The conference is co-organised by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and other investigative journalism organisations from Western and Eastern Europe. It aims at offering a forum for debate for both investigative journalists and decision makers within the EU Institutions and interested stakeholders, on exposing concrete particular cases in which EU funds are diverted to the benefit of corruption and/or organised crime.
The programme
OPENING AND PANEL I : The importance of investigative journalism for safeguarding EU interests (12:30 - 13:00)
12:30 - 12:35 Monica Macovei MEP, EPP
12:35 - 12:40 Bart Staes MEP, Greens
12:40 - 12:50 Paul Cristian Radu, OCCRP
12:50 - 13:00 Giovanni Kessler, Director General of OLAF
13:00 - 13:10 Q&A
PANEL II: Media ownership and the decline of investigative reporting. How corrupt politicians and organized crime control mainstream investigative reporting (13:10 - 13:50)
13:10 - 13:15 Jakub Boratynski - Representative of DG Home
13:15 - 13:50 Investigative journalists - Overview of:
* corrupt media ownership and its influence: Paul Radu, OCCRP and Leo Sisti, IRPI
* physical and cyber threats: Khadija Ismaiylova, OCCRP Azerbaijan
* libel tourism: Drew Sullivan, OCCRP Bosnia and Herzegovina
13:50 - 14:10 Q&A
PANEL III: How to solve the problem by supporting independent investigative reporting (14:10 - 14:40)
14:10 - 14:15 Carsten Lietz - Representative of DG Just
14:15 - 14: 40 Interventions by investigative journalists - Overview of:
*the European investigative journalism movement: Ides Debruyne - Journalismfund.eu
*funding and investigative efforts: Brigitte Alfter - Journalismfund.eu
*efficient pan-European cross border collaboration: Pavla Holcova - Czech Center for Investigative Reporting, Tamas Bodoky - Atlatszo Hungary
*the collaborative future of investigative journalism: Stevan Dojcinovic - Serbian Center for investigative Reporting
14:40-14:55 Q&A
14:55 - 15:00 Closing remarks by Investigative Journalists Representative-Paul Radu, OCCRP
Registration
If you do not have an access badge to the European Parliament, please register at monicaluisa.macovei-office@europarl.europa.eu by Tuesday, 9th April, and send your full name, nationality, ID number and date of birth.
Co-organisers: Monica Macovei, MEP, EPP, Bart Staes, MEP, Greens The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (www.occrp.org), Freedom House Romania (http://freedomhouse.ro/), Rise Project (www.riseproject.ro)
