Safeguarding Freedom - Stabilising Democracy

The upcoming months will be characterised by the preparations of two groundbreaking initiatives: The Digital Services Act Package and the European Democracy Action Plan. Both proposals are crucial when it comes to protecting our democracy and fostering a free and resilient internet culture.

Discussing how new rules can be reasonably designed and implemented will be the task for all of us – and now is the time to get prepared. We addressed this issue at our event “Safeguarding freedom – Stabilising democracy”.

1.30 pm
General Welcome and Opening

• Welcome by Hans H. Stein, Director, Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to the European Union
• Opening by Vice-President Věra Jourová, European Commission

A – Disinformation

1.50 pm
Setting the Scene

• Judith Möller, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam

2 pm
Disinformation as a matter of fact(s)? What it means to…

• a platform: Stephen Turner, Director, Public Policy EU, Twitter Belgium
• a media authority: Michael O’Keeffe, Chief Executive, Broadcasting Authority Ireland
• a fact checker: Stefan Voß, Head of Verification, German Press Agency dpa

2.30 pm 
Ask an academic – Tobias Schmid interviewing

• Wolfgang Schulz, Director, Hans-Bredow-Institute for Media Research

25 Minutes Break

B – Law Enforcement Online / DSA

3.10 pm    
Setting the Scene

• Laura Braam, Team Leader Supervision, Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia

3.20 pm   
Asked an academic – Presentation of an expert opinion

• Mark D. Cole, Director for Academic Affairs, Institute of European Media Law (EMR)

3.35 pm   
What’s next? Concrete measures to strive for.

• Renate Nikolay, Head of Cabinet of Vice-President Jourová, European Commission
• Karim Ibourki, Vice Chair of ERGA and President of Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisuel, Belgium
• Heike Raab, State Secretary of Rhineland-Palatinate

4.20 pm
Closing remarks

• Tobias Schmid, Chair of ERGA and Commissioner for European Affairs of the German Media Authorities

Current developments may require short-term changes to the programme.