Council of Europe warns Ukraine’s draft Civil Code could hinder watchdogs
REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
The Council of Europe has flagged risks in several
provisions of Ukraine’s draft
Civil Code that could significantly complicate journalistic investigations,
anti‑corruption
monitoring, open‑source intelligence (OSINT) research, and access to
publicly available information, YouControl reported on June 12.
Analysts said the concerns include an approach that would make processing company data dependent on the company’s consent. Without clear exceptions for journalistic activity, OSINT analysis, public oversight and work with state registries, such rules could erect additional barriers to exposing matters of public importance.
The Council also noted the absence of mechanisms to protect
against SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits
against public participation) which are often used to pressure journalists and
civic activists.
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