Progetti di ricerca

In a global context characterised by geostrategic confrontation and competing narratives, information manipulation can be used to influence perceptions on the ground or fuel a conflict by creating confusion. The transition towards a multipolar world, accelerated by recent shocks such as… Leggi tutto the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2022 war Russia has been waging in Ukraine, has created an “informational battleground”, in which malign actors resort to hybrid tools, including Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), to gain influence or undermine the capacities and credibility of other powers. Such a “global battle of narratives” was already described by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (EU HR/VP) Josep Borrell in his 2020’s article3, highlighting the impact the framing of narratives has on citizens’ perceptions and behaviour, governments’ responses and health, economic, political, democratic and security consequences where time is a crucial factor. The 2022 March Strategic Compass (p. 14) warns that the EU now faces “a competition of governance systems accompanied by a real battle of narratives”. In addition, several other key EU communication and policy efforts have already recognised the threat of disinformation and foreign interference, such as the EU Action Plan on disinformation (5 December 2018), the European Democracy Action Plan (3 December 2020), the Digital Services Act (5 July 2022), the Code of Practice on Disinformation (also this year’s (2022) new updated and expanded version), Council Conclusion on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (18 July 2022), among others. Therefore, this Action also aims to further the implementation of existing frameworks and promote the related knowledge and tools externally. This action aims to enable the EU to address short and medium-term foreign policy needs and opportunities in and with non-EU territories by supporting innovative policies/initiatives and by deepening EU relations and dialogues, forging alliances and partnerships, in the fields of information manipulation and other types of foreign interference. It will contribute to enhancing the resilience and responses against FIMI, strengthening the EU’s role as a global security provider and defender of democratic values. It will lead to establishing a community of practice, bringing the EU, Member States and partners closer together on the understanding of FIMI-related challenges and how to address them. While the EU has developed over the past few years many new instruments and approaches, gaps in the EU’s ability to address these growing and evolving challenges remain. Therefore, promotion of widespread understanding and visibility of the Union’s work in this domain and its role on the world scene, by means of strategic communication, public diplomacy, people-to-people contacts, cultural diplomacy, cooperation in educational and academic matters, and outreach activities to promote the Union's values and interests will be further enhanced by this Action.