European Federation of Journalists passes resolution supporting Cyprus Union of Journalists

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) passed a resolution at its Annual Meeting held in Ankara on June 18-19, 2026, supporting the Union of Cyprus Journalists (UCJ). The resolution criticizes the Republic of Cyprus for allegedly downgrading the status of the UCJ's professional press cards. According to the EFJ, this action violates Article 14 of Council of Europe Recommendation 2016/4 and the principles of the European Media Freedom Act. The EFJ mandate requires its Steering Committee to demand that the Cypriot government revoke its decision and recognize the UCJ press card as an official certification document. Furthermore, the committee is instructed to file formal complaints with the European Board for Media Services, the European Commission, and the Council of Europe via the Platform for the Protection of Journalism. George Frangos and Stelios Marathovouniotis represented the UCJ at the assembly. Following the meeting, the delegation visited the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople on June 20, 2026.