10/02/2022
The European media regulators within ERGA have agreed to strengthen their cooperation to address the issue of disinformation, which is of utmost importance in the safeguarding of democracy and the protection of European values. Media regulators will work closely to affirm Europe’s digital and media sovereignty and endeavour to create a safe and trustworthy environment where fundamental rights are fully implemented and the respect of human dignity stands at its core.
As part of a subgroup focusing on countering disinformation and strengthening democracy in the digital environment, ERGA will contribute to the development of the new European Code of Practice on Disinformation and its monitoring. It will also establish a specific taskforce which will focus on foreign disinformation in the context of the situation in Ukraine. The taskforce is intended to serve as a hub for sharing experiences and best practices with monitoring, analysing the media environment with a special focus on disinformation narratives from foreign actors and information manipulation related to the current developments on Ukrainian borders.
For coordinated action on a European level, efficient sharing of information is essential. In this regard, ERGA provides a well-functioning platform, as it was recently shown in the collaboration between the national regulators in the context of RT DE (Russia Today) in Germany. Close cooperation has ensured that the requirements and standards of European media law and the rules of the member states could not be circumvented. As in the case of Germany, the close and trustful cooperation in ERGA ensures the safeguarding of a democratic media order.
“Disinformation is a particular concern for ERGA and will require close cooperation between regulators in addressing these significant challenges. Strengthening cooperation and sharing information between independent national regulators is the key to raise awareness, share information and provide a shared solution to disinformation which affects many European citizens.” said Karim Ibourki, the ERGA Chair.
About ERGA:
The European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) consists of the national regulatory authorities in the field of audiovisual media services. ERGA advises the European Commission and facilitates cooperation between the regulatory bodies in the EU. Mr Karim Ibourki, President of the Belgian CSA (Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel) is the current Chairperson of ERGA.