European Commission must be ambitious on new European Democracy Shield
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), along with 49 organisations working to support and develop democracy, welcomed the European Commission’s initiative to create a European Democracy Shield as a coordinated effort to support democracy in and around Europe. This initiative is particularly relevant in the current context of global democratic backsliding.
With its focus on the information space, election integrity, and civic engagement, the European Democracy Shield is a natural successor to the European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP). EDAP introduced key instruments like the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the Anti-SLAPP Directive, a revamped Code of Practice on Disinformation, and the Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA), as well as complementary legislation such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the AI Act.
This legislative base should be used with greater determination and ambition to achieve concrete improvements during the next mandate, taking into account the Commission’s key priorities on democracy, including the rule of law and fundamental rights.
