The European Commission has today presented its “European Democracy Shield,” which Ireland’s Commissioner Michael McGrath described as Europe’s “roadmap to confront the evolving challenges our democracies face”.
The Commission said that the initiative will boost Europe’s collective capacity to “counter information manipulation and disinformation and strengthen our resilience through a whole-of-society approach”.
Critics meanwhile have warned that it represents an encroachment on freedom of speech and information exchange.
As part of the scheme, a new “European Centre for Democratic Resilience” is to be established, the Commission describing its purpose as increasing “our collective capacity to anticipate, detect and respond to threats and build democratic resilience”.
“With Member States at its core, the Centre will act as a framework to facilitate information sharing and support capacity building to withstand evolving common threats, in particular foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) and disinformation,” a Democracy Shield press release reads.
According to the Commission, the Shield will be composed of three pillars: “safeguarding the integrity of the information space; strengthening our institutions, fair and free elections, and free and independent media; and boosting societal resilience and citizens’ engagement”.
As part of the first pillar, “safeguarding the integrity of the information space,” a European Network of Fact-Checkers will be established, while the European Digital Media Observatory will develop new monitoring and analytical capabilities.
Commenting on the presentation of the scheme, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath said that “defending democracy is our first line of defence against rising political confrontation, regional and global conflicts, and rapid technological disruption”.
“Democracy is not a destination, but a daily commitment — one that demands constant strengthening and renewal. The Democracy Package will serve as our roadmap to confront the evolving challenges our democracies face, and to support all those who uphold them.
“Ultimately, democracy is only as strong as the people who believe in it. We must continue working together to protect and promote it for generations to come,” he said.
Legal advocacy group ADF International criticised the Democracy Shield, saying despite media claims that the initiative had been “watered down,” the released version still “centralises EU control over information flow, expands DSA-era censorship powers, and politicises fact-checking and media funding — reshaping ‘democracy protection’ into managed speech”.
The organisation also took issue with the plan to establish a network of fact-checkers, saying that under the guise of combating “so-called ‘foreign information manipulation, interference, and disinformation’,” anyone, be it an individual or an entity, can flag content they believe to be illegal.