Debate: New allegations of Russian interference in the European Parliament, in the upcoming EU elections and the impact on the Union
Date: WEDNESDAY, 10 APRIL 2024
Speaker: Věra Jourová
Language: EN

We have to remain vigilant, both against corruption and against unjustified foreign involvement. This Commission has done an unprecedented amount of work to strengthen Europe’s democratic resilience. I fully agree with what you wrote in your February resolution. We need a crosscutting approach or what we called in the European democracy action plan a ‘whole of society’ approach. And let us be aware of the fact that there is no silver bullet. There is not one solution. We need to be alert and work both on the European and national level. We need to involve not only authorities, but also civil society, media and citizens.  In the last month, I have been touring Europe with exactly this goal in mind, to raise awareness across the board to share and learn best practices. I have no doubt Russia will continue to be active in our information and decision-making space, so we have to constantly learn and adapt. This is why in December last year, we presented the defence of democracy package to shed more light against hidden foreign interference. As the key element in this package, we proposed a directive laying down common transparency and accountability standards for interest representation activities on behalf of third countries. Thanks to this proposal, citizens will know who is behind different interest representations when they are used by third countries to influence political debates and decision-making processes in the Union.  Specifically on elections, the Commission issued a recommendation on inclusive and resilient elections in December last year. It touches upon the funding of national political parties and political candidates from third countries. Member States are encouraged to identify and address gaps in their legislation and other regulatory measures related to such funding, in particular by promoting transparency and by limiting or prohibiting donations from third countries.  The recommendation also included a call on political parties in relation to their conduct during the election campaign. I am happy to say that, with the facilitation of the Commission, all the European parties signed on 9 April such a common code of conduct ahead of the 2024 elections to the European Parliament.  In addition, on the same day, the regulation on the transparency of political advertising entered into force. With this law, we give citizens the possibility to see who is behind political advertisements and how much money has been paid for such campaigns.  The Commission, together with Parliament and the Council, is also part to the interinstitutional agreement on a mandatory transparency register, which entered into force in July 2021. We believe that the EU institutions must meet the highest transparency and integrity standards. This is why, last June, the Commission adopted a proposal for the creation of an interinstitutional ethics body. The Commission welcomes the agreement of all institutions and advisory bodies of the EU on this proposal, while regretting the fact that the European Council decided not to participate.  The agreement is a significant contribution to a common culture of ethics regarding the members of the institutions and advisory committees at EU level. The plenary vote in two weeks will be very important. I look forward to the signature and entry into force ahead of the European elections of 2024.  The influence operations conducted by Russia within Parliament also include allegations of potential corruption. The Commission has made the fight against corruption a priority. In May of last year, we presented legislation to strengthen the fight against corruption in Member States. This would ensure that all kinds of corruption are criminalised, including trading in influence and abuse of power. I would urge swift agreement on this text and to maintain a high level of ambition.  The Commission has in parallel continued to impose sanctions against Russia, and we have redoubled our efforts with international partners to counter sanctions circumvention. We also established a framework for protection against foreign interference and disinformation in the digital sphere.  The Digital Services Act is a global first legal standard for tackling disinformation, and also protecting of freedom of expression and information. This is also complemented by the revised Code of Practice on Disinformation, whose signatories agreed on strategies and measures to fight disinformation. We have also recently issued Digital Services Act guidelines for elections for providers of very large online platforms and search engines. The External Action Service also coordinated work on the EU toolbox to tackle foreign information manipulation and interference, covering the entire spectrum from situational awareness to resilience building, regulation and diplomatic responses.  Dear president, honourable Members, we have done a lot to protect our democracy from malign interference, but there is still a lot to be done, and I trust that this House will also look at what lessons can be drawn from the recent revelations, and what more can be done. The Member States also have a key role to play in following up on the recent revelations, as well as in terms of prevention. There are aspects that cannot be dealt with by regulation and, in that context, it is very encouraging to see cooperation of intelligence services. I am looking forward to the debate on this issue.