MPs, media NGOs agree to draft amendments to bill No. 14057 between first and second readings

Members of parliament, the specialised committee, and media NGOs have agreed to draft amendments to the bill No. 14057 (Book 2 of the Civil Code of Ukraine) together to submit them between the first and second readings. The parties said that the amendments would aim to strike a balance between freedom of speech, the right to privacy, and effective defense against defamation, as per Facebook posts by the parliamentary Freedom of Speech Committee chair Yaroslav Yurchyshyn and the Verkhovna Rada Chair Ruslan Stefanchuk.

With Yaroslav Yurchyshyn’s participation and assistance, Ruslan Stefanchuk held a meeting with representatives of media and human rights NGOs (Institute of Mass Information, Digital Security Laboratory, Human Rights Platform, Bihus.Info, CEDEM, IRPD) on 3 October to discuss proposals for draft bills No. 14056 (Book 1) and 14057 (Book 2) of the Civil Code of Ukraine.

The meeting concerned the clauses that directly affect the work of the media, such as compensation for moral damage, statute of limitations in lawsuit on reporting false information, the right to reply and refutation; ban of spreading information that violates personal rights; use of full names and digital images; protection of personal data; right to information, digital privacy, personal notes and secrecy of correspondence, as well as personal non-property rights of legal entities.

The participants agreed that all the comments would be compiled into a package of amendments for the second reading; other MPs would be involved in the process.

The Freedom of Speech Committee chair, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, said that consensus has been achieved that the draft bills do not need to be withdrawn, as they update the CCU and introduce stronger human rights protections; the media community will be involved in the finalisation of the bill between the first and second readings. It was established that the “right to be forgotten” does not apply to public figures and data of public interest. “It is important that we have a common goal: to adapt our legislation to EU standards and find a balance between human rights and freedom of speech,” the MP added.

IMI director Oksana Romaniuk said: “For us, it is of fundamental importance that the amendments to the CCU do not become a tool for pressure on journalists. We are glad that the meeting with the authors of the bill was constructive. We are ready to work with the parliament and colleagues from other media organizations on a balanced text for the second reading.”

Institute of Mass Information experts believe that bill No. 14057, registered in the parliament by a group of deputies on 21 September 2025, creates censorship risks and sets excessively strict requirements for the media.

Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, has withdrawn his signature on Bill No. 14057 “On Amendments to the Civil Code of Ukraine With Regards to the Updates (Recodification) of the Placement of Book Two” and initiated a meeting between media lawyers and the drafters of the bill.