On Wednesday 15 May, the European External Action Service (EEAS) will hold a background briefing on the topic of foreign interference and information manipulation (FIMI), in the run up to the upcoming European elections. Experts from the EEAS and the European Commission will present findings on FIMI operations and actors, discuss current challenges, and explain EU actions to counter those.

The briefing will start at 09:45 CEST and take place in the premises of the EEAS.

To participate, we kindly ask you to confirm your attendance to pedro.fonseca-moniz@ec.europa.eu and margot.raskine@ec.europa.eu before Tuesday 14 May at 14:00 CEST.

When expressing your interest, please provide the following details:

• Full Name
• Media outlet
• ID/Passport number
• Nationality
• Date of birth

Registered journalists will receive confirmation of registration via email.

Background

Foreign information and manipulation interference (FIMI), including disinformation has been identified as a key challenge for the EU and its Member States, given the increasing trend in hybrid threats and cyberattacks witnessed globally. As such, enhancing state and non-state actors’ resilience to hybrid threats, such as FIMI and cyberthreats and to foreign information interference is of the utmost importance for the EU, especially in view of its potentially damaging impact on democratic processes, including the European Parliament elections.