On Tuesday 23rd June, the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) adopted its findings and recommendations on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), critical infrastructure, digital and media resilience, civil preparedness, and other issues. The proposals, adopted with 20 votes in favour, 9 against and 2 abstentions, are intended to contribute to the creation of a European Democracy Shield.
European Centre for Democratic Resilience
MEP Ní Mhurchú fully supported the setting up of an EU centre for democratic resilience, although they say this should be set up in a binding legal act with operational parameters, a dedicated budget, and a governance involving all member states. This centre should include existing cooperation systems and crisis management capacity, and be adaptable to evolving threats.
Russia: primary threat for Europe’s democratic integrity
The report highlights Russia’s frequent hybrid attacks on critical infrastructure, such as cyberattacks, physical sabotage, arson, espionage and signal jamming, originating also from Belarus, China, Iran and North Korea.
The Report calls for:
- Strengthening relevant EU agencies’ capacity to act against hybrid activities and acts of sabotage, potentially adding hybrid threats to Europol’s mandate.
- Expanded sanctions targeting enablers of Russian disinformation and non-EU entities, particularly Chinese ones, that help circumvent sanctions and facilitate Russian operations.
- A coordinated response to Russia’s “blacklisting” of EU citizens, journalists, and MEPs.
Ní Mhurchú & her fellow MEPs are also asking for an annual “European Preparedness Day” on 24 February to mark Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as well as an EU-wide crisis alert app, and the production and distribution of household preparedness booklets.
EU sovereignty and online interference
“It is urgent that the EU reduces its reliance on foreign-controlled technology in critical sectors, particularly from US technology companies and Chinese hardware, including through a balanced “buy European” strategy when investing in critical infrastructure, and diversification to more reliable partners for the supply of critical raw materials” said Ní Mhurchú.
The report stresses the need to implement current digital rules concerning platforms, rather than putting in place new legislation, as well as the right of the EU to govern its own market.
To advance the fight against online interference, there is a call for provisions to:
- Ensure faster responses by platforms in combatting electoral interference, particularly bot-driven efforts.
- Clearly distinguish synthetic content from authentic material, and give more prominence to independent and verified sources.
- Support the contextual ads market and promote alternatives to behavioural targeting (personal data), as well as stronger traceability and transparency, as a way to combat the monetisation of disinformation.
- Expose covert disinformation campaigns exploiting generative AI.
“While the Democracy Shield needs to protect freedom of expression and information, these rights exist to protect human beings, not machines, and these commitments must not be used to tolerate illegal content or authoritarian regimes’ hybrid operations” said Ní Mhurchú.
Electoral resilience
To protect election integrity and prevent proxy financing and interference, proposals include :
- Measures against malicious deepfakes and fraudulent ads.
- Protection for female candidates.
- Classifying electoral infrastructure as critical.
- Full enforcement of the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Directive and the rules on beneficial ownership registers.
- A “know your donor” principle for cryptocurrency and the closing of any remaining loopholes in the Crypto-Assets Regulation.
- An ambitious reform of the European Cooperation Network on Elections.
- Investigations into evidence of espionage targeting EU and member state institutions by Hungarian officials under the country’s previous government, as well as allegations of sensitive information sharing with Russia.
Media freedom and civil society
To protect free and independent media and civil society, the report calls for:
- Long-term funding commitments on media freedom.
- Effective enforcement of the prohibition of illegal spyware and the possible introduction of a protection status for investigative journalists.
- EU media literacy programmes, including critical awareness of AI-generated content, especially for minors.
- Analysis of the impact of US aid cuts on pluralism, especially in neighbouring regions, and stable funding for Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
- Ambitious funding for civil society under Agora.eu.
- Safeguards for academic freedom and for the protection of cultural memory against Russian historical revisionism, as well as measures to support civic participation, especially for young people.
External dimension
The report calls for dedicated support from EU delegations abroad, and security and defence missions for EU candidate countries (including Ukraine, Moldova, the Western Balkans, Armenia and Georgia) targeting FIMI. It also asks for action against transnational repression and the instrumentalisation of migration.
Unfortunately foreign information manipulation, disinformation and hybrid interference are becoming increasingly sophisticated and coordinated. Russia remains the primary threat to Europe’s democratic integrity, and no member state can counter it effectively alone. Theefore the report calls for a practical reform agenda centred on stronger operational capabilities, greater accountability and enhanced preparedness.”
Next steps
Parliament as a whole is set to vote on the report at the September plenary session.
