✅ Checklist

At a glance

📍 Who this is for: EEAS headquarters units, FPI, regional desks, and political sections in EU Delegations. 🎯 Purpose: To help staff operationalise the six OECD Principles for Relevant and Effective Support to Media and the Information Environment across EU diplomacy, external action, and crisis response. 🧭 Goal: Ensure that media and information integrity are recognised as pillars of EU security, democracy, and credibility abroad.

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🛡️ 1. Do No Harm

Ensure diplomatic and visibility actions strengthen, rather than endanger, media partners.

Dimension	Key Questions	Action Points
Risk & Safety	Could EU visibility or diplomatic association expose journalists or their sources?	Conduct pre-visibility risk analyses; approve and document visibility waivers; maintain a confidential “harm log.”
Political Context	Have political sensitivities and reputational risks been mapped?	Integrate political economy and conflict assessments into programme design.
Data & Privacy	Are partner details securely handled?	Use encrypted channels; redact names in reporting; restrict circulation of sensitive data.
Credibility	Could funding be weaponised or misrepresented?	Separate media support from public diplomacy; communicate editorial independence clauses clearly.

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💶 2. Increase Funding

Treat independent journalism as democratic infrastructure and resource it accordingly.

Dimension	Key Questions	Action Points
Strategic Resourcing	Is media support reflected in NDICI, IPA III, and Democracy Shield allocations?	Advocate dedicated budget lines and multi-year stability windows for information integrity.
Emergency Readiness	Can Delegations and FPI respond fast in crisis situations?	Maintain rapid-response funding for relocation, legal defence, and digital incident response (target: 10-day turnaround).
Funding Mix	Is there balance between short-term projects and long-term resilience?	Combine project grants with multi-year institutional and pooled funding mechanisms.

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🌐 3. Whole-of-System Perspective

Embed information integrity across democracy, digital, and security agendas.

Dimension	Key Questions	Action Points
Policy Coherence	Are EEAS, INTPA, NEAR, and CONNECT instruments aligned?	Use joint calls, shared MEL frameworks, and cross-service taskforces.
Security Linkages	Is media support integrated into resilience and hybrid-threat work?	Include information-integrity metrics in FIMI and security-policy planning.
Ecosystem View	Are interventions strengthening local media systems, not just single outlets?	Fund shared infrastructure—cybersecurity, data analysis, and safety networks.

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🤝 4. Local Leadership & Ownership

Empower local actors to define needs and lead implementation.

Dimension	Key Questions	Action Points
Leadership	Are local media organisations leading or subcontracted?	Adjust eligibility and evaluation to reward local lead applicants.
Participation	Are local actors meaningfully consulted?	Budget for consultation time; document how input shapes programming.
Capacity	Does funding strengthen compliance and sustainability?	Require international partners to mentor local implementers in finance, safety, and management.

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🔗 5. Coordination of Support

Align diplomatic, financial, and operational instruments across EU services and partners.

Dimension	Key Questions	Action Points
Internal Coordination	Are EEAS, FPI, and Commission services planning together?	Convene quarterly coordination huddles; maintain a restricted donor calendar.
External Coordination	Are Member States and like-minded donors engaged at field level?	Task Delegations to lead local donor compacts; share risk assessments and mapping.
Procedural Coherence	Are reporting and MEL systems harmonised?	Promote pooled reporting and joint indicators across EEAS, INTPA, and Member States.

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📚 6. Invest in Knowledge, Research & Learning

Transform field experience into institutional knowledge and adaptive policy.

Dimension	Key Questions	Action Points
Evidence-Building	Is data on impact and risks systematically collected?	Commission joint landscape studies with local observatories and universities.
Learning Systems	Is knowledge retained despite staff rotation?	Maintain a secure EEAS repository for evaluations, lessons, and risk logs.
Policy Uptake	Do findings shape future design?	Integrate learning summaries into annual EEAS-DG INTPA reviews.

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⚙️ Cross-Cutting Safeguards

• Safety first: Physical, digital, legal, and psycho-social protection are standard cost categories.

• Flexibility: Allow adaptive management when contexts shift.

• Proportionality: Scale compliance demands to partner size and capacity.

• Transparency: Record all visibility waivers and coordination efforts.

• Independence: Keep editorial freedom separate from EU communication goals.

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🎙 Field Voices from Consultations

“We try to ensure that there are the right mitigation measures in place — safety, reputational risks — in project design. We’re not using specific guidelines yet, but we have those discussions with implementing partners.” — Senior EEAS official, interview for OECD Media Toolkit consultations

“When you understand the regional media environment, you start asking the right questions. Even a small amount of money can have a ripple effect if used strategically.” — EU Delegation representative, interview for OECD Media Toolkit consultations

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📊 Summary Overview

OECD Principle	EEAS Focus	Practical Outcome
1. Do No Harm	Safety and credibility safeguards	Reduces risk of exposure or reputational harm
2. Increase Funding	Strategic, long-term resourcing	Strengthens media resilience and viability
3. Whole-of-System	Policy coherence across security and democracy	Aligns EU diplomacy with information integrity
4. Local Leadership	Partner ownership and capacity-building	Enhances sustainability and legitimacy
5. Coordination	Inter-service and donor coherence	Prevents duplication and improves learning
6. Research & Learning	Continuous evidence and adaptation	Supports informed, adaptive EU policy

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📘 How to Use

• Apply during programme design, political dialogue, and evaluation phases.

• Pair with the EEAS–EU Delegations Interaction Diagram and Delegations Subpage for operational guidance.

• Update annually as new evidence and coordination mechanisms emerge under the Team Europe Democracy framework.