.

The NGOs said that although consultations had ended by October 2025, government provided no clarification on further steps for six months.

The lack of movement has also drawn criticism from European regulators. In its 2025 Rule of Law report, the European Commission noted that Malta has made no progress in adopting legislative safeguards for journalists and only limited progress regarding access to official documents. 

International groups are now urging the European Commission to use their specific recommendations as benchmarks for future reports, including requirements under the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

While government issued a legal notice in August 2025 intending to align national laws with the EMFA, the NGOs state that progress remains unclear and potentially insufficient. 

The statement was signed by the Committee to Protect Journalists, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the European Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and the International Press Institute.