Press release - Press conference: European Democracy Shield findings and recommendations

Press conference: European Democracy Shield findings and recommendations Following the vote on the report of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, the rapporteur and the committee chair will brief journalists on its findings. The committee vote is scheduled to start at 10.30 CEST, at the European Parliament in Brussels (SPAAK 4B001), and the press conference will follow immediately afterwards. When: Tuesday 23 June 2026, 11.15 - 11.45 CEST. Where: European Parliament in Brussels, Anna Politkovskaya press room (SPAAK 0A50) Who: rapporteur Tomas Tobé (EPP, Sweden) and the chair of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, Nathalie Loiseau (Renew, France). How: Accredited media representatives are invited to attend the press conference in person. In addition, journalists can join the press conference and ask questions remotely via the Interactio platform. When connecting, enter your name and the media outlet you are representing in the first name / last name fields. For better sound quality, use headphones and a microphone. Interpretation is only possible for interventions with video. Interpretation will be available in English, French, and German. The press conference will also be webstreamed live and on demand on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre. Background The European Democracy Shield (EUDS) report outlines measures to enhance the EU's capacity to identify, prevent, and respond to foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) as well as other hybrid threats, and will form Parliament’s first comprehensive political position on these topics. It addresses key areas such as election integrity, the role of independent media and civil society, digital enforcement, and civil preparedness. The report will also take stock of the Commission’s communication on the European Democracy Shield and one of its key initiatives - the European Centre for Democratic Resilience. Parliament voted on 18 December 2024 to set up the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, and its mandate was extended until 3 February 2027. Its purpose is to assess existing and planned EU legislation and measures in light of potential malicious interference in democratic processes, including in relation to the European Democracy Shield announced in the Commission’s 2024-2029 political guidelines.