Debate: Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU
Date: TUESDAY, 8 MARCH 2022
Speaker: Věra Jourová
Language: EN

Our hearts and minds are in Ukraine, watching the war unfold before our eyes. We know that this disinformation and foreign interference has been part of Russia’s military doctrine for decades. In fact, Russia was systematically preparing all of us for this to happen. Also, all the attacks through disinformation against Ukraine, which Josep described here, were preparing public opinion for this aggression.  We can also see that the playbook is not all new, and those of you who remember the times of the Soviet Union, like I do, know that the truth was the greatest enemy of this oppressive regime. Now we see the laws from 4 March – 15 years of prison for telling people the truth or for delivering objective facts. President Putin wants his nation to be blind and deaf. More than that, President Putin, I think, would like the Russian people to be apathetic. That’s why I am so glad that yesterday Netflix decided to withdraw from the country because President Putin wants the people to be entertained, not to pay attention to what’s happening. My response is that I welcome this decision by Netflix, because it would not be right to see Russians being entertained and, next door, Ukrainians being killed.  So we have to look at the situation in its complexity and be able to act. We have to act on several different fronts. We are working with Joseph Borrell on the issue of disinformation. He has increased the capacities of East StratCom and experts are now working day and night on detecting the disinformation coming from the Russian side. This is not new. We have seen this already for a long time. In fact, the intensity of the Russian disinformation increased rapidly after the annexation of Crimea. As part of our response to the Russian invasion, we must be united on this front, on working together, all of us – governments, citizens and the private sector, including the big-tech companies, which are also covered in the report.  The only response to Putin’s aggression is unity. Yesterday, I visited the Council of Ministers of Culture and Media with Thierry Breton, and there is a very strong agreement to join forces to fight disinformation and to support independent media. We listened to a very strong speech by Oleksandr Tkachenko, who is the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, with a strong call to action and we received a to-do list on how to react, and we should follow this. We should react.  Also, last week, we spoke with the CEOs of YouTube and Google – I was with Thierry Breton – and I’m glad that the big-tech companies want to be on the right side of history. This is my feeling from my talks with them, but they have to do more. Extreme times require dedicated answers. This is why we took temporary, restrictive measures to immediately restrict the access to Russian broadcasting services – Russia Today and Sputnik, in the European Union – and Josep was very clear, explaining why: these outlets are part of a concerted campaign of information manipulation and disinformation, being tools in bringing forward and supporting Russia’s aggression.  It is more important than ever to reach the Russian people and provide them with information. Every possible channel should be used. If you have a chance to use such a channel, if you have some people-to-people contact, let’s use them. It was very impressive when the Nobel Prize winner, Svetlana Alexievich, called at the weekend on all the people who speak Russian to try their channels, to speak, to address the Russian people and to get them out of this apathetic situation.  Our strategic approach outlined in the European Democracy Action Plan is designed to tackle these issues and to minimise the impact of disinformation and other negative factors on the strengths of our democracy and our system. For the first time at European level, we have created a comprehensive agenda to strengthen the resilience of our democracies, ensure fair and free elections, support the media sector and defend against disinformation in order to also make our societies more resilient and better prepared for the challenges of the future.  The Plan builds on tangible measures and structures, notably through the first Code of Practice on Disinformation, the Rapid Alert System and the European Digital Media Observatory, and we now move to another gear. This includes the upgraded Code of Practice against disinformation. We are finishing the work with the signatories. We have very high requests, or demanding requests, as to what should be in the Code. We have also adopted new legislation on the transparency of political advertising and measures to support media, including through the Media Freedom Act. As Josep has explained, there is also a toolbox for countering foreign interference, with instruments to impose costs on perpetrators, on which we are intensely working closely together.  Also, EU Member States have invested heavily in their own framework and structures to respond to this threat, working closely with European institutions. Here I have to say that the Baltic Sea countries are always at the forefront, trying to convince the rest of Europe that there is something serious happening because they feel first-hand that Russian disinformation can have the potential to destroy our society and our peaceful coexistence in our community. So let’s listen to those who have experience and who have good instincts. This is not the time to underestimate these things. The Member States are on the case. I really see increased activity in all the Member States, not only in those of Central and Eastern Europe. Let me emphasise a point stressed in the report: independent media and journalists are a key pillar of a functioning democracy. Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and the Editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, said that journalists are the antidote against tyranny. We need strong and independent media in Europe, and we see that there is a negative trend. They are under economic pressure, so we need to introduce measures on how to protect media freedom and pluralism better in Europe. That’s why I am now working on the Anti-SLAPP legislation to be adopted by the Commission at the end of April and on the already—mentioned Media Freedom Act to be adopted by – probably – the end of June. We have a lot of work ahead of us because I hear voices from the Member States that the EU should not regulate on media. I am of the opposite opinion.  Also, I welcome that the report highlights the importance of having an effective oversight and control mechanism for online platforms, putting emphasis on the need to address raising issues related to disinformation on their services quickly and efficiently.  So, we see that the Digital Services Act is now at full speed in the legislative process, and also the Code of Practice. We will want to have a strong and robust framework for the Digital Services Act, as legally binding rules, and the Code of Practice as a complementary voluntary measure.  The Code of Practice is the voluntary measure, and self-regulatory instrument which is the first ever in the world to fight disinformation. It has proven to be a useful instrument, but the one we came up with in 2018 was not strong and sufficient enough, and that’s why we are upgrading it now. We are in regular contact with the signatories and I can assure you that intensive work is ongoing. I will personally want to be sure that the platforms support these objectives with commitments backed by the highest level of management. Just imagine what we want from the platforms. We want them to do a proper job: steps against disinformation in all Member States, understanding all Member States’ languages and all Member States’ historical context. This will require capacities and money, and this is what we want them to do.  Finally, another key initiative is the proposed regulation on transparency and targeting of political advertising. I count on your support and I believe that the European Parliament will engage quickly in the work on all these proposals, including this new one on political advertising.  Madam Kalniete, honourable Members, let me thank you once again for the comprehensive report. It will provide policymakers with important recommendations on how to strengthen the EU’s capability and capacities to tackle the threat of foreign information, manipulation and interference, as well as disinformation. I am convinced that our joint work and your dedication will make our response to disinformation much stronger and effective.