Foreign interference and the European Union

Foreign interference

Rome [ENA] Foreign interference constitutes a serious violation of the universal values and principles on which the European Union is founded, such as human dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law. Foreign interference, information manipulation and disinformation are an abuse of the fundamental freedoms of expression and information as laid down

in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and threaten these freedoms, as well as democratic processes in the EU and its Member States, such as the holding of free and fair elections. Any action against foreign interference and information manipulation must itself respect the fundamental freedoms of expression and information.Evidence shows that malicious foreign actors use information manipulation and other interference tactics to interfere in democratic processes in the EU. These attacks mislead and deceive citizens, increase polarisation and divide society, worsen the situation of vulnerable groups, distort the integrity of democratic elections and referenda, and sow distrust

in public authorities and democracy. Foreign interference tactics take the form of disinformation and the suppression of information, but also the manipulation of social media platforms and advertising systems, cyberattacks, hack-and-leak operations, threats against and the harassment ofjournalists, researchers, politicians and members of civil society organisations, covert donations and loans to political parties, campaigns, organisations and media outlets, fake or proxy media outlets and organisations, elite capture and co-optation, fake personas, pressure to self-censor, the abusive exploitation of historical, religious and cultural narratives, pressure on educational and cultural institutions, taking control of critical infrastructure,

pressuring foreign nationals living in the EU and espionage. The resilience of EU citizens against foreign interference and information manipulation requires a long-term and whole-of-society approach and it is necessary to cooperate and coordinate across administrative levels and sectors to identify vulnerabilities, detect attacks and remedy them; high-quality, sustainably-financed and independent news media and professional journalism are essential for media freedom and pluralism and the rule of law, and are therefore a pillar of democracy; whereas professional media and traditional journalism, as a quality information source, are facing challenging times in the digital era. Foreign interference is a pattern of behaviour that threatens

or has the potential to negatively impact values, procedures and political processes. Such interference is manipulative in character, and conducted in an intentional and coordinated manner and those responsible for such interference, including their proxies within and outside their own territory, can be state or non-state actors. Foreign actors’ use of domestic proxies and cooperation with domestic allies blurs the line between foreign and domestic interference. There is more and more a need to agree between like-minded partners on common definitions of foreign interference in order to establish international norms and standards; whereas it is the duty of the EU and its Member States to defend all citizens from foreign interference

attempts. The EU and its Member States appear to lack the appropriate and sufficient means to be able to better prevent, detect and counter these threats. There is a general lack of awareness among many policy-makers, and citizens in general, of the reality of these issues, which may unintentionally contribute to opening up further vulnerabilities. The monitoring of the state of foreign interference in real time by institutional bodies and independent fact-checkers is crucial so that appropriate action is taken not only to provide information about ongoing malicious attacks but also to counter them.

It’s time for the EU to increase the resources and means allocated to bodies and organisations tasked with monitoring and raising awareness of the severity of threats including disinformation, to strengthen the protection of the strategic interests and infrastructure of the EU and its Member States, and to build international cooperation with like-minded partners facing similar challenges. There’s an overwhelming lack of awareness of the severity of the current threats posed by foreign authoritarian regimes targeting all levels and sectors of European society, aimed at undermining public authorities’ legitimacy, and deepening political and social fragmentation.