Activities of Rebecca HARMS related to 2016/2030(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU strategic communication to counteract anti-EU propaganda by third parties (debate) DE
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on EU strategic communication to counteract propaganda against it by third parties PDF (497 KB) DOC (74 KB)
Amendments (20)
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas media freedom, access to information, freedom of expression and media pluralism are cornerstones of open and pluralistic societies and basic principles of all democratic systems as well as founding values of the European Union;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas new media with regard in particular to internet and social networks have created and broadened an open space of information where credible, less credible, not credible sources, disinformation campaigns and vested interests enjoy equal access;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas in a democratic system the transparency of media ownership and the sources of financing of media are of the utmost importance in order to enable public opinion to identify and detect correctly stakes and interests of the parties concerned;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas in a democratic system an open climate of discussion is of key importance and controversial and vigorous debates should be encouraged; whereas, at the same time, there should be a critical assessment on how to deal with media sources that have a proven record of having repeatedly engaged in a strategy of deliberate deception and disinformation;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas with Russia's annexation of Crimea and the Russian-led hybrid war in the Donbass the Kremlin has escalated the confrontation with the EU; whereas the Kremlin has stepped up its propaganda war with Russia playing an enhanced role in the European media environment aimed at creating the political support in the European public opinion for Russian action and undermining the coherence of the EU foreign policy;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the propaganda war and the intrusion of Russian media is particularly strong and often unmatched in the countries of the Eastern neighbourhood; whereas national media are often weak and not able to cope with the strength and the power of Russian media;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that strategic propaganda against the EU comes in many different forms and uses various tools, often tailored to match Member States’' profiles, with the goal of provoking doubt, paralysing the decision-making procesdividing Member Countries, creating systematic uncertainty, paralysing the decision-making process, luring and supporting particular economic sectorial interests, discrediting the EU institutions and the EU media in the eyes and minds of its citizens and eroding western values and transatlantic ties;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the EU institutions to recognise that information warfareaddress the current lack of clarity and agreement on what is to be considered propaganda and disinformation and to develop in cooperation with media representatives and experts from the EU member states a shared set of definitions; calls, furthermore, to monitor regularly the degree and influence of propaganda and disinformation in different parts of Europe and identify the threats and the instruments used in the ongoing propaganda war and recognise that the manipulation and misuse of information and the circulation of false information by third parties is not only an external EU issue but also an internal one;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is convinced that the best way to contrast the ongoing propaganda is to stick and uphold the basic principles of press freedom and right to information and in particular to support the independence of media in line with the journalist code of ethics as well as the transparency of the sources of information thus avoiding to fall into the trap of a counterproductive symmetrical counterpropaganda;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Points out that Kremlin's information strategy is complementary to its policy of stepping-up bilateral relations, economic cooperation and joint projects with individual EU Members Countries in order to weaken EU coherence and undermine EU policies;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Expresses its strong criticism of Russian efforts to disrupt the EU integration process and deplores, in this respect, Russian backing of anti-EU forces in the EU with regard, in particular, to extreme-right parties, populist forces and movements that deny the basic values of liberal democracies;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Expresses its concern, in particular, about the Kremlin's strategy in the Western Balkans aiming openly at destabilising the internal situation, spoiling the accession process and questioning the European perspective of EU potential and candidate countries;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is seriously concerned by the rapidly growing Russian activity in Europe seeking to increase Russian influence and hegemony; stresses that a large part of Russian strategic communication is aimed at describing countries in central and eastern Europe as belonging to its traditional sphere of influence, thereby undermining their sovereignty; notes that falsifying hone of its main strategies is tory is one of its main strategie circulate and impose an alternative narrative often based on a manipulated interpretation of historical events aimed at justifying its external actions and geopolitical interests;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Underlines that public authorities, like the EU Strategic Communication Task Force should be adequately staffed and ready to analyse and react promptly to external threats; recalls that its mandate consists in distributing facts- based information in a targeted way and explaining EU policy in a transparent way;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Highlights the importance of enabling citizens to counter propaganda and subsequently strengthen the resilience of societies to deal with it; stresses the necessity to enhance ethical and professional standards and to stick to the best practice of journalism and to support alternative independent sources of information and civil society organisations with a similar focus; points out that the EU support must in no way undermine the independence of these sources;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Believes that public media should set the example of how to provide impartial and objective information in compliance with the best practice and ethics of journalism;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Urges the Commission to support the setting up of a non-profit organisation dedicated to the defence of journalists facing litigation for their journalistic work against propaganda warfare/campaigns;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Takes the view that the EU should step up efforts to counter Kremlin-led propaganda in the countries of the Eastern Partnership by supporting local independent media, training journalists according to high quality standards and strengthening investigative journalism; calls on the Commission start a process of reflection on the initial motivation that led to the setting-up of Euronews with the relevant overall assessment of its objectives and results and how to best achieve them in the future;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Is of the opinion that a special attention should be devoted to internet and social networks where the spread of false information and the launch of disinformation campaigns are easier and often face no hurdles; considers of the utmost importance to strengthen the capabilities of StratCom in order step up the monitoring and react promptly by circulating timely facts-checks and evidence-based information;