On Sunday, we learned the result of the European Parliament election. The vote delivered gains for far-right parties in a number of countries, but less than anticipated, with centre-right, pro-European groups maintaining control of the European Union’s only elected chamber.
For the next month, corridors in Brussels will be busy with political negotiations ahead of the vote to elect the next European Commission President.
The new Commission will have the opportunity to recalibrate its priorities, reaffirm commitments to freedom of expression and access to information, and, crucially, to address the mounting challenges to information integrity.
For over a decade, a handful of private companies have had control over information and how people see, read, hear, and share it– threatening democratic participation and everyday freedoms.
The new Commission must strive for a better EU – one where the information environment is open, decentralised, fair, diverse, and inclusive.
To achieve this vision, we believe the Commission should focus on 4 key priorities:
1. Create conditions for a better information environment
The Commission must support an information environment that is open, fair, pluralistic and decentralised.
This means ensuring effective implementation and enforcement of key pieces of legislation – including the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and the European Media Freedom Act – to address the risks to democracy, society and individuals, while fully respecting fundamental rights.
2. Embed human rights in all layers of technology
Human rights must be integrated in the design, development and deployment of the infrastructure of the internet and all emerging technologies.
The Commission must financially support research on the human rights impact of these technologies, and ensure civil society can effectively and sustainably play a part in standard-setting processes.
3. Increase transparency
The process of final negotiations for legislative proposals (trilogue) is opaque and shrouded in secrecy; this undermines its legitimacy.
The new Commission must be more transparent with the public by improving access to information and demonstrating transparency more broadly. This could mean, among other things, respecting the rulings from the Court of Justice on trilogue transparency — Europeans have a right to know how the EU institutions reach decisions on legislations that affect their lives.
4. Be a strong advocate for transparency, human rights in tech innovation, and the shifting of power imbalances on a global scale
The European Union’s impact extends beyond its 27 member states; this means it has a responsibility to promote a better information environment globally.
It must continue to meaningfully engage with the UN and other relevant fora, forging initiatives for freedom of expression and related rights online and offline.
