election-watch.eu

Brussels, 23/24 October 2023: The European Commission (EC) organised the first High-Level Event on Elections for EU Member States’ Election Management Bodies (EMB) ahead of the 6-9 June 2024 European Parliament (EP) elections. The European Commission has been regularly organising meetings of the European Cooperation Network on Elections (ECNE), convening the EU Member States’ Election Management Bodies. For this Conference (agenda) the EC invited various electoral interlocutors including civil society organisations.

The focus of the 12 sessions and panels was on the tremendous electoral changes since 2018 with the new Digital Services Act, a revised Code of Practice against Disinformation, the coming Regulation on Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising, upcoming revised Directives for mobile European Citizens, etc. The panelists discussed the growing challenges with generative AI used for microtargeting, disinformation through deep fakes, mal-intended interference challenging cyber security, and other relevant topics ahead of the 6-9 June European Parliament elections.

All European decision makers including EC President von der Leyen, EP President Metsola, VP and Commissioner Jourova, Commissioner Reynders, among others, addressing the conference emphasised the importance of keeping up the trust in European electoral conduct and further increase voter turn out in the upcoming elections. 

Election-Watch.EU was invited to the Panel “Election observation for fair and transparent electoral processes” together with  OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), to discuss:
1️⃣ Why is citizen-led election observation important?
2️⃣ What is the take away of Election-Watch.EU‘s Election Assessment Mission 2019?
3️⃣ What can be done by EU MS and EMBs ahead of the 2024 EP elections?

picture © Simon Pugh

For further information: https://lnkd.in/eyKzcmm4