Protecting election integrity and promoting democratic participation

Summary:

Communication published by the European Commission on 25 November 2021, setting out the context for a package of legislative initiatives aimed at protecting election integrity and opening democratic debate.

Further information:

The European Union together (EU) with its Member States have the responsibility to protect and defend electoral and political rights of their citizens and bolster the principles of democratic debate, by providing a clear and predictable legal environment for these activities. They should address the fragmented and outdated regulation of the democratic debate. This is especially important since a lot of the activity and many of the challenges faced are increasingly of a cross-border nature, in a context of digital transformation. Moreover, the EU is not only concerned with protection democracy within its borders but also abroad, through its external action.

In 2018, the European Commission adopted a package of initiatives addressing the challenges facing electoral rights. Since then, further changes have occurred in the way political actors connect to their electorate. The political debate migrated even further online and onto social media. Further reforms thus became necessary. Some of the previous measures were only recommendations and were not consistently implemented. Evidence shows that the existing rules can be circumvented. Citizens must be able to distinguish fact from fiction, and be able to participate in open debates, free from disinformation, unlawful interference, intimidation and manipulation.

The European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP) initially set out steps the Commission vowed to take to strengthen democracy. The package led by this Communication includes legislative proposals for:

• Regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising;
• Recast of Regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations;
• Recast of Council Directive on the electoral rights of mobile EU citizens in municipal elections;
• Recast of Council Directive on the electoral rights of mobile EU citizens in European Parliament elections.

• Primary Source

Commentary and Analysis

Politico, 23/11/2021: 5 things you need to know about Europe’s political ad rules https://www.politico.eu/article/political-ads-europe-facebook-google/

Confederation of European Trade Unions (ETIC): Press Release, 25/11/2021: Democracy & elections package: small significant steps to strengthen democracy https://www.etuc.org/en/pressrelease/democracy-elections-package-small-significant-steps-strengthen-democracy

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News

Politico, 11/10/2021: Big Tech to be forced to hand over data on political ads https://www.politico.eu/article/facebook-google-twitter-european-commission-political-ads/

EurActiv, 25/11/2021: EU Commission presents new rules for political ads https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/eu-commission-presents-new-rules-for-political-ads/

Euronews, 25/11/2021: Brussels bids to make online political adverts more transparent https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/25/brussels-bids-to-make-online-political-adverts-more-transparent

EUObserver, 26/11/2021: EU to open up 'black box' of political ads https://euobserver.com/democracy/153638

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Official

European Commission: EU Citizenship: Electoral rights https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/eu-citizenship/electoral-rights_en

European Commission: Press Release, 25/11/2021: European Democracy: Commission sets out new laws on political advertising, electoral rights and party funding https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_6118

European Commission: Questions & Answers: Reinforcing democracy and integrity of elections (25 November 2021) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_21_6212

European Commission: Speech by Vice-President Jourová on proposals to reinforce democracy and the integrity of elections (25 November 2021) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_21_6309

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