Speaking at the first meeting of the European Parliament’s new special committee on the “European Democracy Shield,” Tobé called for an agency tasked with combating foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI).
Under the proposal, the new agency would work closely with a corresponding unit within the European External Action Service, acting as an information hub to support member states and EU institutions. It would serve as a center of excellence for countering FIMI and be capable of rapid responses to external threats.
Tobé pointed to France’s Vignium—a unit that tracks digital interference—and Sweden’s Psychological Defense Agency as potential models for the new body.
His report is expected to lay the groundwork for the European Commission’s initiative on the “European Democracy Shield,” with a final report scheduled for release next year.
Earlier, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she intended to create new institutional mechanisms to counter foreign interference in the European information space. The commission’s program focuses on countering hybrid threats, particularly from Russia.