The European Independent Media Publishers (EIMP) welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the report by its Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS). As foreign information manipulation, bot-driven electoral interference, and coordinated disinformation campaigns pose growing threats to democratic institutions, EIMP supports the Parliament’s call for a coordinated, robust European response to protect our shared democratic space.
Independent, pluralistic media forms the bedrock of European democracy. EIMP particularly welcomes the Parliament’s explicit recognition that safeguarding free media, protecting investigative journalism, and enforcing existing digital rules (such as the Digital Services Act) are essential to building societal resilience against foreign interference.
Key Points for Independent Publishers
- Long-Term Support for Media Freedom: EIMP echoes the European Parliament’s call for sustainable, long-term funding commitments dedicated to media freedom, independent outlets, and investigative journalism across EU Member States and candidate countries.
- Accountability for Large Online Platforms while protecting freedom of expression: Digital platforms remain a primary vector for automated disinformation and bot-driven manipulation. We support Parliament’s emphasis on holding large platforms accountable under existing EU digital regulations without restricting legitimate public debate or citizen access to diverse news sources.
- Securing Digital Sovereignty: As an association representing over 2,000 national, regional, and digital-native publishers, EIMP agrees on the necessity to strengthen Europe’s digital infrastructure, reduce technological dependencies, and ensure a competitive level playing field for European media creators.
- An Independent EU Centre for Democratic Resilience: The establishment of a dedicated EU body to coordinate anti-interference actions must work in close alignment with independent media, civil society, and press freedom watchdogs while upholding full transparency and parliamentary oversight.
Looking Ahead
As EU institutions advance the Democracy Shield framework, EIMP stresses that foreign interference cannot be combated through over-regulation that stifles digital innovation or limits freedom of expression. Instead, the most effective defense against foreign disinformation is a vibrant, diverse, and economically sustainable ecosystem of independent media publishers.
EIMP remains committed to engaging with the European Parliament, the European Commission, and Member States to ensure that the implementation of the European Democracy Shield empowers independent publishers, strengthens media literacy, and protects the freedom of the press across Europe.
About EIMP
The European Independent Media Publishers association – EIMP, is a pan-European association consisting of national associations of media publishers and individual publishers that are active in the sector of media publishing in Europe. EIMP represents innovative, independent, local and regional outlets that rely on online channels to grow and reach audiences, and promotes media pluralism and an ecosystem that fosters growth for small, independent and innovative (digital-native) media publishers. EIMP was established in 2015 when the European Commission launched its copyright reform, in order to take part in the debate and ensure the new rules support our members. EIMP represents over 2000 media outlets across Europe. In addition to voluntary membership contributions, EIMP is supported by Google. Contact: secretariat@eimp.eu