European Parliament calls for system for protecting democratic information spaces recommended by RSF

The globalisation of news and information leads to an imbalance in which "closed" countries control their information space while democratic countries have open information spaces. This asymmetry allows dictatorial and authoritarian governments to export their propaganda while cutting themselves off from independently reported news and information, thereby giving themselves an advantage that weakens journalism and, more broadly, democracy.

Since 2021, RSF has been calling for a system for protecting democratic information spacesthat has two pillars: equal treatment for all broadcast media outlets broadcasting in the European Union (UE), and a reciprocity mechanism based on universal free speech principles that aims to achieve the maximum possible openness.

The system provides a proportionate and strictly regulated response to malicious propaganda and disinformation activities by third countries. Two European parliamentary committees are now calling for the EU to move in this direction.

Today (1 June), the European Parliament approved by a very large majority (469 votes for, 71 against and 75 abstentions) a reportby the special committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation. This report calls for the creation of "mirror clauses" whereby "the openness of the European information space to third countries would be proportionate to the access European media outlets have in these countries." This is based on the second point of RSF's proposal.

RSF's entire proposal has been incorporated into a report by Isabel Wiseler-Lima on protecting journalists worldwide that was approved by the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on 24 May. The report says the system for the protection of democratic information spaces should be "built on two pillars: 1) equal treatment - for all audio-visual outlets broadcasting in the EU; 2) reciprocity - openness of public space for EU broadcasters in third countries." The European Parliament is due to vote on the report in plenary session in July.

RSF is also pleased that the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee has welcomed the RSF-launched Partnership for Information and Democracy, to which 50 democratic countries including 25 EU members have so far signed up, and which seeks to impose democratic principles in the digital domain.

The committee supports the recommendations made by the Partnership's implementing body, the civil society-run Forum on Information and Democracy, which has proposed regulatory frameworks in reports on infodemics, sustainable journalism, accountability regimes for social mediaand pluralistic algorithms

RSF se félicite également que la commission des affaires étrangères du Parlement européen salue le Partenariat pour l'information et la démocratie, initié par RSF et désormais signé par 50 États démocratiques dont 25 membres de l'Union européenne, pour imposer des principes dans l'espace numérique. Elle soutient les recommandations formulées par le Forum sur l'information et la démocratie. Cet organe de mise en œuvredu Partenariat, dirigé par la société civile, a proposé des cadres de régulation dans les rapports sur les infodémies, la soutenabilité du journalisme, les régime de responsabilité des réseaux sociauxet le pluralisme des algorithmes.