Currently, the Parliament considers Russia the main foreign threat to European democracy. This not only involves spreading disinformation, but also carrying out cyberattacks, sabotage, arson, and espionage, whether directly or indirectly. Belarus, China, Iran, and North Korea are also mentioned as countries from which such activities occur.
Too fragmented
A special parliamentary committee has been investigating foreign interference, information manipulation, hybrid attacks, and coordinated disinformation since late 2024. According to its final report, the current European approach is too fragmented. Individual EU countries are considered insufficiently capable of independently countering such threats.
The European Commission previously announced a European Centre for Democratic Resilience. The Parliament wants this organization to develop into an independent knowledge and coordination center in which all EU countries are obliged to participate. Existing European instruments should be consolidated within it, avoiding new overlaps.
Promotion
Kallas or VDL?
It remains unclear under whose leadership such a new EU task force will fall. Some regard it as a typically military responsibility to counter Russian aggression and disruption. Others argue that it takes place in the shadowy realm of internet and communications, while yet others see close connections to diplomacy and espionage.
Rumors and unconfirmed reports have been circulating in the corridors of Brussels and Strasbourg for several months that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and some influential countries (France and Germany) want to dismantle the current diplomatic EEAS service of Foreign Commissioner Kaja Kallas, while Kallas herself allegedly wants to lead the newly established anti-Russia unit.
Digital watchdog
At the same time, existing sanctions against Russia should be extended to individuals and organizations that facilitate disinformation (such as Russian troll factories and Telegram). Additionally, the Parliament seeks stricter enforcement of existing digital regulations, including the Digital Services Act and the AI Regulation. Online platforms must be given more responsibility for combating election interference driven in part by bots.
Dutch S&D MEP Kim van Sparrentak (PRO), who contributed to the report, believes the European Commission has shown too little ambition so far in combating threats. According to her, the European center should grow into a true supervisory authority with powers and resources.