Fake news and disinformation are flourishing not only since the beginning of the COVID 19-pandemic and the war in Ukraine. External actors, such as Russia and China, have been trying to negatively influence democratic processes in the European Union and undermine the liberal model of democracy already for a long time. The same goes for internal actors, e.g. eurosceptical and extremist groups as well as certain media outlets, who contribute to spreading disinformation in the EU. These trends are further amplified by social media platforms and the use of artificial intelligence. Deep fakes, filter bubbles and echo chambers are used to deceive, influence and manipulate people’s perceptions, thus increasing social and political polarization in society. In the run-up to the European Parliament elections in June 2024, a rise of disinformation campaigns and attacks on democratic and European electoral processes are expected – a risk which should not be underestimated and must be tackled in due time. Disinformation – what does it mean? Who are the main actors spreading fake news within the EU? Which role does the EU play in the fight against disinformation? Which measures work well, where is the need for improvement? How strongly are we, as citizens, affected by disinformation in our daily life and what can every one of us do in order to recognise fake news and distinguish them from trustworthy information? In the RADAR Youth Lab 26 young Europeans from 9 EU countries discussed how disinformation affects democratic processes.

Europa Club Wien Spezial PODIUMSDISKUSSION im Rahmen des EU-Projektes RADAR (Raising Awareness on Disinformation, Achieving Resilience) Montag, 23. Oktober 2023, 18:00 Uhr (Einlass ab 17:00 Uhr) Haus der EU, Wipplingerstraße 35, 1010 Wien Fake News – Was ist das eigentlich? Wer sind die Hauptakteure, die Desinformation in der EU verbreiten? Welche Rolle spielt die EU im Kampf gegen Desinformation? Welche Maßnahmen funktionieren gut und wo gibt es noch Nachbesserungsbedarf – gerade im Vorfeld der Europawahlen 2024? Wie stark sind wir alle von Desinformation betroffen und was kann der/die Einzelne tun, um Fake News zu erkennen und von seriösen Informationen zu unterscheiden?

Europa Club Spezial - PODIUMSDISKUSSION im Rahmen unseres EU-Projektes WB2EU: Is EU enlargement back on track? Moving towards a democratic and united Europe Montag, 9. Oktober 2023, 17:00 - 19:00 Uhr Haus der EU, Wipplingerstraße 35, 1010 Wien Mit Russlands Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine hat die EU-Erweiterungspolitik eine vollkommen neue Dynamik erfahren. Die Ukraine, die Republik Moldau sowie Bosnien und Herzegowina haben Kandidatenstatus erhalten, Kosovo hat einen Mitgliedsantrag gestellt und mit Nordmazedonien sowie Albanien wurden Beitrittsverhandlungen gestartet. Zudem hat EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen in ihrer Rede zur Lage der Union mit der Perspektive einer „EU30+“ der Debatte weiteren kräftigen Schwung verliehen. Doch müssen nicht nur die Kandidatenländer die Beitrittskriterien erfüllen, sondern auch die Union selbst muss wichtige Reformen umsetzen, um für eine Erweiterung fit zu sein. Während die EU-Mitglieder noch geopolitische, nationale und institutionelle Interessen gegeneinander abwägen, befinden sich die Westbalkanländer in einem langwierigen Verhandlungs- und Reformprozess. Zum Abschluss unseres dreijährigen Erasmus+ Jean-Monnet-Netzwerk-Projekts zu Europäisierung, Demokratisierung und Stärkung der Zivilgesellschaft am Westbalkan WB2EU – koordiniert mit dem oiip und in Kooperation mit 15 Partnern aus ganz Europa – wollen wir über aktuelle Entwicklungen, Hürden und Perspektiven des EU-Erweiterungs- und Reformprozesses diskutieren.

While the ambitious objectives outlined in the EU’s Green Deal aim at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, national implementation greatly varies depending on local geographies, history, culture, economics, and politics. This book analyses Member States’ and EU neighbours’ national efforts to combat climate change. It subsequently draws on these factors to highlight local challenges, tensions, and opportunities on the road towards climate neutrality. In the context of inter-country dependencies following Russia’s war against Ukraine, it addresses strategic questions regarding EU integration, the transformation of our economies, the reduction of energy dependencies, and public perception of the above. The book also makes concrete recommendations, in various policy areas, on how individual countries and the EU as a whole should deal with the climate crisis.

RADAR aims at raising citizens’ awareness on disinformation and providing an accessible public platform for debate on the issue. Our project focuses on harnessing citizens’ thoughts on disinformation (bottom-up), providing expert insights into protection against disinformation (top-down) and fomenting interaction and consultation between both (throughput). It will have a special focus on youth to contribute to the empowerment of their voices, their engagement in European civil society and improved education on critical thinking and media literacy. TEPSA’s Junior Project Manager Sonia Chabane, who will manage the implementation of the RADAR project, commented: “RADAR will especially focus on building up citizens’ agency through training and the empowerment of citizens” Within the scope of the RADAR project, TEPSA will implement a number of activities including public debates and youth labs in 5 EU Member States, as well as a youth workshop and policy conference in Brussels. This will be done via content creation, events organisation, and training initiatives.

Zukunftsweisende Entscheidungen dürfen nicht ohne das Mitwirken jener getroffen werden, die ihre Folgen erleben und das Europa von morgen gestalten werden. In »Unter 30« skizzieren junge Europäerinnen und Europäer ihre vielfältigen Vorstellungen für die Zukunft der Europäischen Integration, ihre innovativen Ideen und neuen Ansätze für ein geeintes Europa. Dabei stellen sie sich der Frage: Wie geht es mit der Europäischen Union weiter?

This book sheds light on how Member States and EU neighbours relate to Russia. It includes their historical, financial and political ties, as well as the public perception of the national population vis-à-vis Russia. The book also presents the reader with concrete aspects in different policy areas, via recommendations on how single countries and the EU should deal with Russia.

The third volume of the book series "The Future of Europe: views from the Capitals" sheds light on how Member States and EU neighbours reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of European solidarity, what they expect from the EU, and other Member States, and how they are ready to contribute to common action

TEPSA and its Slovenian member institute, Centre of International Relations (CIR) – University of Ljubljana, hosted the Slovenian Pre-Presidency Conference on 17 and 18 June 2021. In this panel, co-editor Paul Schmidt moderates a discussion between four authors of chapters in the upcoming third edition of the 'Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals' series, which focusses on Solidarity in Europe in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.