In today’s digital age, Europe is confronting sophisticated threats of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) that seek to undermine our democratic values and disrupt societal cohesion.
To counter these challenges, the EU has mobilised a suite of strategic initiatives, reflected in a diverse array of projects designed to analyse, educate, and empower. These projects employ innovative tools and collaborative approaches to enhance public awareness, strengthen policy frameworks, and safeguard democratic processes. Through these collective efforts, the EU is fortifying its defences against the evolving landscape of information manipulation and interference. Read more about the cluster here.
November 2023
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October 2026
Topic:
Tackling Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference
Overview:
ATHENA is a strategic initiative dedicated to analysing the tactics, techniques, and procedures employed by perpetrators of FIMI, in order to develop cutting-edge analysis tools and robust countermeasures to combat information manipulation.
Key Focus Areas:
Disinformation analysis toolbox & dynamic dashboards
Policy evaluation and legal framework improvements
Public awareness campaigns & stakeholder collaboration
Impact:
Enhancing EU resilience against FIMI by improving legal frameworks, fostering public engagement, and equipping policymakers with strategic insights.
February 2025
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January 2027
Topic:
Attribution, Data Analysis, Countermeasures, and Interoperability
Overview:
ADAC.io enhances the EU’s capabilities in identifying, analysing, and countering FIMI. It strengthens technical frameworks and methodologies for better detection and response.
Key Focus Areas:
Developing technical standards for FIMI detection
Strengthening EU-wide data interoperability
Improving decision-making in countermeasures
Impact:
By advancing knowledge and refining technical tools, ADAC.io supports democratic resilience, ensuring a more robust and coordinated EU response to information threats.
January 2024
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February 2027
Topic:
Research for Information Freedom
Overview:
ARM investigates how authoritarian states control information and target European diaspora communities. Through deep analysis of information suppression tactics, the project aims to enhance global understanding of these strategies.
Key Focus Areas:
Analysing global information suppression tactics
Identifying patterns in transnational FIMI operations
Developing countermeasures to protect information freedom
Impact:
ARM equips policymakers and civil society with tools to counteract foreign information suppression, strengthening the right to free and unbiased information across borders.
January 2024
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December 2026
Topic:
Detecting and Countering Information Suppression
Overview:
DE-CONSPIRATOR is a cutting-edge initiative that tracks and analyses FIMI tactics, particularly those linked to Russia and China building a multilingual database of FIMI incidents to strengthen policy responses.
Key Focus Areas:
Monitoring and analysing FIMI campaigns using the ‘Disinfor-meter’
Investigating legal and regulatory frameworks for stronger defences
Strengthening democratic resilience through policy recommendations
Impact:
By mapping the spread of disinformation across local networks in Europe and partner countries, DE-CONSPIRATOR enhances safeguards for fundamental rights and informs robust countermeasures.
December 2023
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November 2026
Topic:
Research on Information Suppression and Diaspora Communities
Overview:
RESONANT examines the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by both state and non-state actors in FIMI. The project develops strategies to mitigate the impact of information suppression while promoting freedom of speech.
Key Focus Areas:
Analysing information suppression tactics at domestic and cross-border levels
Developing detection tools and policy recommendations
Organizing tabletop exercises and focus groups for resilience-building
Impact:
By fostering behavioural change and equipping authorities with better preparedness, RESONANT strengthens democratic resilience and provides a handbook of methodologies to counter FIMI threats.
February 2024
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January 2027
Topic:
Secure Automated Unified Framework for Exchange
Overview:
SAUFEX develops a unified framework for analysing and responding to FIMI. By leveraging AI and best practices, it empowers communities and enhances cross-stakeholder cooperation.
Key Focus Areas:
Standardizing FIMI response protocols with AI-driven tools
Establishing Resilience Councils for decentralized decision-making
Facilitating cross-border collaboration and democratic governance
Impact:
SAUFEX transforms FIMI from a theoretical concept into practical action, ensuring a robust, collective defence for democratic integrity.
ETHICS ADVISORY BOARD
Mari-Liisa Parder has an interdisciplinary background in media and communication (PhD, Tartu) and philosophy (Tartu). She is teaching ethics and qualitative research method courses to undergraduates as well as PhD students in different fields (from social sciences to life sciences). She has participated in various EU-funded projects as an ethics advisor. Her research interests include ethics related to adolescent studies; values and ethics in communication and research integrity and ethics. She has been part of the working group for Estonian Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (2017).