FRA Director: Fundamental Rights Are Key to Tackling Democracy and Climate Crises

Journalists play a vital watchdog role in exposing environmental harm and defending civic space, said FRA Director Sirpa Rautio in a statement to public and media communicators in Budapest. She stressed that rights-based climate action depends on free expression, access to information, and strong protections against SLAPPs.

Sirpa Rautio, a lawyer and Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) since March 2024, delivered this statement to the Fundamental Rights, Climate and the Environment – How To Tell Stories About Them. The international workshop for journalists and opinion leaders was held in Budapest, Hungary, by BlueLink.net, Bulgaria, and the Czechia-based EU Network Justice&Environment. Rautio addressed the participants as part of a Media and Academic Seminar hosted at CEU by the Advanced Studies Institute, the Democracy Institute, Justice&Environment and BlueLink. The three-day long workshop was part of the implementation of the project Strategic Litigation for Environmental Rights (STELLAR Rights), funded by the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme.

It is a real pleasure to speak today about the work of the European Union Agency for fundamental rights (FRA) and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It is especially important to do so to an audience that is so key to the current situation in which we see a crisis of democracy alongside eroding commitment to the Paris climate commitments. The agency’s mission is to assist EU institutions and member states in ensuring that all laws, policies and practices respect the rights and freedoms enshrined in the EU charter of fundamental rights. This means providing evidence and practical guidance to make fundamental rights per reality in people’s everyday lives.

Freedom of expression and access to information are at the heart of both democracy and fundamental rights protection. Article 11 of the Charter guarantees these freedoms which are so integral to a vibrant civic space – a space which is increasingly under pressure in some EU member states. FRA continuously monitors specific space across the union, highlighting both good practices and emerging threats.

The EU charter is the EU’s Bill of Rights. It is the normative backbone of the EU and it is one of the most modern and encompassing human rights catalogues. It goes far beyond freedom of expression and information, although very important. You will find in the Charter many rights of immediate interest for journalists, ranging from freedom of assembly and association, to the right to access to documents.

It also includes rights that are particularly relevant to your discussions today: for example Article 37 which recognizes the need for a high level of environmental protection.

Journalists as watchdogs

Investigative journalists play an essential role as watchdogs in the protection and promotion of fundamental rights. By exposing violations, corruption and negligence, related to environmental policies and practices, they help to ensure transparency and accountability. However, their work often encounters significant obstacles including the rising wave of strategic lawsuits against public participation – the so-called SLAPPs – which are increasingly used as intimidation tactics to silence critical voices and undermine democratic debates. In response the EU has introduced instruments such as the anti-SLAPP Directive designed to enhance procedural safeguards for journalists and activists to protect freedom of expression and prevent abusive litigation.

Integrating these protections into international climate commitments will be vital for fostering a safe environment where journalists and activists can expose climate abuses and advocate for urgent right-based climate action. As you know climate change itself is increasingly recognized as a human rights issue. It affects the enjoyment of a wide range of rights – from health and housing to equality and participation.

And journalists have a vital role to play here. By raising awareness and connecting environmental realities with human stories, they deepen public understanding and help the public to see climate action – not only as a policy goal but as a moral and legal obligation grounded in human dignity. This is all the more essential in this era of disinformation and polarization.

FRA Events and Resources for journalists 

If you want to learn more about the role of the EU charter of fundamental rights, please join us at the third edition of our online Charter Exchange which will take place on the 8th and 9th of December. There we will discuss many interesting topics including climate litigation.
I also invite you to keep an eye of FRA’s publications. For instance we will soon publish a report on ensuring non-discrimination participation accountability in the EU climate and energy transition in the housing sector.
Finally take a look at our online Charter tools in particular Charterpedia – a single source for information about the fundamental rights you have under EU law.

To conclude, your work and the work of the Fundamental Rights Agency coincide well to remind us all that fundamental rights are not abstract principles. They are living guarantees that underpin our democracies and guide our collective response to challenges like climate change. For journalists these rights are the foundation of the ability to speak truth to power.
For all of us they are the cornerstone of a free, fair and sustainable Europe. I wish you all the very best for constructive discussion today and I thank you.

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