The European Parliament adopted by 614 votes to 42, with 34 abstentions, a decision on setting up a special committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation (INGE 2), and defining its responsibilities, numerical strength and term of office.

Members recalled that foreign interference is a serious violation of the universal values and principles on which the EU is founded.

A campaign of disinformation of unprecedented scale and malice aimed at misleading both European citizens and the international community of States as a whole has been waged by Russia since the eve of and during the war of aggression against Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022.

According to Parliament, the efforts of third country state actors and non-state actors to interfere with the functioning of democracy in the EU and its Member States are part of a wider disruptive trend experienced by democracies worldwide. However, there is a lack of common definition and understanding of this phenomenon and many gaps in current legislation and policies at EU and national level to detect, prevent and combat foreign interference.

Parliament's previous recommendations to combat malicious foreign interference in the Union's democratic processes have contributed to a comprehensive understanding and awareness of the phenomenon in the Union. The hearings and work of the INGE 1 special committee have contributed to the public recognition and contextualisation of these issues and have succeeded in providing a framework for the European debate on foreign interference in democratic processes and disinformation.

Consequently, following a proposal by the Conference of Presidents, Parliament decided to set up a special committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation (INGE 2).

The new 33-member committee will examine existing and planned legislation and policies to identify possible gaps that could be exploited for malicious interference in democratic processes, including in relation to the following issues:

- policies contributing to EU democratic processes, resilience through situational awareness, media and information literacy, media pluralism, independent journalism and education;

- interference using online platforms;

- critical infrastructure and strategic sectors;

- interference during electoral processes;

- covert funding of political activities by foreign actors and donors;

- cybersecurity and resilience in respect of cyberattacks;

- the role of non-state actors;

- interference through global actors via elite capture, national diasporas, universities and cultural events;

- deterrence, attribution and collective countermeasures, including sanctions;

- neighbourhood and global cooperation, and multilateralism.

The special committee will ensure a detailed and rigorous follow-up of the implementation of the report of the INGE 1 special committee by assessing the measures taken by the EU institutions. The duration of its mandate will be 12 months.