About AEJ
Across Europe, the AEJ brings together individual journalists through their membership of the national sections. The AEJ was set up in 1961 in the then six EEC-countries and was founded by 70 journalists, convinced by the need for European integration in a democratic way who believed in the potential of journalism to promote European harmony. For that reason they were determined to defend the freedom of information and freedom of the press in Europe.
Most activities of the AEJ are arranged by the sections at national level. However, one of the aims of the international association is to create links between individual journalists; to exchange contacts, information and ideas. The AEJ partners with the European Journalism Centre (EJC), an independent institution for further training of journalists.
There are now more than 20 sections, independently established in countries that belong to the Council of Europe. Members in each section are drawn from a wide spectrum of the media staff and freelance contributors to television, radio, national, regional and specialists newspapers and periodicals and the new media. Membership in each section is open to all journalists including foreign media representatives based in the country.
AEJ organisation
Registered under Belgian law, the AEJ is an independent non-profit-making international organisation with neither party-political nor union ties. It has NGO status with UNESCO and the Council of Europe; is a member of the European Movement and has a working relation with the Representative on Freedom of the Media OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe).
Media Freedom in Europe is one of the main subjects for the AEJ. William Horsley has been elected by the General Assembly to be responsible for the subject and has appointed him as AEJ Media Freedom Representative and member of the AEJ Executive Committee. The Council of Europe’s Media Steering Committee has given the AEJ the ‘Observer Status’.
Every year most AEJ sections spend attention to World Press Freedom Day (May 3) by organising special events and activities.
At European level, the AEJ is governed by a democratic structure consisting of the General Assembly, an executive committee, elected officers and the general secretariat. The executive committee consists of all the national section secretaries and some elected members.
Each year one of the sections hosts the AEJ's annual congress. The sections participate in the voting and debate at the General Assembly through their representatives.
The annual congress provides an opportunity to meet a network of like-minded journalists from around the continent. One day is given over to a conference on an issue of current interest. The General Assembly debates and can pass resolutions on current cases where journalistic freedoms are in jeopardy.
Current organisation
At the 2010 AEJ General Assembly in Ordu, the following officers were elected for a 2 years term:
• President: Eileen Dunne, Ireland
• Secretary-General: Peter Kramer, Belgium
• Dept. Secretary General: Christos Trikoukis, Greece
• Vice-President: Saiah Tsaoussidou, Greece
• Vice-President: Javier F. Arribas, Spain
• Vice-President: L. Dogan Tilic, Turkey
• Treasurer: Luigi Cobisi, Italy
• Media Freedom Representative: William Horsley
Athanase Papandropoulos (Greece), Diego Carcedo (Spain) and Carmelo Occhino (Italy) are Honorary Presidents of the AEJ.
AEJ Executive Committee
ARMENIA Liana Sayadyan
AUSTRIA Elisabeth Horvath
BELGIUM N. Peter Kramer SECRETARY - GENERAL
BELGIUM Michel Theys
BELGIUM Ahmed Belhaloumi
BULGARIA Kristina Hristova
FRANCE Fabrice Pozzoli
GREECE Saia Tsaousidou VICE PRESIDENT
GREECE Christos Trikoukis DEP. SECRETARY - GENERAL
GREECE Athanase Papandropoulos HON. PRESIDENT
HUNGARY Jozsef Horvath
IRELAND Martin Alioth
IRELAND Eileen Dunne PRESIDENT
ITALY Luigi Cobisi TREASURER
ITALY Carmelo Occhino HON. VICE PRESIDENT
ITALY Elzbieta Cywiak
MOLDOVA Aneta Grosu
NETHERLANDS Koos van Houdt
ROMANIA Oana Enachescu
SERBIA Miloje Popovic
SLOVAKIA Tibor Macak
SLOVAKIA Juraj Alner HON. SECRETARY - GENERAL
SPAIN Diego Carcedo HON. PRESIDENT
SPAIN Miguel Angel Aguilar HON. SECRETARY - GENERAL
SPAIN Javier F. Arribas VICE PRESIDENT
TURKEY L. Dogan Tilic VICE PRESIDENT
UK Margaret Hughes
UK William Horsley MF REPRESENTATIVE
UKRAINE Artur Rudzitsky
BELARUS Andrei Aliaksandrau (contactperson)
CROATIA Zdenko Duka (contactperson)
CZECH REP. Tomas Vrba (contactperson)
FINLAND Patrick Humphrey (contactperson)
GERMANY Horst Keller (contactperson)
POLAND Krzysztof Bobinski (contactperson)
PORTUGAL Fernanda Gabriel (contactperson)
The Ukrainian section of Association of the European Journalists (AEJ-Ukraine)
The Ukrainian section AEJ has been created at the initiative of Arthur Rudzitsky who has made an application on the introduction in AEJ in April, 2009.
Within 2009 the group of the Ukrainian journalists took part in meeting AEJ in Turkey, and in November, 2009 in Maastricht where on General Congress AEJ the decision on creation of Ukrainian section AEJ in Kiev has been approved.
Spring of 2010 were one more meeting AEJ in Greece on which definitively Ukrainian section AEJ, led by its head Arthur Rudzitsky, have received the official status of National section AEJ.
Within 2010 the AEJ-Ukraine has transferred in Secretary AEJ reports and some statements for a situation with infringement of the rights of the Ukrainian journalists and problems with a freedom of speech in Ukraine. Our statements have been extended among members AEJ in Europe, and also published on official web-site AEJ.
Overall objective of AEJ-Ukraine - is protection of the rights and freedom of the Ukrainian journalists. In plans of AEJ-Ukraine - cooperation with European and international non-governmental the organisations, including National Press Foundation (USA), International Press Institute (IPI), South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), Representations of the Council of Europe and EU in Ukraine, etc.
Separate direction - an exchange between the Ukrainian both European journalists and experts in the field of media, participation of our members at the international conferences and the congresses of mass-media.
Arthur Rudzitsky, President AEJ-Ukraine
