European Ministers for European Affairs welcomed the conclusions of the Heads of State or Government on misinformation, including the new EU Joint Action Plan (see EUROPE 12153). During a (non-public) debate on Tuesday 8 January, some underlined the importance of clarifying the role to be played by Member States.
In response to the proliferation of such "false or misleading information, which is created, presented and disseminated for economic purposes or to intentionally mislead the public", the European Commission presented, at the end of December, a coordinated action plan proposing in particular the establishment of an early warning system (see EUROPE 12153). The importance of the fight against misinformation was also recognised at the European Council on 13 and 14 December 2018 (see EUROPE 12158). The stakes are high as the European elections in May approach, which will be followed by around 50 presidential, national or local/regional elections by 2020.
During the round table, EU ministers also welcomed the Commission's action plan and the rapid alert system. Several of them insisted on a real appropriation of the subject by the platforms, while respecting European values and media pluralism. Some also highlighted the role played by Russia (4,500 cases of misinformation between 2015 and 2018, according to the Commission) and the importance of NATO. According to our information, the ministers expressed slightly different views on the role to be played by the State: instead, the Netherlands insisted on the need to focus on the resilience of society, while other countries, such as the Czech Republic, relied on public administration to clear false news (‘debunk’).
It should be noted that this subject will again be on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council on 21 January for discussion and the General Affairs Council on 19 February, at which conclusions on free and fair elections will be adopted. The European Council will take note of the progress made at its spring meeting. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)