New Delhi to host roundtable discussing EU-India cooperation in combatting online disinformation and information manipulation

• EU-India track 1.5 dialogue, taking place on the side-lines of the Raisina Dialogue, will unpack security & policy aspects of online disinformation and information manipulation

• The peer-to-peer discussion will deliberate foreign policy responses to disinformation in both regions, highlight developments in the EU’s and India’s work to disrupt malicious actors, and reflect on the role of civil society in addressing online disinformation and building resilience

New Delhi, February 19. Over 35 experts from the European Union (EU) and India will join forces in New Delhi on February 21, to unpack the security and policy aspects of online disinformation and information manipulation, while identifying possible areas of EU-India collaboration.  

Taking place on the side-lines of the Raisina Dialogue 2024, EU-India track 1.5 event “Combatting disinformation online: EU and Indian perspectives” is the 4th roundtable co-organised by the EU-funded project Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia (ESIWA) and the Indian Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in partnership with the EU Delegation to India.

The peer-to-peer discussion will explore trends in the use of disinformation online and encourage EU and Indian governmental and non-governmental actors to compare notes and share best practices about countering disinformation.

In line with the #TeamEurope approach, the high-level meeting will feature speakers from across the EU such as the European External Action Service, German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French Embassy in New Delhi and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From the Indian side, representatives from agencies such as India’s National Cyber Coordination Centre, and the National Security Council Secretariat of India will participate.

Experts will deliberate foreign policy responses to disinformation in both regions, highlight developments in the EU’s and India’s work to disrupt malicious actors, and reflect on the role of civil society in addressing online disinformation and building resilience.

 “In the physical world, Europe might seem far away from Asia but in cyberspace we live together, sometimes in a complex, dangerous cyber neighbourhood where our societies depend on resilient trustworthy digital services and where we can all become victim to malicious cyber-attacks. We need to combat such challenges with mutual defence and strong, trusted cooperation,” said Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to India Seppo Nurmi, who will deliver the welcome remarks at the roundtable.  “Participants from both regions will provide insights into their respective approaches to curbing disinformation with a special focus on safeguarding free speech and privacy. The track 1.5 dialogue will reflect on the EU’s and India’s foreign policy responses to online disinformation, while identifying opportunities for EU-India cooperation,” Nurmi added.

The EU and India have on multiple occasions reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible cyberspace that enables economic growth and innovation. To promote further cooperation, ESIWA and ORF have jointly hosted a series of track 1.5 dialogues between the EU and India in the format of high-level meetings.

The first three meetings were organised in April 2022, October 2022, and March 2023 in New Delhi on the side-lines of the CyFy and Raisina dialogues. The conclusions of the meetings feed into the formal EU–India Cybersecurity Dialogues, progressing the discussion on evolving security challenges and building connections between two global security actors.

“Online disinformation and information manipulation is a growing political and security challenge. Given the negative impact it can have on two of the world’s largest democracies, this ESIWA-ORF roundtable comes at an opportune moment to build on EU-India collaboration in cyber security,” said Mindaugas Lasas, Head of Sector – Hybrid Threats at the European External Action Service, one of the speakers at the event.

ESIWA: The Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia (ESIWA) project is co-funded by the European Union, the German Federal Foreign Office, and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It works to enhance the EU’s security and defence cooperation with the Indo-Pacific in four areas: counter-terrorism, crisis management, cyber security, and maritime security. The project is co-implemented by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) & Expertise France.