Strasbourg, 21 January 2026
The rapporteur of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, Tomas Tobé (EPP, Sweden), has published a draft report calling for a more ambitious and operational EU response to foreign interference, disinformation and hybrid threats. While welcoming the Commission’s initiative, Tobé argues that the current proposals fall short in terms of governance, funding and operational capacity, and urges clearer mandates, stronger election protection, tighter enforcement of digital rules and greater support for Member States and candidate countries. The draft report now enters parliamentary debate ahead of amendments and a final plenary vote.
Commenting on the publication, Tomas Tobé (EPP, SE) issued the following statement:
“The European Democracy Shield is an important step, but the Commission’s level of ambition does not yet match the scale of the threat we face. The EU’s democratic foundations are facing an increasingly sophisticated and coordinated threat landscape marked by foreign information manipulation, disinformation, and hybrid interference, which individual Member States cannot effectively counter alone. Defending democracy is a long-term strategic task that must be backed by political will and adequate resources. Therefore, my draft report calls for a concrete reform agenda, focused on operational capacity, accountability, and preparedness.
The proposed European centre for democratic resilience represents an important initial step towards strengthening the EU’s institutional capacity to counter foreign information manipulation and interference. However, as proposed, the centre lacks sufficient operational detail, clear budgetary allocations, a defined governance structure, and a concrete mandate. To reduce fragmentation in the EU’s response, the centre should assume operational responsibility for relevant EU instruments currently managed elsewhere. Furthermore, greater clarity is needed regarding how the centre will support Member States in building operational capabilities.
Protecting the integrity of elections should be at the core of what the Democracy Shield stands for. I propose:
- strengthening the European Cooperation Network on Elections (ECNE);
- stepping up enforcement of existing digital legislation, particularly against election-related manipulation and systemic platform failures;
- classifying electoral infrastructure as critical infrastructure through a revision of the Resilience of Critical Entities Directive;
- taking additional measures to support the EU’s candidate countries in their respective electoral processes;
- integrating hybrid-threat preparedness into common security and defence policy (CSDP)_missions; and
- better calibrated sanctions.
We must also prioritise societal resilience through sustained support for independent media, civil society, and media literacy, while establishing stronger crisis preparedness to ensure democratic continuity under disruptive conditions, backed by adequate resources in the EU’s 2028–2034 long-term budget.
My report was put together following months of deliberations and hearings with experts and stakeholders in our Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield. I am now looking forward to swift and constructive engagement across political groups to forge the necessary compromises and convert these proposals into a united parliamentary position that will match the urgency and scale of the threats we are facing. Only through timely cooperation and shared political responsibility can we deliver a credible and effective contribution to strengthening our Union’s democratic resilience.”
The draft proposal will be presented to the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield on 29 January and will undergo amendments and further discussions by the political groups, before its final adoption in plenary.
The draft report is available online.
Background
The report offers a comprehensive overview of the Special Committee’s main findings throughout its mandate and its assessment of existing and planned EU legislation and initiatives, including the Commission’s communication on the European Democracy Shield. It proposes tangible solutions to strengthen the EU’s resilience to hybrid threats and attacks, and to improve the Union’s legal and institutional framework for safeguarding democratic values.
Further information
Source – EU Parliament