Following the U.S.-EU Trade & Technology Council Ministerial held in Belgium last month, the U.S. Department of State and the European Union’s External Action Service (EEAS) have launched a joint U.S.-EU Coordination Mechanism on the Western Balkans. This initiative is focused exclusively on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), which includes disinformation and propaganda.
Recognizing their shared policy towards the Western Balkans and foreign actors targeting the region with FIMI operations, the Mechanism aims to strengthen the integrity of the information environment in the Western Balkans. The initiative will empower like-minded partners to become self-sufficient in addressing the FIMI threat and to work together to reduce Russia’s and China’s ability to employ propaganda and information manipulation campaigns in the region.
"We are continuing to work towards the region’s integration into Euro-Atlantic structures," stated an official involved in the project. "This policy looks to strengthen Europe as a geostrategic partner, fortifies democratic governance and rule of law, and makes regional partners more secure and prosperous."
The policy rests on safeguarding the integrity of the digital information space. In today's context where factual and manipulated information alike are free-flowing and borderless, an open and fact-based information domain is seen as an indispensable facet of successful democratic governance.
