Democracy Matters – Facts Matter: Joint Conference on Fact-Checking at the European Parliament

The EDMO Fact-Checking Network co-organised the conference “Democracy Matters – Facts Matter” with the European Parliament and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) in Brussels on March 25-26, 2025.

During these turbulent times in global politics, with information integrity and the role of facts in our democracies under fire, the conference brought together fact-checkers, journalists, and academics alongside representatives from EU institutions, fostering dialogue and engagement with key stakeholders in fact-checking.

The conference began with a conversation with European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, focused on the role of fact-checkers in the protection of European democracy.

The panels focused on the most pressing issues in information integrity in Europe. Speakers like MEP Nathalie Loiseau (Renew), Chair of Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, discussed the Shield and how it can contribute to the fight against disinformation. Policymakers and fact-checkers discussed perspectives for the new legislature and DSA implementation with panelists MEP Roberts Zile (ECR), EP Vice-President and Member of the Bureau Working Group on Communication, and MEP Christel Schaldemose (S&D), EP Vice-President and Chair of the Working Group on Digital Services Act Implementation.

The conference was concluded by an interview with MEP Sabine Verheyen (EPP), EP First Vice-President and Chair of the Working Group on Media Freedom Act Implementation.

Programme

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Tuesday 25 March - Brussels, European Parliament, Stefan Zweig Building, room 10 (ground floor)

12:30 – 13:30

Arrival and sandwich lunch

13:30 – 13:40

Welcome and practicalities

Delphine Colard, Spokesperson, European Parliament

Clara Jiménez Cruz , Chair, EFCSN

Giovanni Zagni, Fact-Checking Director, EDMO

13:40 – 13:50

Welcome

Christian Mangold, Director-General for Communication, European Parliament

13:50 – 14:00

Opening remarks

Video greeting by President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola

14:00 – 14:30

Conversation with:

European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen – the role of fact-checkers in the protection of European democracy

Moderator: Clara Jiménez Cruz , Chair, EFCSN

14:30 – 15:15

Why fact-checking matters

With the recently established Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, the fight against disinformation is on top of the EP agenda. What role does fact-checking play and how do fact-checkers contribute to the integrity of European information spaces? What did we learn from the super election year of 2024? And what new trends can we expect in the year(s) to come?

In the panel:

MEP Nathalie Loiseau (Renew), Chair of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield
MEP Pina Picierno (S&D), EP Vice-President and First Vice-Chair of EP Bureau Working Group on Communication
Stephan Mündges, Coordinator of EFCSN
Alice Echtermann, Correctiv (Germany)

Moderator: Tommaso Canetta, Fact-Checking Coordinator, EDMO

15:15 – 16:15

Perspectives for the new legislature

With several important pieces of legislation adopted in the previous term, focus is now on implementation and enforcement. How do Members of the European Parliament envisage the fight against disinformation and other hybrid threats? What advice and wishes would fact-checkers have for them?

In the panel:

MEP Christel Schaldemose (S&D), EP Vice-President and Chair of the Working Group on Digital Services Act Implementation
Marie Bohner, EFCSN / AFP (France)
Marco Giorello, Head of Technological and Economic Assessment Unit, DG CNECT, European Commission

Moderator: Carlos Hernández-Echevarría, EFCSN / Maldita.es (Spain)

16:15 – 17:00

Coffee break

17:00 – 18:00

EU support for fact-checkers (Chatham House rules)

How can the EP Services and other EU institutions support the work of fact-checkers? What do fact-checking organisations need?

In the panel:

Szilárd Teczár, EDMO / Lakmusz (Hungary)
Jan Jagers, Knack (Belgium)
Delphine Colard, Spokesperson, European Parliament
Krisztina Stump, Head of the Media Convergence and Social Media Unit, DG CNECT, European Commission

Moderator: Jacob Lolck, Spokesperson’s Unit, European Parliament

18:00 – 19:30

Networking event

European Parliament, Stephan Zweig Building

Wednesday 26 March - Brussels, European Parliament, Stefan Zweig Building, room 10 (ground floor)

09:00 – 09:45

Arrival and coffee

09:45 – 10:45

The tools in the toolbox - media literacy, resilience building and beyond (Chatham House rules)

Many tools against disinformation were tested over the last few years: codes of practice, legislation, fact-checking, resilience-building, media literacy. How much do we know about what works and what doesn’t? And do new challenges such as AI demand a complete rethink of our toolbox?

In the panel:

Nelly Pailleux, Les Surligneurs (France)
Andrew Dudfield, EFCSN / Head of AI at Full Fact (UK)
Jon Roozenbeek, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Security, King’s College London & University of Cambridge
Alexandre Alaphilippe, Executive Director, EU DisinfoLab
Marion Loonela, Spokesperson’s Unit, European Parliament

Moderator: Stamos Archontis, EDMO / FactReview (Greece)

10.45 – 11.15

Coffee Break

11:15 – 12:15

The wider context (Chatham House rules)

What challenges are fact-checkers facing outside the EU, e.g. in Ukraine, Georgia, or the Western Balkans, and what can we learn from their experiences? What kind of support do they need?

In the panel:

Yevhen Fedchenko, StopFake (Ukraine)
Mariam Tsitsikashvili, GeoFacts (Georgia)
Raša Nedeljkov, Istinomer.rs (Serbia)
Adriana Buchiu, Parliamentary Support and Capacity Building Unit, European Parliament
Jacob Tamm, Deputy Head of Division of Information Integrity & Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, European External Action Service

Moderator: Ana Brakus, EFCSN / Faktograf (Croatia)