Implementation Examples

Practical examples showing how DG CONNECT, DG JUST, and the Secretariat-General apply the OECD Principles to strengthen media freedom and information integrity across the EU.

Creative Europe – Journalism Partnerships

DG CONNECT, in cooperation with EACEA and the Secretariat-General, has expanded Creative Europe – NEWS into a testing ground for long-term and collaborative journalism support. The programme funds cross-border consortia that include both established media and smaller, independent outlets. It also covers digital-safety and organisational-resilience costs—marking a shift from short project grants to structural support. OECD Principles: 2️⃣ Increase Funding · 3️⃣ Whole-of-System · 4️⃣ Local Leadership

“We need to stop funding journalism as if it were a series of hackathons. Multi-year partnerships make planning and safety possible.” — Programme officer, DG CONNECT, 2025 consultation

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Anti-SLAPP Legal Aid and Case-Tracking Network

Under DG JUST, the EU has launched pilot schemes that connect national bar associations, human-rights NGOs, and journalists’ unions to provide coordinated legal defence against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). These pilots are being integrated into the Anti-SLAPP Directive’s implementation framework, with SG ensuring data-sharing and evaluation consistency across Member States. OECD Principles: 1️⃣ Do No Harm · 5️⃣ Coordination · 6️⃣ Research & Learning

“The Directive’s success depends on quick, affordable defence. The cross-border network shows how EU law can protect individuals in practice.” — DG JUST legal adviser, 2025

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Democracy Shield Design Process

The Secretariat-General leads inter-service coordination on the European Democracy Shield, bringing together DG CONNECT, DG JUST, and DG INTPA to ensure coherence between internal and external democracy instruments. This process demonstrates the SG’s convening power to embed information-integrity, safety, and sustainability criteria into EU-wide policy frameworks and future MFF planning. OECD Principles: 3️⃣ Whole-of-System · 5️⃣ Coordination · 6️⃣ Research & Learning

“The Shield is the first time media, disinformation, and civic-space protection are designed together—bridging internal and external policy.” — Commission official, Democracy Shield taskforce, 2025

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Digital Services Act Transparency Benchmarks

In cooperation with DG CONNECT, DG JUST, and the European External Action Service, the Commission introduced annual transparency benchmarks under the Digital Services Act to monitor platform compliance, algorithmic accountability, and monetisation fairness. These indicators feed directly into the Rule of Law Report and Media Pluralism Monitor, creating an integrated accountability framework. OECD Principles: 1️⃣ Do No Harm · 3️⃣ Whole-of-System · 6️⃣ Research & Learning

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These examples show how internal coordination within the European Commission can turn the OECD Principles into concrete action—ensuring that legal, digital, and strategic priorities reinforce one another, rather than operate in silos.